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Explore the latest Fiberglass Boat Repair articles
Getting started on any project is half the battle. This could not be truer when it comes to an unexpected fiberglass repair. Every crashed boat is different; making every repair a bit different. Some repairs are straightforward, textbook repairs. The damage occurs on a flat area of the hull that is a solid fiberglass laminate. […]
By Don Gutzmer – GBI Technical Advisor Investigating the Damage As with any repair, determining the extent of the damage is paramount. One must embody a marine surveyor’s mindset to determine the underlying issue, then devise an effective repair that will also prevent the problem from returning. The first step I took was to “sound” […]
By Ray McCarthy A friend gave me his well-used 1980 Sunfish sailboat, Stinkin’ Tuna. He and his brother had learned how to turn the boat (tacking) by ricocheting off rocks on Long Island Sound. Over the years they had kept the wreckage floatable with the application of non-hydrodynamic fiberglass patches. Though they made the boat […]
By Rachael Geerts – GBI Composite Materials Engineer Have you ever wondered how laminate thickness can be determined without breaking out the epoxy and reinforcement fabric? The answer is simple—use math. While some of you may have just lost interest because you think math is too difficult, I can assure you that this math requires […]
By Greg Bull – GBI Technical Advisor Those new to the process of fairing a boat’s hull or deck are quick to mix up a batch of fairing compound, WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy with a low-density filler, and apply it to the surface, so they can start sanding right away. My experience in boat repair and […]
