{"id":3285,"date":"2016-05-27T08:14:39","date_gmt":"2016-05-27T13:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/?p=3285"},"modified":"2024-01-25T16:30:58","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T22:30:58","slug":"boat-repair-10-step-hull-patch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmandfleet.com\/blog\/boat-repair-10-step-hull-patch\/","title":{"rendered":"Boat Repair: 10 Step Hull Patch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Repair your boat hull with this 10 step boat repair hull patch project.<\/h2>\n

It doesn’t happen often, but once in a while, you get a ding, crack, or hole in the hull of your boat. Whether the damage is leaking or not, it’s important to fix these as soon as possible to keep\u00a0them from getting bigger. Knowing the basics of boat repair is a must for boat owners.<\/p>\n

There are two basic\u00a0types of fiberglass boat repair:<\/p>\n

Cosmetic Boat Repair<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>– this is for damage that doesn’t go all the way through your hull, so you’re only patching one side.<\/p>\n

Structural Boat Repair<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0– This is for when\u00a0the damage goes through the full thickness of the hull and you need to patch it on the inside and the outside. This is the type of boat repair we’re talking about today. For a cosmetic boat repair, the process is similar, but only applied to one side of the damaged area.<\/p>\n

10 Step Boat Repair for Hull Damage<\/h2>\n

1. Mark the size of your repair area using the 12-to-1 rule.<\/strong> For each inch of thickness of your boat’s hull material, your repair area will need to extend by 12 inches in diameter (six inches from each side of the edge of the hole on the side of the hull where the damage is largest. Many boatswains advise a minimum repair area of 6 inches.<\/p>\n

2. Clean up the hole.<\/strong>\u00a0Use an angle grinder<\/a> to buff away the damaged fiberglass. Make the hole larger and taper the hull towards the hole so the inside edge is thinner than the rest of the hull. Scrub the buffed surface with acetone<\/a>. This will give you a rough, clean surface for your patch layers to stick to. Once it’s dry, you can move on to step 3.<\/p>\n

3. Tape a piece of parchment\u00a0paper<\/a> over the hole on\u00a0the inside of the hull for a backing.<\/strong>\u00a0Use parchment paper instead of wax paper because it’s more heat resistant. Resin gets surprisingly hot while it’s curing. Use at least three layers of duct tape<\/a> or gorilla tape<\/a> to prevent it from melting and rippling\u00a0from the heat. You want a smooth repair.<\/p>\n

4. Apply a layer of\u00a0fiberglass resin<\/a> and fiberglass mat<\/a>\u00a0just large enough to cover\u00a0the hole.<\/strong>\u00a0Make sure your resin is fresh. If it’s more than a year old, it won’t cure as well. Apply the resin with a spatula or scraper. Let the resin\u00a0cure until it’s hard. Tearing the mat instead of cutting it will give you a smoother edge when you’re finished.<\/p>\n

5. Remove the parchment\u00a0paper and tape backing.\u00a0<\/strong>Your first layer is hard enough to stand on its own now.<\/p>\n

6. Repeat step 3 on the inside of the hull.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

7. Apply a layer of resin and fiberglass cloth<\/a> to the outside of the hull.<\/strong>\u00a0Fiberglass cloth is more tightly woven than fiberglass mat, making it stronger. The patch of cloth\u00a0should be slightly bigger than the layer of fiberglass mat under it. Every time you add a layer, it should be slightly bigger than the one below it.\u00a0Let the layer of cloth cure and repeat it on the other side.<\/p>\n

8. Apply and cure two more layers of fiberglass mat on each side.<\/strong> Let each one cure fully before laying the next one.<\/p>\n

9. Sand the repair area until it’s smooth with sandpaper<\/a>.<\/strong> The best way to do this is to start with a coarse sandpaper and gradually work your way down to a smooth one. Spraying the surface with a light mixture of dish soap and water will make sanding much easier. It will lube the surface and keep your paper from clogging up.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Paint and polish the repair area<\/strong>. This step is optional, and is up to your own personal preference. Try to match the color of the paint on your boat as closely as possible, and polish in small circles with an orbital polisher<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now you\u00a0have a strong, smooth, nearly seamless boat repair and you can get back out on the water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learn how to patch a hole in the hull of your boat in 10 easy steps. Blain’s Farm & Fleet has everything you need for a seamless fiberglass boat repair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":3302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1510],"tags":[191],"content_type":[1371,1373],"class_list":["post-3285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-outdoors","tag-boating","content_type-how-to","content_type-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBoat Repair: 10 Step Hull Patch | Blain's Farm & Fleet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to patch a hole in the hull of your boat in 10 easy steps. 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