TOPIC: Bottom of my boat

I bought my boat knowing it needs some work but I find a few spots under my boat that look like the picture I included. Being new to this thing, is this just the gel coat missing or is this already to far gone and allowing water to come in?

TIA

Typical Gel Coat repair. Grind and feather with a grinder. Clean well with Acetone, use Polyester resin and 3-4 layers of 1.5 oz CSM to effect the patch repair and then apply 3-4 thick coats of Gel Coat. Sand Buff and polish.

crowsnestflyfisher,

IF it was my boat, I would feather out each of those areas to a near paper edge & fill them with EPOXY PEANUT BUTTER, which is MUCH stronger than polyester & stays put WELL.
Then, I would refinish the bottom with rolled-on/tipped-off rustoleum & harderner.

ADDENDA: Being "the friendly neighborhood cheapskate", I use agricultural pulverized lime from the farmer's co-op store for thickener in my homebrewed peanut butter.
(I also use the cheapest, crude "industrial" or "generic" epoxy that I can find, with great results, too.)

yours, satx

Yup, If you don't want to use Gel Coat then this ^^^ would be another method to use. Your boat is made from Polyester resin and if you prep it as stated the patch will adhere with no problems. Epoxy does have great adhesion and is very strong but in most cases does not like to be coated with Gel Coat. I have seen some recent videos where West Systems Epoxy has some epoxy that is very compatible with Gel Coat. If you are planning on painting then Epoxy is a very good choice. Marine Tex or PC-11 would be good products to use to make this repair and then paint. As satx78247 states you can make your own "Peanut Butter" by mixing Glass bubbles with Epoxy to thicken it to the consistency of Creamy Peanut butter to make your own filler that is easily sanded.

My question is that spot looks like something rubbed that damage? Is there a part of the trailer that may have caused it. Just doesn't seem like it is an impact damage or beach damage.
if I was to repair that damage I would dish it out with a grinder doesn't have to be pretty just dish it out past the damage a nice gentle slope and and lay enough cloth then mat then cloth or as said lay it up with mat and polyester ifyou want you can pop for vinyl ester reson sense it's the bottom but I dont. Then let it cure and sand it down till its flush.
If you want very good advice as to what products to use call Express Composits they sell everything that is need to repair or build a fiberglass protect there nice people and they advertise on this site.

D

herters59 wrote:

My question is that spot looks like something rubbed that damage? Is there a part of the trailer that may have caused it. Just doesn't seem like it is an impact damage or beach damage.
if I was to repair that damage I would dish it out with a grinder doesn't have to be pretty just dish it out past the damage a nice gentle slope and and lay enough cloth then mat then cloth or as said lay it up with mat and polyester ifyou want you can pop for vinyl ester reson sense it's the bottom but I dont. Then let it cure and sand it down till its flush.
If you want very good advice as to what products to use call Express Composits they sell everything that is need to repair or build a fiberglass protect there nice people and they advertise on this site.

D

Yes the spots that look like this are evenly spaced as if the trailer caused it from rubbing.
Boat is on a different trailer now when I purchased it.