I'm looking for a little advice on what is happened to the bottom of my hull and what it will take to repair it. The first picture shows the typical wear down the middle of the first couple feet of the V. From what I have seen I can get some repair material and do some sanding to fix this?

The next two pictures are what I'm not sure about. I don't know how this happens, what it is, or how to repair it. It feels almost even with the rest of the bottom, except almost fuzzy. It feels slightly raised compared to the good gel coat around it. Any ideas?

Thanks for the help.

Good god how many times has that boat been beached? The chipped areas could be ground out some, refilled with epoxy. I wouldn't say it is so much structural as cosmetic. Looks to be in the first layers of the gel.


John jr

That is mostly cosmetic and can be repaired. Your trailer is to blame for most of that. Those bunks are designed so the boat is floated onto the trailer, not driven or winched on. In other words, you need to sink the trailer deep and float the boat all the way to bow stop. Same goes for launching.

You either need to modify your launch/retrieval technique as described above to not slide the boat across those V blocks, OR change out your support system to horizontal 2x6 carpeted bunks that touch/support the hull on the flat portions of the hull and/or on the chines.

To fix, you need to find a marine fiberglass technician who can lift/hang/block the boat, and sand down, fill, and re-gel the bottom.

I agree that the front wear is a trailer/loading problem! I bought the boat at the end of this summer as a restore-winter project. As I'm digging deeper I'm questioning parting it out.

I don't see the front part a problem to fix, but the back part confuses me (pic 2 and 3). Is that just warn out gel coat, I don't understand how that happens like that? To fix, do you think the whole bottom needs to be re-gel coated?

I wanted to do it myself, but if it is that much work I will let someone else do it
(or just leave it I guess). If the whole bottom has to be re-done, does anyone have a guess on a cost before I get an estimate?

Thanks for the help.
Dean

I agree, that much worn off gel coat on the bottom of the V and the scraping, and broken gel coat could only come from a lot of beaching the boat.
The only way a carpeted bunk could do some of that is if the carpets are loaded with rocks and sand. On that note, I clean my carpets every season to get any sand out of them.

I also agree with Sydways that the only way to properly repair is to lift or block the boat off the trailer and have a good professional repair and re-gel the damaged area. A GOOD professional.

Bottom of hull repairable?
Yes.
Handy? Proper tools? Have a work shed? Cost - a few hundred
dollars and a lot of time.

What is it?
Damage.
Dried organic material.

The damage is from loading the boat on the trailer and from
beaching the boat.
Modify your load/unload procedure.
Get different bunks for the trailer.
Get a different trailer.
Anchor off the beach or stop short of the beach, get out, then
gently pull the boat on shore.
Find a better beach ie. no rocks.
Having a shop do the repair will cost $3000 - give or take!!!
The brown fuzzy stuff can be removed with toilet bowl cleaner
or an appropriate boat hull cleaner (basically the same stuff).
These products are acid based so be careful.

Now pull out your wallet or get to work.

I agree on the brown marks. We battle them every season on the white hulls.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm going to try to clean the brown stuff on the back and see if it comes off.

I just want to double check that the front part where it has rubbed down on the V is not a structural issue and just cosmetic like mentioned above? I would like to get the whole bottom re done, but not sure if I can make it happen this year or not. I would like to look into filling in the little chunks missing and some touch up areas as needed. Maybe add some gel coat over the bare spot down the middle. Is that reasonable or should I not run the boat without getting it done?

Thanks again.
Dean

The brown stuff comes off great with marykate hull cleaner. I use it with latex gloves and dry shop towels. As soon as it touches the water it is neutralized so rags and hands must be dry. Simply put it on a rag and wipe across. Works like magic. Then hose hull down real good.

Should be available at any boat store