Cracked hull/accident please help

Hi All,

I'm sick to my stomach... I just worked hours on my ski and finally got the bottom hull all sanded up to 600, went to get black paint matched and got that. Happy coming back home to paint and be done with the work, I stopped by the gas station to get gas for tomorrow trip...

There's only 2 cars in a big gas station, I go to an empty isle to fit my trailer and this woman comes right in front of me, I had to back up and turn in a very tight spot to go to the next isle as I was making the turn slowly, there was short pole that hit the side of the ski and lifted a little off the bunks..It's cracked multi layer of hull...Aside from the 3-4" I am showing with my fingers rest are paint scratch..

Can you help guide me to repair this or this something I have to go to a shop for?

I can not see the other side in the hull it seems there are multi layer, the other side of the hull is dome shape meaning this damage has to be between the dome and outside that I can not see.

I can't wait to hear from someone helping me....I can't tell you how sick I am over this...

Thanks

 

I looked again, no way I can access this from the inside, there's a big dome not sure what it is. Please help me understand how to go about this repair... The damaged layer need to be removed but I am afraid if I cut a hole out, I can't have a backing to support the build up since I don't have access from inside...Could I just clean it up by sanding and use epoxy and filler, although I am afraid its not good enough doing that...

 

I can't tell whether the scrape is actually a gash going clear through. Almost any repair can be done from outside.
If you have a fracture going clear through, that has to be ground down to expose the crack. It's likely that you will have to dish out the area to the extent of any fracturing and build it back with several layers of glass cloth.
There are plenty of tutorials online to show you how to proceed. You will be using epoxy, glass cloth, and finishing with either paint or gelcoat. There are ways to back the repair using any number of materials if you can't get behind it. The idea is to begin with a surface that's approximately in the same place as the original inside surface.
This might be as simple as some aluminum flashing held in place with a couple of sheet metal screws which you remove once a stiff enough fiberglass/epoxy layer has cured.

 

Its a gash Alan.. but its not all the way through...
If I cut this out, I'm sorry I don't understand how I can bolt an aluminum plate and remove it after fiberglass stiffens? Wouldn't the aluminum plate be behind the fiberglass? Should I grind it out until where I don't see a crack and just build upon that?

Do you think this area is stressed out enough to need a complete clean up and then build up or maybe I can just clean it and start building up on whatever it is since the area is small?

 

Most of it looks superficial, though it's difficult to tell from the images.

The first thing you need to do is calm down and take a breath. Closely look over the worst of the cracks and gashes. See if you can peel them open with a scratch awl or small screw driver. If you can, you have laminate damage and need to look further. If not, it's purely cosmetic. I suspect it's 80% - 90% cosmetic, with maybe a few deep gouges. This would be typical of this type of impact.

In the areas you have known laminate damage, grind out the area in general around the damage, several inches in all directions. Your initial grinding will show how bad it is. As you're grinding, you see the laminate damage and eventually you'll grind enough away, that you'll be back to good laminate. Once back to good laminate, feather the edges of the areas for a transition from the new material you'll install, to the old. The rest is a basic replace the missing material, fill and fair, then prep for paint or gel coat.

 

I have no idea how you would bolt in an aluminum plate. I only mentioned that you might use a piece of (thin) flashing as a backer. I meant you'd remove the screws---- but the aluminum would stay in. Only if you made a hole.
PAR had it right. It probably won't involve needing support from behind because it's only semi-cosmetic. And as said, follow the damage with the grinder and stop when you get into good undamaged glass. Taper your grinding and build back.

 

If you need to grind all the way through there is an easy way to hold a backing plate in place. Get a piece of stiff cardboard and make a hole in the middle. Make a hook on a copper wire and pass it through the hole. Get the cardboard in the hole and pull from the wire to hold it against the inside of the hull. Laminate the repair. When the resin is hard enough cut the wire, sand and fair.

 

Its not that bad I think most of it is paint off the pole you hit.

 

Guys
Thank you for your help.it's delaminated..I can peel off some layer..the top where the hull has a ridge is solid but the area shown between my fingers are delamed. Does that mean I have to grind all the way through or grind until I find a solid layer?

As for beveling the edges, why do they have to be bevel, is that for cloth to sit on it?

thank you again

 

You grind away the damage, with tapered (feathered) edges to provide a place for the replacement material to live. Technically, you don't have to do this, but you'll have a huge bump, as it piles up on the surrounding surfaces. The tapered edges provide a gradual transition from the old laminate to the new, so it doesn't crack or want to pop out, plus the added surface area for a good bond.

I'm sure there's some delamination, but is it just cracked up gel coat or actually mat. If it's mat, you'll see broken fibers and white spots, if it's gel coat it'll look like thick paint that's cracked.

The bad gel coat areas are just cosmetic and all you need is to fill these areas, smooth, fair and finish, but it's the laminate damage that needs to be addressed. Such small gashes aren't going to affect the structural integrity of the boat, but it can be a leak point, so you gradually grind back the area, until there's no more busted up fibers, cracks or white spots (mashed fibers). At this stage you've removed the damage, and now feather the edges of the ground out area, for an easy transition from old to new.

Log onto www.westsystem.com and download their user's guide. It'll nurse you though the various processes, of course with emphasis on their products, but the information is applicable to any epoxy repair.

 

You have to feather so the new glass fibers you will be adding will bond over a sufficient length to the existing glass fibers to carry the loads. I would guess a feather slope of 20 times the depth of repair would be sufficient.

Dino

 

PAR, thanks very much. It's not gelcoat. It's laminate and as you mentioned I can see broken fibers.
Now I understand the feather concept.

I will grind away and post pics. Need to go buy a grinder.

How long a repair like this typically take? Is it something I can knock out in few hours? Thank God it's on the side my arms and neck still hurt from working from the bottom...I should be on the water today but I'm having a series of bad luck.

 

Aside from the part shown between my fingers, rest is all scratch and pole paint.
I'm stunt the damage is not more. I was driving super slow but the whole ski lifted on that corner of the pole. Area I'm showing is very soft so good chance it will have to be all removed and built up.

 

First thing is to compound the area, to remove the pole paint and get a good idea what's really busted up.

 

If you want use the boat thats ok just seal up the area with a skim of epoxy or thick paint to seal it and use it.

It will be ground out when you have time to repair it anyway.

This would be different if it was a composite but it will be solid glass.