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mrlee · 12-07-2015, 11:22

Hi, I have found(sadly) that there is a place on my port hull (Irwin 30) just above the keel that had been repaired. The job is shoddy and it is now leaking.
How do I repair this? I have done a lot of fiberglass work in the past but I would imagine there is a lot of stress on the hull under full sail which is what I think started this leaking now. Can I clean all the old glass off and patch the holes before adding consecutively larger pieces of fiberglass mat?
Does anyone have a link to view this online? U tube was not too helpful and I want to do this right once and for all.
Thanks for all the help...this new (to me) boat is really testing my meddle here. All after having a great first 3 days bringing here...I wanna SAIL, not repair!

malbert73 · 12-07-2015, 11:57

I don't think your hull is cored, hopefully. haul it, grind away to good glass in large tapered circle around hole inside and out. Build up layers of glass using cloth and epoxy ideally. Will be fine. Not difficult to do poorly, only moderate difficulty to do well.

If cored hull, or involves keel/hull joint, maybe hire a professional.

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Cheechako · 12-07-2015, 12:17

Yes, dry out well... feather the edge around the hole tapering out to maybe 10-12:1 compared with the hull thickness inside and out. lay in progressively larger glass pieces.

hellosailor · 12-07-2015, 12:19

Go to West Systems (epoxy) or Gougeon Brothers online. They make top quality repair materials and have PDF files posted of all the necessary correct procedures. They also will give you free tech support if you call them, including a list of materials and retail costs if you choose to buy their products from a dealer. (You don't have to, but they are competitive.)

You will need to haul the boat, cut away the garbage, and grind the edges of the repair area out for a good bond. And then of course, repaint the area.

Lepke · 12-07-2015, 12:21

Use epoxy resin, not polyester. Epoxy will bond to the old glass if you do the taper as described above. Polyester resin doesn't stick to anything well, even itself.

mrlee · 12-07-2015, 12:36

Thanks y'all. I would like to patch it inside as well but the hole is in the area of the port setee and I cannot access this area without cutting up half of my poor boat. Maybe a hole in the storage compartment under the setee...there are 3 compartments, a hole in the outside side of the one near the hole...what do you think? There is no way to do anything under the floorboards as they have glassed all of this as well with support under the compression post...overall, with this done correctly I will have a virtual brick sh&^house here.
Thanks, now to smear some wax into the hole to quell the water entry. Man, I wanted to learn!!! I'm learning!

haw1961 · 12-07-2015, 12:37

If you are going to use gelcoat to cover the patch, then you will need to use polyester resin. Gelcoat will not adhere to epoxy.

mrlee · 12-07-2015, 12:41

OHHH, good to know! Yes, I want to gelcoat her. How much is the trade off here between the poly resin and the epoxy resin in terms of strength and adhesive capabilities? I don't wanna do this twice!
Thanks for the heads up.

haw1961 · 12-07-2015, 13:16

Polyester resin is fine. That is what the boat was originally built with.

colemj · 12-07-2015, 14:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrlee

OHHH, good to know! Yes, I want to gelcoat her. How much is the trade off here between the poly resin and the epoxy resin in terms of strength and adhesive capabilities? I don't wanna do this twice!
Thanks for the heads up.

Wait a minute. First, I have gelcoated over epoxy several times with no problems. It is a physical bond, not a chemical one, but as long as you tooth the epoxy well, you won't have issues.

But none of that should matter because your repair is below the waterline. No need for gelcoat there - just fix it and bottom paint it. You would probably want epoxy barrier over an underwater repair anyhow, so you may as well use epoxy.

Oh, don't use all mat - this is a job for cloth.

Mark

mrlee · 12-07-2015, 14:27

Ok, I think I have the plan now...How's this?...
I am in Tampico and the only 2 fiberglass shops here to buy materials do not have epoxy resin. I do not want to wait (nor can I) so I will use the polyester resin to repair it. When the hole is fixed I will sand the paint back to reveal about 6 inches of gelcoat all the way around the hole. Then I will gelcoat it and sand it (feather). I should be able to then wait a few days before scuffing lightly before painting her. I have no idea what paint is on her so what do you all recommend for this? I'd rather not ($$$) paint the whole bottom if it's not necessary. I'll try to reach out to the Prev.Owner for the paint...
Does this sound like a good plan? Please, show me the flaws in this approach...I am handy but have no experience with these things.
You all have been great, thanks..

**neilpride** · 12-07-2015, 14:44

I patch lots of holes diferent sizes from a small 3 inches to a 2 feet gap hole with polyester resin, the reason? macht the OEM materials and avoid hard spots, just saying...