The Rot Doctor


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Subject: Glass hull/core repair (Part 2)
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999

Thanks for the quick response.

The boat has a glass hull and glass interior. No false floor, carpet was applied over the interior but had been removed when I got it. There doesn't appear to be any ribs but there is a reinforcement in the keel (tapered from the bow to approx. 2" wide and 3/4" deep at the stern). I haven't explored the core to know what it is compromised of. There are 2 places on the exterior where the hull has been repaired.

The interior has seat supports glassed into the bottom and the glass is cracked and has peeled away. They show what appears to be 2x4's on edge running lengthwise and are rotted. The interior glass shows small flex fractures over much of the flattest portion. The bow is not fractured and is rigid. The boat is water tight at least from outside to the interior.

Thanks for any advice

Paul

Paul,

Okay. We'll assume for the moment that there is no wood between the two glass layers that constitute the inside and outside of the hull.

Your critical structure here is the keel. It is probably wood, and if it is rotted it will have to be replaced or repaired. Other than the glass, the keel gives the boat its fore/aft rigidity. Open it up and take a look and let me know what you are seeing. The fiberglass cracks can be repaired fairly easily and the boat repainted with polyurethane paint.

The rest of the wood structure can be repaired as required. There is CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer), our resins, our adhesives, our glues, etc. From what you describe my guess would be using epoxy to fix up your boat is going to cost somewhere between $250 and $350 in materials.

As you explore the boat, keep me informed and I'll help you interpret what you are looking at and how it can be restored.

Doc

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