Re: crack fix - fiberglass

Before you get too carried away on what type of patch job, you might ought
to find out why it cracked. Plenty times hull cracks on fiberglass boats are
due to some type of structural failure of the hull's support system. This
type of problem could be something like a failure in the tabbing of the
stringers and or bulkheads. Also a broken or rotten stringer or bulkhead.
For instance if the is crack running transverse to the hull's length it
could be caused by bulkhead damage. If the crack runs lengthwise, then maybe
its a failed stringer causing the crack. If your boat has a hull liner which
covers all the these structural things, you will have to remove the liner to
make the repair. This is usually a big job so do some poking around thru the
hatches or other access to it's hidden parts and get an idea of where the
stringers are (these are the ones running lenghtwise). Then take a rubber
hammer and tap up and down thelenght of the hull bottom about where you
think these stringers are. If you find areas where the hull flexes along the
stringers then you probably have some structural problems causing the
problem. You might want to get some good fiberglass boat repair books.



--
Ron White
Boat building web address is
www.concentric.net/~knotreel


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Relevant Pages

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