DesertRage

iTrader: (2)

Hey all!

I am fairly new here and have been browsing the threads over the last few months. These forums are filled with great info and experiences, thanks for sharing.

This summer I purchased my first boat, a 1996 Mirage 232. I am very exciting about this new world! Over the winter I plan to build some new power and really clean it up. The overall exterior is in good shape, inside is as clean as expected with 350 easy hours on it. My exterior concerns are these long 3-4” stress cracks on the top surface immediately behind the engine hatch and before the swim deck. These cracks run in the direction of front to back and are about 2” apart across the middle section of this area. I also plan to remove the small Bennet trim tabs and replace them with a larger set, slightly relocating them. Remove the top mount swim deck ladder and fill the holes. The engine compartment will be gone through to clean up the mess of wire looms and hoses to make a nice home for the new build. It should be a great project, I am entering it with the highest of moral. Hopefully the moral will still be there next spring… I plan on investing lots of time.

My first questions start with the holes. What is the best way to fix these? I am an experienced Autobody and paint guy, but this will be the first boat project. What is the best way to fill the unneeded holes left behind by #10 stainless screws in the engine bay, the thru holes in the transom, and the best way to address the cracks? I don’t want to cut corners and would like beautiful results, so if the cracks are out of my league I would consider local (SLC,UT) professional help. The engine bay will get new ppg paint, I am not sure what to do with the transom and swim deck after those holes and cracks are addressed.

Thanks guys,
Jon

monstaaa

west's epoxy resin is very user friendly. they offer a few different additives for different applications such as bonding, fairing, filling and such. if the screw holes are all the way thru i usually tape the hole from behind if i can, then wet the hole with a ciringe or q-tip, then fill with the west's with a 404 or 407 additive allready mixed in it.
after curing you can d.a the spot repairs and skim coat if desired for the absolute straight result, obviously guide coating along the way. if you do need to fair additionaly over the epoxy i would use duraglass or equivalent due to the ability to withstand moisture unlike regular filler like bondo,icing, or glazing putty.
as for the bilge p.p.g isnt really tough enough to with stand the enviroment. gas , oil, water , etc,,,, . i would suggest awlgrip. just prep well.

Chris Sunkin

I've always had concerns over epoxy's stiffness, especially when used to surface fill cracks in gelcote which is usually somewhat soft & flexible. As such, I've never used it.

On any sort of crack, it's important to determine why it crackerd where it did. Otherwise you may just be re-doing it next season. Some places are just going to crack after a period of time and there's nothing you can do about it. Flexier boats will probably develop gel checks on decks around bulkheads. Boats with molded-in fairings will often crack at the corners. not much you can do. On the other hand, sometimes a bit of reinforcement from the backside can make a big difference. usualy that's around hatch hinge areas and places that get alot of step-on traffic.

Duraglas is good stuff. Rustoleum 9100 epoxy is great for bilges- if you use their immersion activator it's rated for continuous submersion in water, but you lose just a bit of gloss.

If you're stripping the tramnsom, fill any remaining holes with tube liners. You can use copper or PVC and epoxy them into the thru-holes. This keeps any possibility of moisture away from the wood. For anything that has to screw into a blind hole, you can epoxy in a stainless nut-sert.