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Old 22-10-2016, 23:54   #1
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tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Took a hard it yesterday will docking in 20+knots of cross wind. The boat had some cosmetic issues from a previous owner and an earlier encounter in the season but now is the time I need to bust out the tools and fix her up. Just wanted to get some thoughts on the best way to fix her right.

Have read a lot of books and blogs on this topics but I thought I would get all your great thoughts on the issue, be nice

I know the pictures are a bit hard to see but its a starting point.
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Old 23-10-2016, 00:17   #2
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Oww! On the ugly marks down on the stripe above the waterline. Are they just scuffs, or (cringe) cracks? As each requires a different approach. And is the boat cored, or solid glass (I'm assuming glass)? Also, gelcoat, or paint? What type of resin? Boat age, & make?
All of the above (or most) are key info-bits that'll help with making the best possible, & prettiest repair.
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Old 23-10-2016, 00:21   #3
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Good on ya for posting pics, rubberduck.

Would you tell us what kind of boat it is, so that we have an idea of the layup?

If those gouges don't go through the gelcoat, breathe more easily. You can fair the edges, and with proper prep, mix gelcoat, and tint it to match, and spread it in. If you have a friend who's an artist, they can help with the color match, but I'm pretty sure there are online guides to color matching.

Good luck with it.

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Old 23-10-2016, 01:26   #4
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

From the photos it appears like just some deep gouges in the gel coat . A bit of cleaning of the area and color matching with gel paste. Not that difficult to do just take your time with color match that's the hardest part of gel repairs.
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Old 23-10-2016, 05:14   #5
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Thanks for the comments everyone.

The boat is a 2007 beneteau oceanis which I believe is solid glas with gel. There are a lot of scratches on the side along with a few deep gouges such a these but I believe these are the worst. I don't think any of the lines are "cracks"as the actual impact was minimal.

Just trying to decide if I'm in the glass or not. But I get the feeling looking at places other post online and talking to people I might be okay.

If I were to have gone in to the glass on a small area what kind of repair would I be looking at? Nothing is deeper than these.

Ann, thanks for comments... I had to suck up my pride, both when it happened as well as posting the pictures but the damage is done... I would rather it be repaired correct and some others get a learning opportunity out of it as well.
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Old 23-10-2016, 06:19   #6
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Step one is to spend a few extra bucks on home improvements and change your screen name to "rubberdock"

No flaming or bullying intended to be sure... We just want to avoid a repeat for a bad corner messing up your beautiful repair... No shame in a wheel...

Now... Like all previous replies, this looks cosmetic, but you need to know for sure... If you have ANY "fractured or delaminated" glass from impact, ANY gel repair is going to crack due to movement... Get yourself one of those hard plastic hammers and tap the hull listening for changes... Look inside if you can... Going to be tough to get an eyeball on the inside, but a $20 boroscope from Amazon/ebay can be magic...

That said, everybody has the right repair, it's not too terribly difficult to learn... As far as your question regarding "into the glass", you should be fine with a cosmetic gel repair over some 3M filler... Or simply thickened gel...
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Old 23-10-2016, 09:46   #7
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Quote:
Originally Posted by rubberduck View Post
Thanks for the comments everyone.

The boat is a 2007 beneteau oceanis which I believe is solid glas with gel. There are a lot of scratches on the side along with a few deep gouges such a these but I believe these are the worst. I don't think any of the lines are "cracks"as the actual impact was minimal.

Just trying to decide if I'm in the glass or not. But I get the feeling looking at places other post online and talking to people I might be okay.

If I were to have gone in to the glass on a small area what kind of repair would I be looking at? Nothing is deeper than these.

Ann, thanks for comments... I had to suck up my pride, both when it happened as well as posting the pictures but the damage is done... I would rather it be repaired correct and some others get a learning opportunity out of it as well.
Your photos reveal that several of the gouges are clearly completely through the gelcoat which is generally somewhat thinner than the thickness of a US Dime. The scratches can be filled with MarineTex which can be tinted to match the existing gelcoat. BeneteauUSA also sells gelcoat repair putty colored to match their boats assuming yours is not too old. As for the deeper gouges, once ground out and cleaned somewhat, they can be filled with 3M High Strength Filler or a similar fiberglass reinforced epoxy putty. Once that sets up it can be smoothed down to match the surrounding area. That will hold you until your next haulout at which point you can re-sand the damage and spay "paint" color matched gel-coat over the "wounds" using a Preval Spray Kit. As for the scratched boot-stripe, you can conceal that damage with some color matched enamel paint. It won't be a perfect match but here the 5 foot rule will apply--i.e. if someone other than you can't really notice the mismatch from 5 feet away you're good to go.

FWIW...

PS: Consider adding dock rollers or foam filled nylon fenders along the sides of your quay. Than a "hard landing" won't be too significant.
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Old 24-10-2016, 05:48   #8
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Quote:
Originally Posted by rubberduck View Post
Thanks for the comments everyone.

The boat is a 2007 beneteau oceanis which I believe is solid glas with gel. There are a lot of scratches on the side along with a few deep gouges such a these but I believe these are the worst. I don't think any of the lines are "cracks"as the actual impact was minimal.

Just trying to decide if I'm in the glass or not. But I get the feeling looking at places other post online and talking to people I might be okay.

If I were to have gone in to the glass on a small area what kind of repair would I be looking at? Nothing is deeper than these.

Ann, thanks for comments... I had to suck up my pride, both when it happened as well as posting the pictures but the damage is done... I would rather it be repaired correct and some others get a learning opportunity out of it as well.
You're in luck. Beneteau used pure white gelcoat at least for
the Oceanus series. You can likely use gelcoat straight out of the can, whout worrying about colour matching.

1. Mask areas beyond damage to avoid sanding good gelcoat.
2. Use a dremel with 3/8" diameter stone bit to grind out the gouges.
3. Use 80 grit sandpaper to clean out scratches and feather dremel edges.
4. Blow off dust.
5. Wipe with acetone.
6. Fill gouges and scratches with white gel gelcoat.
7. Take of high points with 80 grit on a sanding block.
8. Fair with 150 grit on sanding block down to masking tape.
9. Remove masking tape and feather repair edges to original gelcoat with 150 grit.
10. Wipe with acetone.
11. Spray 2 coats of liquid gelcoat, extending each 1/4" more beyond last.
12. Spray PVA (poly vinyl alcohol) on last coat.
13. In 24 hours, was off PVA with warm water.
14. In 24 hours, wet sand with 320, then 600, then 1200.
15. Compound, polish, wax.

That damage will devalue boat by about 15%. A poor repair, about the same. If you aren't confident in your ability to make a near invisible repair, this may be a job to hire out to a pro. Ie, if you haven't already done this kind of repair, it may be wise to not experiment on an expensive boat for your first try.
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Old 24-10-2016, 07:12   #9
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

The issue with going deeper than the gelcoat, and why it should be leveled up to @ the height of the surrounding gelcoat with filler, is that gelcoat is given to cracking/failing if it's too thick. It's very brittle, so as mentioned you want it about the thickness of a dime. It makes the repair slightly more involved as you're working with more materials, but not ridiculously so.

As for self-repair or hiring a professional, that's a function of how you want it to turn out. Done by an experience professional, the repair will be invisible. Done by you...well that's a function of your skills and knowledge. If you can use straight white gelcoat that eliminates the issue of color matching which can be harder than it sounds. Fairing will be your big challenge. That can be an art in and of itself and you're the best judge of whether you have the skill for it.
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Old 24-10-2016, 08:29   #10
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Thanks everyone for the advice. The last two post gave me a few things to think about. Ill update the forum once I resolve this with some better looking pictures.

The boat is located in Sweden, and labor is not cheap but I'm sure ill figure something out!

Cheers
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Old 24-10-2016, 08:50   #11
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

I would get estimates from two or three professionals. They should tell you what needs to be done and how much they will charge to do it. Like all the trades, these guys didn't just read a book and hang out their sign, they spent time learning their trade.

Repair your own boat and who knows what it's going to look like? And if there's structural damage, will you know this and know how to fix it?

But, there are books and videos on the subject. Your choice. And you live with the results.
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Old 24-10-2016, 09:27   #12
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Gel coat repairs are actually not rocket science. This is one of the best features of plastic boats. If you do it yourself, and mess it up, then you can always hire a pro to grind it off and do it over again.

Even I (!) have successfully done gel coat repairs which, yes, were invisible. That said, I do usually hire a pro, who does it better and faster, and it's not all that expensive. I'm guessing that job, in Cowes, would cost you no more than three or four hundred pounds.

Those look like good instructions above.
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Old 24-10-2016, 12:39   #13
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

I'd add some good rub rails. The smooth side is pretty but no one can go an entire career without grinding on some pilings or a dock. The rub rails make it easier to short hand or single hand in and out of the dock as well.
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Old 25-10-2016, 09:14   #14
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suijin View Post
The issue with going deeper than the gelcoat, and why it should be leveled up to @ the height of the surrounding gelcoat with filler, is that gelcoat is given to cracking/failing if it's too thick. It's very brittle, so as mentioned you want it about the thickness of a dime. It makes the repair slightly more involved as you're working with more materials, but not ridiculously so.

As for self-repair or hiring a professional, that's a function of how you want it to turn out. Done by an experience professional, the repair will be invisible. Done by you...well that's a function of your skills and knowledge. If you can use straight white gelcoat that eliminates the issue of color matching which can be harder than it sounds. Fairing will be your big challenge. That can be an art in and of itself and you're the best judge of whether you have the skill for it.
That's a tricky one.

If the damage is a fracture or a deep gouge into the FRP substrate, it should be glassed rather than just filled, or it will be structurally weakened.

If glassing is required to maintain integrity, the repair area will extend well beyond the damage area on all sides.

From what I see in the photos, the only gouge I'd take a second look at before mixing the gelcoat is the one near the thru-hull.

For this value of boat, unless you already have proven gelcoat repair skills, I recommend calling a gelcoat pro that comes with great recommendations by locals. It may cost a bit, but not done right, it will cost a lot more than the proper repair.
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Old 25-10-2016, 09:30   #15
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Re: tough times docking - Thoughts on repair

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Gel coat repairs are actually not rocket science. ...............
No, gel coat repairs are actually not rocket science, but they do take some skill and it would be best to learn from someone who does it professionally and then practice on a beat up boat, not a fairly new, valuable one.

I suggested getting estimates from a pro because that way, he will know if there is structural damage and also how the pro intends to do the repairs.

By the time he buys the tools and supplies (hopefully never to be used again), it may be close to the same price to have a pro do the repair and know that it was done correctly.
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