2006-08-14 11:07:16 · 6 answers · asked by danny a 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Boats & Boating
Many people assume that a fiberglass boat is water proof. However, there are many areas of the boat that are constructed from wood. Most likely your boat has been left out in the rain, or has a leak somewhere that allowed water to seep into the wooden parts of the structure. My advice is to only attempt this repair if 1) you are confident in your ability, and 2) you really really really like this boat.
The first thing is to pull up the carpet and locate the bad area. remove the bad area plus about 10 inches. Many times it is just as easy to remove the entire floor. With the floor removed, you will need to inspect the stringers for rot. They will consist of fiberglass wrapped plywood. Bore a hole through the fiberglass shell to expose a portion of the wood. If it is wet, or rotted it must be replaced. You can cut the top of the stringer off and remove the rotted wood while leaving the sides of the fiberglass shell in place. The third place to check for water damage is in the flotation foam hidden beneath the floor. After the foam ages, it can retain water like a sponge. If this has happened, you must remove and replace the flotation foam.
If there is damage to the stringers, you can bet the transom is wet too. If the transom becomes soft, an I/O unit will no longer keep a water tight seal which will compound your trouble.
Once the rot is removed, you can make patterns from cardboard and cut pieces of plywood to replace the wood. Most auto parts stores will carry fiberglass mat and resin. Mix according to directions and fiberglass the boat back together. Make sure you search the net for repair articles for information prior to attempting
If this has not discouraged you into selling the boat "as is", then you are ready to begin. Start opening things up, and expect the unexpected.
I have done two major repairs so far, and have sworn "never again"
2006-08-18 06:38:18 · answer #1 · answered by shfincter S 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
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2016-12-24 02:46:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can assume that there has been water intrusion into the wood that was laminated with fiberglass. The way to repair is to strip the fiberglass laminate, replace the wood decking, and re-laminate with fiberglass. Make sure you know where the leak is so that is sure to be repaired. Treat water intrusion as seriously as fire!
2006-08-14 11:55:26 · answer #3 · answered by odu83 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We do not have enough info about your boat and floor to give the info here. Go to amazon.com and buy "runabout renovation" by Jim Anderson - great book, easy read and very informative. I did a complete restoration of a 1960 Larson Playboy years ago based on his info. Transom, stringers, floor - all replaced.
2006-08-15 00:54:08 · answer #4 · answered by Dan K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
pull up the carpet and start to fix the decking. not an easy task, especially if it covered in fiberglass
2006-08-14 11:20:39 · answer #5 · answered by Christian 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
40 Boat Building Videos - http://BoatPlans.NaturallyGo.com/?VTT
2016-04-02 21:39:21 · answer #6 · answered by Marcelino 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋