Soft Spots on cheap boat!

kobaz

New Member
Hellooooo out there!

Anyway, so I found a really cheap 470 that's beat to hell and the hull is in great shape actually.

The gunnels/sitting-area is pretty soft in the picture attached (not the boat in question, but just to show the area). Someone tried to "fix" the problem with some really poorly layed up fiberglass that didn't adhere barely at all.

I've just finished power scraping the bad fiberglass off. And I had two ideas to fix the soft spots.

My current idea: Get some strips of pressure treated wood or teak or something solid inside the hull via the inspection ports and through-bolt it to the underside of the deck to add some stiffness, and then flip the boat upside down and do a resin pour mixed in with lots of silica and shredded fiberglass to go over the wood. This will create a nice base to work from, and then add a few layers of fiberglass cloth above and build up the deck a bit.

I'm really not going for aesthetics here, mostly just interested in getting this boat in the water so me and a friend can then proceed to beat the hell out of it until maybe it sinks. Once we sink it then we'll get a nice new(er) 470 to play with!
 

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Yup, it's a beauty.
 

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I would just layup a couple layers of 1708 Biaxial fiberglass cloth over that area, sand it smooth and call it a day. Bonding to wood is always problematic as sooner or later the wood will get wet and expand and the expansion will separate the fiberglass cover.
Remember the factory layup was good to go until someone pushed it beyond its design limits. They did not need wood reinforcing or bolts to make that happen, just a few layers of fiberglass. The round shape makes it extremely strong. Reinforce what is there and it will be fine.
Dale
Obersheimer Sailor Supply
Buffalo, NY
 
I agree. Keep it simple and outside. I suspect the junk you pulled off was polyester and a poor prep job. It may have even been a non-Marine capable system. Long term water will wreck some resins.

I prefer Uscomposite 635 THIN epoxy especially for large areas and its excellent wet out and bonding.

They also have an excellent assortment of glass and fillers. The best bang per pound will be bi-axial stichmat glass. For fairing filler I use their 3M bubbles (micro balloons). It makes a nice marshmallow cream paste that can be easily long-boarded and takes finishing and paint well.

635 THIN is a zero blush resin so sanding or scrubbing is NOT needed between layers. Cure time is extremely slow. In cool weather you may wait a few days to sand. Low viscosity so wet out is extremely good. Unmixed resin lasts years.
Hints:
Get the pumps for the resin so that your mix ratio is precise.
Use a 1” chip brush to mix and apply the epoxy. Mix in reusable plastic food containers. (Polyethylene)
Pre cut all patches.
Wear gloves
Paint the dry sanded surface with epoxy before applying the glass
Pour epoxy on the glass and use the brush to work it, force air out
Cover your lay up with Saran or polyethylene film. Work out excess resin and any air to the edges. This keeps air from re-entering the patch and gives you a head start on a smooth finish. Use painters tape and stretch the film wrinkle free in all directions. This means also to pre cut the film.
I wrap my brush in a T shirt plastic bag. Keep the brush and unused resin in the freezer for a few days if necessary. Works for 2-part paint too.

Pictures below of my deck job on the Tornado. Removed top skin. Removed loose balsa blocks and covered with epoxy. Glassed over. 3M filler applied and longboard sanded. New Brightside blue paint.
 

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