Inadequate cracks and holes in the hull of a fiberglass boat are commodious problems, on account of they authorize baptize to seep into the boat and damage and abort it from within. You can repair these cracks and pinholes, on the contrary it is a lengthy evolution that involves multiple steps. Once you be read there is no drool in the boat, you must head business at filling in the leaks and then recovering them with fiberglass and resin so the hull is air tight again.
Draining
Filling Leaks
You Testament be working with enduring chemicals in most cases when filling in damaged areas, so protective goggles and gloves are a must. Whether you are dealing with cracks, it may guidance to fundamental sand down the damaged environment to the equable of the surrounding fiberglass. Pinholes may not demand this.Before you repair the holes, you call for to distinguish whether dilute has collected within the boat from the leak. Whether it has, you call for to remove the douse. You may be able to drill miniature holes into the hull, hang the boat where the hose Testament withdraw and then repair the man-made holes conforming you Testament the other leaks. Whether this won't bullwork, or whether you don't hankering to add additional leaks to the boat, you committal to remove the side entirely to bleed elsewhere the bathe and then reattach it.
Fill in the crack or gap with a resin-based putty using a putty blade. For pinholes, you can instead avail a gelcoat, depending on if you can get one close to the hull's original color. Apply enough gelcoat or putty so it rises above the level of the hull's surface; this ensures that the damage is completely sealed. Let the putty/gelcoat dry and set; this can take up to Day and night.
Applying the Finish
Sand down the filled-in area until it is level with the surface. If you only worked on the damaged areas, this is the only area where you need to apply the finish. Mix and apply an epoxy resin to the area; this resin can begin hardening immediately after mixture, so you need to work quickly. Lay a fiberglass patch on the epoxied surface. With this patch on top, you'll need to wait another Day and night for the resin to set. Once it's dry, sand it down again if needed and apply a layer of gelcoat, making sure it covers a foot around the repaired area. If you had to remove the side of the boat to remove water, you'll likely need to apply more fiberglass to the entire side of the boat. Coat the entire surface in laminate resin and lay a whole fiberglass sheet to the coated area. You may need to repeat this up to two times. Once you have laid the last fiberglass sheet, apply one last coat of resin and wait for it to dry.
