# How to repair Knicks, Gouges, Dings? - New to fiberglass repair



## JRyno10 (Feb 3, 2014)

I recently purchase a project 14' boat. It looks like a Kennedy craft however like many have stated before, their are numerous different companies that made very similar boats.
This is the first time I have ever tried to fix up/repair anything on a fiberglass boat. I was hoping someone on this forum could lead me in the right direction. 

1) There are a few scrapes down the sides of the boat that I assume need to be filled in before the boat is painted. How should I go about fixing these?

2) There is one pretty good gouge/ding in a strake on the bottom of the boat. It is probably 3 inches long by 1/2 - 1 inch wide.What are some of the ways I can go about repairing this?

The more specific and detailed the better since this will be my first time working on a fiberglass boat, however any tips and advice is greatly appreciated.


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## timemachine (Sep 1, 2014)

youtube has EVERYTHING demonstrated. Plus take a look at the west system fiberglass repair manual.


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Post up some pictures and that'll help with the remedy.

For the scrapes start by sanding back the gelcoat and filling with a fairing filler if they are superficial, may need something different if the glass is damaged.

Gouge/ding could require some new glass and fairing, really need to see that one.

Epoxy is my resin of choice, just flat out easier to use and will bond to nearly anything.

One Youtube channel I like, especially for the "Hole in my Hull" series is Boatworks Today. Ol' boy is from the NW, inhaled too much resin, and in turn is a hoot!


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## JRyno10 (Feb 3, 2014)

Thanks timemachine for the YouTube suggestion and Gramps for the channel to look at. I will definitely check that out.

After flipping the boat for the first time there are a few more areas that will need some love than I initially saw. Here are some pictures.

*1)*


*2)*

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*4)*


*5)*


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

Looks like the poor girl has been used pretty hard. If the one image is the bottom of the transom you might be dealing with more than fixing a "few" scrapes and dings. Waterlogged transoms are not for the weak of heart! YouTube might not provide enough instruction for a beginner…but best of luck if you decide to tackle the fixes.


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## JRyno10 (Feb 3, 2014)

Net 30, those would be the gouges that I am referring too. Yes, one of the images is the bottom of the transom. However the transom is stout and completely dry. I'm assuming somewhere down the line the transom has been replaced as the boat is most likely from the late 60's.

Of the five images, none of them are brittle, spongy, or soft.

I plan to paint the entire boat afterwards, is this something that I can fix with Marine Tex?


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

No, marine tex is not appropriate.

From these picks I see air under the gel coat. You need to grind all of that off and then fix with thickened epoxy. Once you start grinding I think you wil find even more areas in need of repair.

The do as gramps said.


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## JRyno10 (Feb 3, 2014)

Thanks DuckNut, is there an epoxy that you would recommend? Also, out of curiosity, why isn't Marine Tex appropriate?


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Yeah air voids in the glass/gelcoat at the chine sucks. I've got a few to fix on mine. It also looks like there is paint over gelcoat? Is that the case?

Marinetex is a pre-thickened epoxy that works OK for small repairs but not suited for this. You need a laminating resin for the new fiberglass and fillers for the glue & fairing you'll have to do. I have used and recommend Marine Epoxy from Boat Builder Central.com in Vero, it is a good quality epoxy, priced well, and my favorite part, it is a 2:1 mix ratio. Some epoxies are 5 or 6:1 which can lead to bad batches that do not set!

You are going to have to grind back at many of those locations and lay in new fiberglass. I'm sorry but to properly repair, it is what it is. The job is not that hard, just a bit complex.


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