I recently came across 1969 fiberglass runabout but not interest in buying it, but it made me wonder what problems would be found with the fiberglass hull of a boat that age.
2007-03-13 05:56:00 · 7 answers · asked by Mike T 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Boats & Boating
The fiberglass is usually not as much as a problem as materials used for coring, stringers and transoms. Many times wood is used to strengthen stringers and transoms and rots out due to moisture exposure/infiltration. If the boat has been taken care of the glass should be ok and it is easy to fix if there are problems such as cracks but if you have to replace the wood in a transom or a stringer it is a major operation. A lot depends on the quality and method of construction of the particular boat as to how well the boat stands up to time. Just like cars, boats have their Rolls Royces as well as Vegas. The good thing about a lot of the older fiberglass boats is that they over-built them before they found out they could get away with less glass. Your boat weighs a heck of a lot more but it is a lot stronger (you end up sacrificing fuel economy to push the extra weight around). A lot of guys are now searching out old Cigarette hulls and repowering them because the hulls are so stout. As with any used boat of any age, have someone knowledgeable check it out (preferably a certified marine surveyor) before you buy it.
There are fiberglass boats that come from the factory painted and not gelcoated.
2007-03-13 10:45:07 · answer #1 · answered by Wally T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless there is hull damage (holes,cracks) the fiberglass will last forever. Boat hulls have many coats of colored epoxy gel coat sprayed on the hulls. I've seen thickness up to 1/4 of an inch on high dollar boats Mastercraft in particular. It's thickness depends upon the manufacturer of the boat. It's an epoxy mix with hardeners similar to the hardeners which make up fiberglass. Some folks believe normal paint is sprayed on the hulls. That's not the case at all. Hope this helps.
2007-03-13 06:16:38 · answer #2 · answered by Country Boy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A good quality fiberglass boat tha is taken care of will last a very long time. Fiberglass boats that were built in the mid to late 60's are stil around going strong. There have been problems for sure with blistering and gel coat cracking but that is not the norm.
2007-03-13 06:16:24 · answer #3 · answered by mark t 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fiberglass boats could last many years if treated right. If you keep a good coat of wax on the boat, upper and lower hull. If you store the boat out of the sun light. UV rays do disasterious things to the gel coat. Then you must resort to painting. The manufacturers now incorporate UV inhibators in the gel coat, but time is the enemy.
If you live in the Southern states, good luck. A boat kept outside in Florida will be junk in a couple years if not babied.
2007-03-13 06:12:25 · answer #4 · answered by Arthur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-04-30 19:28:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2017-02-19 20:07:19 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2017-01-25 04:35:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
like my antron a99 antenna, the fiber glass does start to shed glass fibers after a while. Every so many seasons, a good coat of paint, will help keep the fiber glass well sealed
2007-03-13 06:02:17 · answer #8 · answered by duster 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋