Repairing a small hole

[Peter A]

Getting ready to repair this small hole in the bow of my 208 right at the waterline on the strake. It is about the size of two pencils side by side. Noticed this when doing a quick once over a few weeks ago but have not been inside (the wrap was still on to inspect inside out. Anybody have a recommendation on the filler to use after I clean it out?

Have not done fiberglass repair before. Hoping the glass is not soft around this or it will be a larger repair to get to good glass. Since it is right on the strake maybe there is a void behind without a full penetration. Unfortunately I did not notice this small damage last winter as the boat was pulled or I would have at least covered it, so possibility of some contamination just from weather. I have the Spectrum gel coat to fix a couple of dings and scratches - and this although it will be covered with a full bottom paint.

Question for you is what is your preferred epoxy filler to use for this repair. Could be an epoxy syringe that mixes or separate I just don’t think I will need much or have fiber particles since the area is small.

 

[SkunkBoat]

You need to remove the paint about 6" all around. then grind out the hole(yes make it bigger) to get clean glass.
You need some chopped strand glass in there thats a deep hole.
Epoxy with chopped strand and then some epoxy with High Density filler and then some fairing epoxy.
Then prime with epoxy primer.

then bottom paint.

Could you get away with just epoxy filler? meh...

 

[Hookup1]

I don't like that damage. Looks like you hit something and it punched thru. Or it was a factory defect on the fiberglass layup. This should be the strongest part of the boat along with the keel.

The strakes may be hollow. I would try to get inside and repair from both sides (inside first) if possible. If you have to do it from the outside grind out a tapered edge 3" around the hole and repair. This will give the repair something to attach to. Get some inside too as best possible.

This is a bow thruster install I did. The strakes had to be filled to beef them up. Grind out from inside and use glasss mat and epoxy. More outside, grind down and use epoxy fairing compound to shape outside. As SkunkBoiat said, epoxy, prime and paint. Your repair isn't as large but you get the idea!

If you look at the port side repair you can see where I damaged the strake and had to repair it.

 

[Peter A]

You need to remove the paint about 6" all around. then grind out the hole(yes make it bigger) to get clean glass.
You need some chopped strand glass in there thats a deep hole.
Epoxy with chopped strand and then some epoxy with High Density filler and then some fairing epoxy.
Then prime with epoxy primer.

then bottom paint.

Could you get away with just epoxy filler? meh...

Thanks. Yeah you are correct.

It is kind of a weird spot, not much static load and not a horizontal surface. Its right there on the front that will take a constant wave strikes. I’ve not done these little glass repairs before but have done metalwork on cars, it typically requires a bigger hole than it appears initially and if not done properly turns into a bigger problem.

I know what I am doing Easter weekend in Waretown, not just waxing.

 

[Peter A]

I don't like that damage. Looks like you hit something and it punched thru. Or it was a factory defect on the fiberglass layup. This should be the strongest part of the boat along with the keel.

The strakes may be hollow. I would try to get inside and repair from both sides (inside first) if possible. If you have to do it from the outside grind out a tapered edge 3" around the hole and repair. This will give the repair something to attach to. Get some inside too as best possible.

This is a bow thruster install I did. The strakes had to be filled to beef them up. Grind out from inside and use glasss mat and epoxy. More may outside, grind down and use epoxy fairing compound to shape outside. As SkunkBoiat said, prime and paint.

View attachment 36737 View attachment 36735

Thanks for the advice. Will try to go inside out or failing that, pack it from outside in as @SkunkBoat advises if that is a void since it is on the upper side of the strake. Hard to see that being a manufacturing defect must have hit something and at that spot may have ingested a lot of water. I’ll snake a tube in and see if I can suction debris. Yeah a little more work than filling a topside bolt hole. Will let you know how it goes.

 

[DennisG01]

That looks like an air void from initial glass layup at the factory. I've seen it plenty of times. As noted above, first step is to grind away till you get to solid glass... the final repair will depend on how big the actual void/hole is... which you won't really know till you start grinding.

No need for gelcoat - whatever epoxy repair you end up with will be fine the way it is... then cover it all up with bottom paint and forget about it