Fiberglass patch issue

[Sorbothegeek]

About the only issue to resolve on the Sears boat I recently bought is this fiberglass patch on the stern. Thankfully it did not cause a leak. Well…yet.

Suggests for how to seal the raised part back down are appreciated

TIA

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Sand it back until you get to where it solidly attached.
Or better yet peel it off and fix it right.

 

[Billy H]

Ouch that’s ugly, and it’s gonna get uglier. You need to remove all the goop and see how far forward that keel is rotted away and take it from there. There is not quick patching that.

 

[Sorbothegeek]

Welp not exactly what I was hoping to hear but the solution seems pretty straightforward. Time to watch YouTube videos on how to patch with fiberglass.

 

[airshot]

Using fiberglass to patch an aluminum boat was a mistake to begin with. What is the boat used for needs consideration as far as how much effort to put on the patch.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Clean off the fiberglass first then you can see what is really wrong.
Then you can see what the real problem is and how best to fix it.

 

[Billy H]

Welp not exactly what I was hoping to hear but the solution seems pretty straightforward. Time to watch YouTube videos on how to patch with fiberglass.

That keel needs to be mechanically fastened with rivets. It appears the flange has some serious corrosion. Get all glass off and expose what’s really there then come back and post a picture of what you have.

 

[MDCrappie]

That keel sure looks "attached" to me. My guess is that someone probably dropped it on a rock and there is a hole in the keel (but not in the boat). Not leaking as the keel is not part of the bottom of boat. Prior owner probably saw hole and "thought" it needed to be sealed. Who knows (till you get that fiberglass off) it could just be the drain hole in the keel which is designed to be there to get water out of it. I've had people see water coming out of it when they pull out and think it needs to be sealed, but it doesn't.

 

[Sorbothegeek]

Just to provide some further clarity, the pictures show a patch of fiberglass that has delaminated from the hull. This is not structural aluminum (the keel) that has to be riveted back down.

I stopped in at West Marine yesterday and spoke with a person who has a lifetime of boating knowledge and we talked through various solutions for repairing this issue. I settled on this.

https://www.westmarine.com/west-system-105-k-fiberglass-boat-repair-kit-12954095.html

 

[LaqueRatt]

Another idea you won't like. Scrap it. It's beyond hope for anyone looking at it objectively. What are we talking about here, a $200 boat? Go get a better $200 boat. I always pass on tinnies with structural damage.

 

[LDUBS]

Just to provide some further clarity, the pictures show a patch of fiberglass that has delaminated from the hull. This is not structural aluminum (the keel) that has to be riveted back down.

I stopped in at West Marine yesterday and spoke with a person who has a lifetime of boating knowledge and we talked through various solutions for repairing this issue. I settled on this.

https://www.westmarine.com/west-system-105-k-fiberglass-boat-repair-kit-12954095.html

I'm interested in seeing how this works for you. If memory serves, someone else on these forums used a fiberglass repair on their tinny, but I just can't remember the details.

 

[Sorbothegeek]

Another idea you won't like. Scrap it. It's beyond hope for anyone looking at it objectively. What are we talking about here, a $200 boat? Go get a better $200 boat. I always pass on tinnies with structural damage.

To be blunt, not a chance. We are NOT talking about a $200 boat! I bought it with a 9.9 Evinrude, a trailer, a 30lb thrust Minnkota trolling motor, two down riggers, a Humminbird fishfinder, an electric anchor, and miscellaneous other gear. I do not think there is any structural damage to the boat. It has an old fiberglass patch that was not properly done back in the day, I think, and it has now started to peel up. They likely hit the ground too hard and damaged some rivets and patched it. That's just a guess. In any event, the keel is sound and it doesn't take on water. For a 50+-year-old boat, she is surprisingly smooth and straight and has very few dents along the frame.
Yes I will clean up the current patch job, sand it back a bit to see how things look, and make a clean edge to apply the new glass.

 

[Stand Up]

To be blunt, not a chance. We are NOT talking about a $200 boat! I bought it with a 9.9 Evinrude, a trailer, a 30lb thrust Minnkota trolling motor, two down riggers, a Humminbird fishfinder, an electric anchor, and miscellaneous other gear. I do not think there is any structural damage to the boat. It has an old fiberglass patch that was not properly done back in the day, I think, and it has now started to peel up. They likely hit the ground too hard and damaged some rivets and patched it. That's just a guess. In any event, the keel is sound and it doesn't take on water. For a 50+-year-old boat, she is surprisingly smooth and straight and has very few dents along the frame.
Yes I will clean up the current patch job, sand it back a bit to see how things look, and make a clean edge to apply the new glass.

I would not be leaning towards using fibreglass to redo the repair. I would think there would be a better way. After removing all the old stuff, you'll be able to see what's up. I'm interested in seeing what was the reason the fibreglass had been applied. Good luck with the repair and let us know how it goes.

 

[Sorbothegeek]

I reached out yesterday to a long standing employee at West Marine in Seattle with decades in the marine industry. I showed him the photos and asked for his advice and how to proceed. He offered multiple suggestions such as different epoxy solutions. We decided on the solution I linked to above.

He's an example of a truly nasty hole in a canoe that was patched using fiberglass and G/Flex 650. I truly want to know why there is the hesitancy against fiberglass on aluminum when this is an example of it being used successfully by folks in the epoxy industry. I'm new here and just wanting to learn.

Thanks for all of the comments. I appreciate the input.

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

While it will work there are better ways to patch aluminum.
A flat tire can be fixed by filling it with concrete, but it's not the best way.

 

[LDUBS]

I reached out yesterday to a long standing employee at West Marine in Seattle with decades in the marine industry. I showed him the photos and asked for his advice and how to proceed. He offered multiple suggestions such as different epoxy solutions. We decided on the solution I linked to above.

He's an example of a truly nasty hole in a canoe that was patched using fiberglass and G/Flex 650. I truly want to know why there is the hesitancy against fiberglass on aluminum when this is an example of it being used successfully by folks in the epoxy industry. I'm new here and just wanting to learn.

Thanks for all of the comments. I appreciate the input.

You are asking a great question. I think @Stand Up has the right idea. Get the exiting glass patch off to see what is going on. Then go from there. Personally, beyond the video you linked, I don't know enough about these fiberglass patches to comment one what to another.

My question is what is the best way to remove the exiting fiberglass without damaging the underlying aluminum? I'm looking forward to watching this progress.

 

[MDCrappie]

I reached out yesterday to a long standing employee at West Marine in Seattle with decades in the marine industry. I showed him the photos and asked for his advice and how to proceed. He offered multiple suggestions such as different epoxy solutions. We decided on the solution I linked to above.

He's an example of a truly nasty hole in a canoe that was patched using fiberglass and G/Flex 650. I truly want to know why there is the hesitancy against fiberglass on aluminum when this is an example of it being used successfully by folks in the epoxy industry. I'm new here and just wanting to learn.

Thanks for all of the comments. I appreciate the input.

Personally I would not put much faith in someone who looks at those pictures and gives you their "expertise" on how to fix that without saying they need to see what it looks like after you rip that "patch" off.

I still think there is a very good possibility that it is an unnecessary "fix" that was done by someone who thought the drain hole in the keel needed to be closed.

Please use a pry bar or big screwdriver and pry the rest of that patch off and take pics of it and post them.

 

[LaqueRatt]

To be blunt, not a chance. We are NOT talking about a $200 boat! I bought it with a 9.9 Evinrude, a trailer, a 30lb thrust Minnkota trolling motor, two down riggers, a Humminbird fishfinder, an electric anchor, and miscellaneous other gear. I do not think there is any structural damage to the boat. It has an old fiberglass patch that was not properly done back in the day, I think, and it has now started to peel up. They likely hit the ground too hard and damaged some rivets and patched it. That's just a guess. In any event, the keel is sound and it doesn't take on water. For a 50+-year-old boat, she is surprisingly smooth and straight and has very few dents along the frame.
Yes I will clean up the current patch job, sand it back a bit to see how things look, and make a clean edge to apply the new glass.

Sounds like you got snookered. First boat for you?

Even with all you said, I still think if we're talking 14' or less you could find a solid hull for small bucks and spend your time transferring the goodies instead of fixing something that honestly I don't think can be fixed right. If you're stuck on this boat, slam a piece of alum over the bad crap with a gob of silicone underneath. It's a hillbilly fix, but I've seen it work many times.

 

[airshot]

In reality the boat was not properly repaired to begin with. You will either need to rip it all off and start over, or do another quick fix with the fiberglass to get by. Using the quick fix will work, but you will be doing it again down the road. Who knows what the future holds, whether you keep it or sell it...no one knows, so do you want a quick fix to get you on the water or are you pure tin boat lover that wants it done correctly ?? This is a " tin boat " forum, most of us are tin boat enthusiests and fiberglass is considered a bad word by many !! Your boat, your call, you ask for opinions.....what ever you choose to do, keep us posted, because we may not agree with your method, but we are still interested in your outcome.....good luck...

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

What is on the inside of the boat where the patch? Is there any visible damage?