Went to check out a boat, it's a 1990 Macgregor 26s, not the power sailor, but a regular sailboat with a swing keel. Boat bottom has several bald spots like these where the gelcoat or paint got scratched off. Boat will be kept in a saltwater slip, are these immediate concerns, okay to address them in the coming winter?
Is this boat bottom okay?
- Thread starter newsailor72
- Start date
The photos are a little hard to see as they are so small.
In general, if you can individual glass strands in the resin, it needs to be sealed up. The first step is to prep the exposed areas and fair with an epoxy fairing compound that is suitable for underwater use. After that is may be necessary to seal the bottom with an epoxy barrier coat and then an antifouling paint. These jobs are easily DIY jobs.
In general, if you can individual glass strands in the resin, it needs to be sealed up. The first step is to prep the exposed areas and fair with an epoxy fairing compound that is suitable for underwater use. After that is may be necessary to seal the bottom with an epoxy barrier coat and then an antifouling paint. These jobs are easily DIY jobs.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,867
Yes!
The raw fiberglass opens up the possibility of water intrusion. Gelcoat or epoxy barrier coating provides a barrier to reduce the opportunity for osmotic flow into the structural layers of the hull.
Repair before sitting the boat in salt water for the season.
Could you get lucky, sure. Maybe. Do you want to do that to you newly purchased boat?
Your boat your choice.
It looks like the swing keel trunk? Maybe from pulling on/off a trailer?
Gelcoat provides no structural component to, or waterproofing of, the underlying glass, so the fact that it is missing is inconsequential.
However, one of the pictures looks like the area was abraded well into the glass. The pictures don't have great perspective, so this might not be the case.
As far as what to do: If these areas are due to transferring it on/off a trailer, then try to fix on the trailer what is causing the problem.
If the boat is hauled regularly and you can't fix the trailer problem, then do nothing. Maybe recoat the area with some epoxy and paint, but this will probably wear off too if it is due to trailering.
If the boat is to be kept in the water most of the time, then covering these spots with some epoxy or epoxy barrier coat might be useful, but if the rest of the bottom isn't coated already, it isn't very useful to coat these areas.
If those areas really are gouged deeper into the glass, then definitely filling them with some thickened resin will be useful.
To answer your immediate question, you can wait until winter to address them, but I wouldn't leave it in salt water without antifouling paint, and I wouldn't antifoul over them before fixing them - so you better at least coat them with epoxy now and antifoul over it.
Mark
Gelcoat provides no structural component to, or waterproofing of, the underlying glass, so the fact that it is missing is inconsequential.
However, one of the pictures looks like the area was abraded well into the glass. The pictures don't have great perspective, so this might not be the case.
As far as what to do: If these areas are due to transferring it on/off a trailer, then try to fix on the trailer what is causing the problem.
If the boat is hauled regularly and you can't fix the trailer problem, then do nothing. Maybe recoat the area with some epoxy and paint, but this will probably wear off too if it is due to trailering.
If the boat is to be kept in the water most of the time, then covering these spots with some epoxy or epoxy barrier coat might be useful, but if the rest of the bottom isn't coated already, it isn't very useful to coat these areas.
If those areas really are gouged deeper into the glass, then definitely filling them with some thickened resin will be useful.
To answer your immediate question, you can wait until winter to address them, but I wouldn't leave it in salt water without antifouling paint, and I wouldn't antifoul over them before fixing them - so you better at least coat them with epoxy now and antifoul over it.
Mark
John and Higgs have given good advice. Though this is not an immediate structural problem, it WILL result in problems. The only questions are, how bad will it get and how long will it take?
What you are looking at (judging from the pictures) is a really simple repair if you do it now. If you wait a season, it might not get worse, but it certainly won't get any better. Do it while it is out of the water. It should only take a few days, and most of that will be just waiting for things to cure.
Since you'll have to remove metal components from the affected areas, inspect them carefully for corrosion. I have heard/read that water can work its way through the laminate and create accelerated corrosion in nearby metal. I have not personally seen this, but since you have to remove those parts anyway, best to take a minute to inspect.
What you are looking at (judging from the pictures) is a really simple repair if you do it now. If you wait a season, it might not get worse, but it certainly won't get any better. Do it while it is out of the water. It should only take a few days, and most of that will be just waiting for things to cure.
Since you'll have to remove metal components from the affected areas, inspect them carefully for corrosion. I have heard/read that water can work its way through the laminate and create accelerated corrosion in nearby metal. I have not personally seen this, but since you have to remove those parts anyway, best to take a minute to inspect.