Is this repairable?

[Byersd]

Hello sailing friends....I have got good advice from people here before so trying again. My 16 foot dingy, a laser-like boat but not a laser...did not survive the winter. The support that the bow was sitting on gave way, and I think what happened is the impact of the bow hitting the frozen ground shattered it.
I really liked this boat...it was a lot of fun to sail. So my question...is this a fixable fibreglass repair? I have no experience with fibreglass but have done a bit of research and think I could take it on. If it is repairable...any suggestions on what to look out for when I do it? I think one challenge will be the size and lack of any structural support for the repair...the inside of the hull is inaccessible, so there will be no support for when I grind the outside around the damage. Does this mean I ought to cut a hole from the deck to be able to access the inside to repair from inside first?
Any advice would be great....and is it worth trying to fix?

[RaymondR]

Put a skin of light plywood on the inside, use polyurethane foam in a can to build up a body of stiff foam, sand it to shape and start fiber glassing. You'll gain a new skill, get to enjoy your boat in the future and experience gratification of fat more value than the few bucks you spend on the job.

[Fore and Aft]

Raymond R I prefer to do it the other way round. Screw the plywood (covered with masking tape) on the outside as a mould then glass it from the inside. Less fairing involved.
Byersd unfortunately like you say there is going to have to be a hole cut in the deck. Can you take the whole deck off instead of cutting it?
Cheers

[mlydon]

First thoroughly clean the inside and outside surfaces - sand the inside a couple of inches around the break. Cut away this loose bits hanging on by a thread first. Working in small sections, wet out a small section of new glass with epoxy on a piece of cardboard or foam stiff enough to just conform to the curves in the section you’re working on, which is covered with wax paper. Figure the sections the size of a sheet of paper or so. So cardboard/foam on the bench, wax paper, cloth. Once you’ve wet out the glass, maneuver the sandwich into the hull on edge, then flatten it out inside the hull and press it against the inside hull. Wedge something behind it to hold the sandwich in place until it sets, taking care to press hard enough to maintain contact without distorting the glass outward. Once the epoxy kicks, peel the wax-paper covered backer off the set glass; you’ve now repaired a small section. Continue doing this working from the edges to the center, overlapping the previous section slightly. You will need to leave the last section of backing in the boat -you can drive a couple of long screws through the glass and into the backer, leaving most of them protruding, and use them as ‘handles’ to pull the last section flat against the surrounding areas. After the epoxy on this bit is set, you can remove the screws.....

At this point you’ve got a good foundation to lay up glass on the outside and fair to the rest of the hull.....

Tough to describe, hope this helps

Matt

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Raymond R I prefer to do it the other way round. Screw the plywood (covered with masking tape) on the outside as a mould then glass it from the inside. Less fairing involved.
Byersd unfortunately like you say there is going to have to be a hole cut in the deck. Can you take the whole deck off instead of cutting it?
Cheers

Easier to do from the outside and you don't have to take the deck off.

Cut the plywood into strips, put them in through the holes and screw into them from the outside. after applying the foam shape it and glass over it.

[Hesti]

Make sure, that it actually is a fiberglass hull before you start.

[sailormed]

+1 to above, doesn’t look like it to me.

[Byersd]

Hey thanks everyone for the advice!! So quick answers to some of the questions- and I am currently about 3 hours away from the boat so won't have definitive answers for another couple of weeks. First- I am fairly sure it is fibreglass as some sizable pieces broke off that seemed stringy from the inside. It seemed to not be plastic. How would I know for sure....and what other materials could it be? And what is the risk of making a fibreglass repair on another material type?
Second as to the access from the deck...I don't recall there being an easy way to separate the deck from the hull. They are separate pieces....but were melded together when it was made. I am not even sure what material the deck is made of...that might be a rigid plastic. My strong preference now would be to not have to fuss with the deck even if it made the hull repair more challenging with far more "fairing". Lastly when you say fairing....we mean lots of sanding is that correct? Newbie here...
thanks again everyone!!

[Lake-Effect]

The hull looks like some sort of molded plastic to me too. If it was fiberglass, there'd be stringy cloth edges at the breaks.

There are lots of laser-like boats and hulls on for sale on Kijiji for Toronto and S Ontario for like $500 and up. Catch a new cottage owner cleaning out their boathouse, and you might end up with a hull for free. And it's much less work to fix up and paint an old hull than to try to fix that crushed bow. That's what I would do.

[wholybee]

I am not experienced with fiberglass, but why not fill the inside with expanding foam, enough that it starts to come out of the break. Carve and shape it to what you want, then glass over it. None of the other techniques mentioned would deal with compound curves very well. Just don't use too much foam, or it could make it worse as it expands.

[Byersd]

Here's another picture I had on my phone...by zooming in I am pretty sure it is fibreglass, but interested in knowing if anyone thinks otherwise...

It would likely be less hassle to buy another used boat...but I just spent time last summer fixing the standing rigging on this one and there's is a part of me that wants to take on the challenge and not give this one up. Someday I fancy buying myself a bluewater sailboat....undertaking some fibreglass work might be good experience for that world!

I like the idea of thin plywood and foam....perhaps attaching that plywood to a more solid area of the hull with some screws...using that as a back support...then foaming on top of that and shaping it...then fibreglass...remove the screws and finish the entire area withanother layer of glass. Would this approach avoid the need for removing the deck?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Byersd

Here's another picture I had on my phone...by zooming in I am pretty sure it is fibreglass, but interested in knowing if anyone thinks otherwise...

It would likely be less hassle to buy another used boat...but I just spent time last summer fixing the standing rigging on this one and there's is a part of me that wants to take on the challenge and not give this one up. Someday I fancy buying myself a bluewater sailboat....undertaking some fibreglass work might be good experience for that world!

The second photo shows a bit more fuzz on the edges, so yes it might be fiberglass. But very thin. You should start looking for info on how to repair fiberglass canoes, because they are usually that thin, too. Check out Noah's in Mississauga. Well-stocked boat-building and repair shop. Maybe even send them your photos and ask their advice. If anyone could advise on whether, and how to fix that, it's them.

I know too well the lure of tackling a repair that everyone else says is impossible, and the pride in pulling it off... but I also like sailing better than doing repairs. YMMV . Good luck in any case.

[Nicholson58]

If you decide to work from inside consider port and starboard circular access holes for ports added when you are done. You will need to glass a reinforced riser to stiffen the deck and provide a level surface.

I might start by forming a polyethylene release sheet on the outside followed by cardboard or even rubber sheet. Tape this to the hull and add some wood slats as necessary to make the form follow the hull. Right side up - Build up a patch from inside to provide structure. Upside down- remove cardboard and polyethylene sheet. Sand, fill and fare followed by glass patch. Fare and sand.

I buy all of my epoxy resin, 635 THIN, and glass from US Composites. They also sell 3M micro balloons. Compound the balloons in the epoxy to a thick consistency like marshmallow cream and use as faring compound. This is easily sanded, strong and flexible. You can paint it or glass over and it’s waterproof. The 635 THIN has a slow cure and very long working time. It is also zero blush so multiple layers can be added without prep. Mix and apply epoxy with a throw away brush. Wear gloves. Use polyethylene sheet over your extended work to help hold the wet glass-epoxy in place.

[Byersd]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

The second photo shows a bit more fuzz on the edges, so yes it might be fiberglass. But very thin. You should start looking for info on how to repair fiberglass canoes, because they are usually that thin, too. Check out Noah's in Mississauga. Well-stocked boat-building and repair shop. Maybe even send them your photos and ask their advice. If anyone could advise on whether, and how to fix that, it's them.

I know too well the lure of tackling a repair that everyone else says is impossible, and the pride in pulling it off... but I also like sailing better than doing repairs. YMMV . Good luck in any case.

Thanks for tip on Noah's....I was thinking of heading to Fogh marine...looks like Noah's is a bit more specialized on hull materials.

[hlev00]

A lot depends on how soon you want to go sailing. It is sure to be way more work than you expect it to be, especially with no fiberglass experience going in. I suggest you find a boat to sail and in the meantime working away on trying to fix this one as a good project. When you are done you can sell (or give away) one of the two boats.


Harry