# Patching a small hole on the bottom of my hull



## Glastronix (Apr 14, 2008)

I had a roller come off trailer and the bracket gouged a small hole through my gell coat. So now my boat leaks, I tried to patch it with water weld and it held for about 2 trips and then just peeled off. Any sugestions on how to patch this would be greatly appreciated. The hole is about the size of 1/2 my pinky fingernail.

Thanks in advance for the advice.


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

Several people have had good luck with the marine-tex epoxy. I hear it comes in white/gray. Applied with putty knife, and sandable when through. I have a few places like that on my boat, and I need to do the same thing.


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## angus_cow_doctor (Apr 13, 2009)

For the record, I ripped those wheels off my trailer and replaced them with bunks yesterday. Boat loaded easier and no new gelcoat got chipped. Rides better on trailer as well.

I had totriple up2X6 treated boards to make the bunks due to the long span. Just a thought!


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

You must grind a tapering circle out about 3 or 4 inches all around the small hole. Buy tapering I mean at the hole almost through to the inside then taper it out from there to the outside of the four inches. Then with epoxy or polyester resin and matting and roven woven in alternating layers lay up the hole from the center out It may take as many as 15 or 20 layers of the material and resin until you get it the thickness of the hull. Then if you can from the inside grind the surface layer to get a clean area and cover that area with a couple layers of matting. The inside is an added protection and wouldn't be necessary if it wasn't accessible. Then sand and paint.


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## splitshot (Mar 14, 2008)

if your boat is leaking, it went thru the gelcoat and thru the fiberglass (most of the time you cant see it though...its an easy fix especially if its on the very bottom (where nobody will see it) get a grinder and grind the area around the hole until you get to the fiberglass then grind just a bit more to make sure you get into the "clean glass"...then you clean up the area with acetone get you some chopped strand mat and cut to fit...mix you some resin and patch it...let it cure, then grind it smooth as you can without going thru your patch, then try to match the color best you can...

Its always better if you can get to it from the inside too (i like to put atleast 2-3layers of fiberglasson the outside then 2 or 3 on the inside) but sometimes you cant do the insidewithout tearing the boat apart...Sea lark gives good advise but in my opinion, 15-20 layerswould be a little much, which would lead to alot of grinding to get the area flat again..

there is a website i like, and it will provide you with all the info you want on fixing your hole, it is http://forums.iboats.com/

go to the boat restoration and building topic and search for hole in hull or similar words and get ready to read !! 

i hope this helps


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## SUNDAY-FUNDAY (Apr 17, 2008)

grind it out like stated above, then glass it in. this give you your strength. then fill in with awlfair, sand and paint. if you are able to match the paint color pretty close no one will be able to tell the difference.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

> *splitshot (4/29/2009Sea lark gives good advise but in my opinion, 15-20 layerswould be a little much, which would lead to alot of grinding to get the area flat again..
> 
> i hope this helps*


*

The 15 to 20 layers starts small in the center and works out until you have the sufficiant height to fill the hole in. If you do it correct and use a roller there wont be that much above the hole. The BIG problem with this fix is, Working upside down. The other post about filling with only choped strand mat wont give the glass any strength it will just fill the hole in and it could fail In heavy seas.*


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## fred (Dec 28, 2008)

Here's a fibreglass repair manual you can download for free (pdf). It shows pictures of how to grind out the hole and layer it back up.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/HowTo-Publications/Fiberglass-Boat-Repair-and-Maintenance.pdf

See pages 21-24.


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## Glastronix (Apr 14, 2008)

Thanks for all the advise guys, it looks like a bigger project than I thought it would be:banghead :banghead :doh :reallycrying


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