Plastic boat hull repair

Discussion in 'Powerboats' started by John Webb, Jul 23, 2017.

  1. John Webb
    Joined: Jul 2017
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    Location: dallas, Texas

    John Webb Junior Member

    I have a ski boat with a plastic hull with holes in the bottom. Can someone help me with how and what to use to repair the holes made by trailer hardware? PLEASE.
     
  2. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Location: Australia

    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Plastic ? Polyethylene ? Not FRP (fibreglass-reinforced plastic)?
     
  3. John Webb
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    Location: dallas, Texas

    John Webb Junior Member

    I don't know much about boats but it looks like 1'8" thick plastic. The inside is covered with fiberglass. I know that my fathers old 16' ski boat was plastic with fiberglass covered wooden beams the length of the boat. My boat looks like a plastic mold injected one piece boat gunnels and all.
    Thanks for replying to me .
    I'm quite vexed. I can't believe that the bottom got so damaged. When I picked it up with a trailer too light to carry the boat it didn't have a mark on the hull. Now I have at least 6 gouges and holes.
     
  4. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    There is fibreglass visible on the inside of the boat ? It must be a FRP boat, but if only 1/8" thick on the bottom, does not sound like a good one. Gouging is one thing, perforations another, what has the hull been in contact with on the trailer to do this ?
     
  5. John Webb
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    John Webb Junior Member

    Old Bunkie brackets and the frame of the trailer as it moved from left side to the right side of the trailer center while bumping down the road. A couple of holes are finger diameter and one hole along the keel is just a gouge the size of half of the palm of your hand. I didn't know if I could get some plastic and epoxy it to the hull and or mechanical fasteners like screws.
     
  6. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Something amiss with your trailer set-up there, abd it is no good repairing the boat and putting it back on that trailer, as it stands. The boat needs an experienced repairer, and the trailer needs to be assessed and any alterations needed, made. All of which will cost money, and may not be worth spending, depending on what value there is in the engine etc. Take it to a fibreglass repair shop, they should be able to assess what is going on, and supply a quote.
     
  7. John Webb
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    John Webb Junior Member

    I wouldn't think that fiberglass would be the answer as the two are dissimilar materials. But I don't know. I was hoping for a repair kit that you make patch repairs to a plastic hull Sorry for being so long between replies. I'm old and I don't really type. I had typed a long reply and hit the wrong key and it went away. Thank you for helping me.
     
  8. John Webb
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    Location: dallas, Texas

    John Webb Junior Member

    I didn't realize that I could stay on the site and it would be like live chat.
     
  9. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    About 99.9999% of the "plastic" ski boats are fiberglass, again post a pic or give us the brand name of the boat.
     
  10. John Webb
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    John Webb Junior Member

    Oh now I remember part of what I lost. I have moved the boat onto a trailer that is extremely heavy duty, double axle with bunkies that fit the shape of the boat hull and I have scrapped the other trailer.
     
  11. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    If you can see fibreglass in there, it sounds like a FRP hull.
     
  12. ondarvr
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    Pics of the damage will be of more value.
     
  13. John Webb
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    John Webb Junior Member

    Oh, I didn't see a way to post a picture. I don't have pictures of the damage but I could take and send them tomorrow. Meanwhile the boat is a 22' Four Winns deck boat Here is just an overall picture of the boat.
     

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  14. John Webb
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    John Webb Junior Member

    I'll try to get my phone to take a couple of pictures with a flash. I'll be a few minutes doing this and downloading pics on laptop to send.
     

  15. Mr Efficiency
    Joined: Oct 2010
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    You sound quite unfamiliar with the material, so any attempt at doing it yourself is inadvisable. As ondarvr says, pictures please, of the damage, and it might be possible for an expert like ondvarvr to give an opinion of it, but it is very hard without being right there.
     
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