Hull Damage

[Nicholas Del Rio]

Hello fellow boaters!!!

You’ve all heard this story a thousand times by now - new boat owner finds issues that were overlooked or disregarded during purchase.

Bought our first boat a couple of weeks ago. Been having the time of our lives! What great family fun we’ve been missing out on!

But…I’ve started to question the “shaved” section of fiberglass right under the drain plug at the lower point in the transom. And as we use the boat more, thr paint is thinning and revealing a shoddy gel coat repair job all around that area (different colors and layers indicating prior damage and repair). My question is how thick is the fiberglass below the drain plug area? I’d like to sand and attempt to backfill the shaved area, but don’t want to punch through the hull.

Also, I’m now very reluctant to use this boat as I fear further damage! Bummer considering how much driving this thing is!

I’ve attached pics is the damaged area.

I’d appreciate any thoughts! Thanks!!!

 

[Golfman25]

Looks like several layers of paint and gel coat that have been rubbed off. You probably have 1 inch or so of fiberglass hull in that area. What I would do is tap around the area with a hammer to make sure it's sound. You looking for a "hard ping" vs a "hollow thud." If it's sound you're in luck.

The next question is whether you want to have someone repair it for you or try it your self. When I had areas like that, I would use a dremel to clean it up. Then fill with marine-tex epoxy. A quick fix will get you thru the season. Good luck.

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

Thank you very much your advice! I’ll do the “hammer test” and see what I find. I’m very happy to perform the dremel + epoxy work and hopefully some sanding to get it looking cleaner. Been pretty stressed about the whole thing, but that’s life I guess. It’s a bummer cause the rest of the boat is so clean and seemingly sound.

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

Hello all! So I performed the hammer test around the damaged area and it not produce that super solid ping (almost ringing) that the rest of the transom produced when I tapped the good areas. I wouldn’t say that it sounded too hollow, though, but sounded more like the pings near the front of the boat that are slightly more “thud” than a ring chime. Maybe also because I’m tapping near the drain plug hole?

I think I’m gonna move forward and repair, with the logic that I’m improving rather than degrading (hopefully that’s the case). Also, is this a straight up epoxy job, or should I lay some fiber glass sheets over first to backfill the lost material? Again, thanks for all the help! Leaning as I do along.

 

[Golfman25]

Hello all! So I performed the hammer test around the damaged area and it not produce that super solid ping (almost ringing) that the rest of the transom produced when I tapped the good areas. I wouldn’t say that it sounded too hollow, though, but sounded more like the pings near the front of the boat that are slightly more “thud” than a ring chime. Maybe also because I’m tapping near the drain plug hole?

I think I’m gonna move forward and repair, with the logic that I’m improving rather than degrading (hopefully that’s the case). Also, is this a straight up epoxy job, or should I lay some fiber glass sheets over first to backfill the lost material? Again, thanks for all the help! Leaning as I do along.

So I guess my question is, did it sound solid?

You likely have a wood core transom. It would be common to have some elevated moisture around the drain plug. It may be opening a can a worms, but if you pull the plug insert you should be able to check it out better and seal the cutout really well. Or just leave well enough alone and touch up the gel coat.

Hard to tell, but it doesn't look like you have any fiberglass damage. First order of business is sand the paint off. Get down to gel coat and fiberglass and see what you have. Warning, its a nasty job so be prepared.

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

First off, thanks so much for your time!

It sounds pretty solid to me. I’m not in a rush to head out on the lake, so maybe opening that can of worms by removing the drain plug insert isn’t a bad option, just to give some peace of mind? Best case scenario is that I reinstall with Marine adhesive if all is okay, and then move into the sanding phase (not sure what good looks like). If I do see something “bad” in there, then I can address, hopefully. But then again, if it feels pretty solid already, maybe just move on to sanding and repair? If there was a little bit of moisture damage, would it continue to degrade after I epoxy the whole thing up or would that halt progression of any damage?

 

[BillK2632]

I have the 18ft version of the same boat, here are my observations:

• The hull bottom on that boat is solid fiberglass.
• The transom is plywood cored.
• The damage is in the corner where the transom meets the hull bottom, it is very thick in that area probably 2".
• The damage appears to be cosmetic.
• Don't pull the drain plug yet, just remove one or two of the screws and see if there is wet / rotted wood on the screws. If the screw holes looks good, put some caulk in them and be done, don't mess with the drain plug unless it is really necessary.
• Assuming the plug looks good, if it were me, the fix would be to:
  • Grind all the previous fix attempt mess away.
  • Unless the grinding exposes some actual fiberglass damage use a fairing compound to fill and shape the damaged area - i think it will be too deep to just fill with gelcoat. If there is fiberglass damage you will need to use an epoxy with some chopped strand mixed into it or some fiberglass matt.
  • Checkout Total Boat or West System they boat have good products and how to's. They also sell repair kits that would have most of what you need.
  • Fairing compound is basically an epoxy with fillers in it, a fiberglass putty that dries hard and can be sanded.
  • Apply gelcoat to finish the repair. (Spectrum Gelcoat Repair Kits) they can match your SeaRay color.

All in this is a relatively simple repair and will likely be undetectible once you fix it. My question is how did it happen, was there damage to the outdrive?

Also, this could be a winter project, if you pull the drain screws and they are dry I would keep using the boat until it is convenient to repair - it looks ugly, but appears to be solid at this point -- at least from the pictures.

 

[scoflaw]

Get some silica to add to the resin, you can make it as thick as peanut butter so it will hold its shape till it cures

 

[Skybolt]

Hello fellow boaters!!!

You’ve all heard this story a thousand times by now - new boat owner finds issues that were overlooked or disregarded during purchase.

Bought our first boat a couple of weeks ago. Been having the time of our lives! What great family fun we’ve been missing out on!

But…I’ve started to question the “shaved” section of fiberglass right under the drain plug at the lower point in the transom. And as we use the boat more, thr paint is thinning and revealing a shoddy gel coat repair job all around that area (different colors and layers indicating prior damage and repair). My question is how thick is the fiberglass below the drain plug area? I’d like to sand and attempt to backfill the shaved area, but don’t want to punch through the hull.

Also, I’m now very reluctant to use this boat as I fear further damage! Bummer considering how much driving this thing is!

I’ve attached pics is the damaged area.

I’d appreciate any thoughts! Thanks!!!

As mentioned it is not a super concern, but the area around the drain plug needs to be fixed with fiberglass. The whole repair can be done in an afternoon. Gel coat is cosmetic so no need to reapply unless you want it to look like new, urethane paint can be used in lieu of re-gel coating that area.

The best way to do this is to grind away the dirty areas with a buffer style sander with ~60 grit disc. then buildup layers of fiberglass matting. When cured sand to level/match surrounding area. Paint can be used to cover the repair or spray gel coat on and buff. Supper easy to fix even if you haven't done this before. Plenty of YouTubes on fiber glassing/gel coat.

Good luck and I would use the boat until ready to fix properly

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

Wow, thanks for your suggestion! I took off the two lower screws and they came out clean as a whistle, albeit one leaked with a little residual water. But no material in the threads at all. Good to know there’s ~2in of material to work with at that section.

In regards to your question about the drive, my seller told me that the original owner hit something and damaged the lower unit and had to replace it. That would have had to been > 5 years ago. The drive and motor seem sound now, at least the couple of times we’ve taken the boat out.

I’ll take a look at the references you sent me and review the how to’s and repair kit options. And thanks for describing that the fairing compound components — I’m new to this world and happy to absorb all the info I can for future repairs!

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

As mentioned it is not a super concern, but the area around the drain plug needs to be fixed with fiberglass. The whole repair can be done in an afternoon. Gel coat is cosmetic so no need to reapply unless you want it to look like new, urethane paint can be used in lieu of re-gel coating that area.

The best way to do this is to grind away the dirty areas with a buffer style sander with ~60 grit disc. then buildup layers of fiberglass matting. When cured sand to level/match surrounding area. Paint can be used to cover the repair or spray gel coat on and buff. Supper easy to fix even if you haven't done this before. Plenty of YouTubes on fiber glassing/gel coat.

Good luck and I would use the boat until ready to fix properly

As mentioned it is not a super concern, but the area around the drain plug needs to be fixed with fiberglass. The whole repair can be done in an afternoon. Gel coat is cosmetic so no need to reapply unless you want it to look like new, urethane paint can be used in lieu of re-gel coating that area.

The best way to do this is to grind away the dirty areas with a buffer style sander with ~60 grit disc. then buildup layers of fiberglass matting. When cured sand to level/match surrounding area. Paint can be used to cover the repair or spray gel coat on and buff. Supper easy to fix even if you haven't done this before. Plenty of YouTubes on fiber glassing/gel coat.

Good luck and I would use the boat until ready to fix properly

fantastic! Thank you for your response! Looks like I’ll be laying down some fiberglass matt in the near future. And nice to know that I can use the boat in the meantime (family loves it)!

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

I have the 18ft version of the same boat, here are my observations:

• The hull bottom on that boat is solid fiberglass.
• The transom is plywood cored.
• The damage is in the corner where the transom meets the hull bottom, it is very thick in that area probably 2".
• The damage appears to be cosmetic.
• Don't pull the drain plug yet, just remove one or two of the screws and see if there is wet / rotted wood on the screws. If the screw holes looks good, put some caulk in them and be done, don't mess with the drain plug unless it is really necessary.
• Assuming the plug looks good, if it were me, the fix would be to:
  • Grind all the previous fix attempt mess away.
  • Unless the grinding exposes some actual fiberglass damage use a fairing compound to fill and shape the damaged area - i think it will be too deep to just fill with gelcoat. If there is fiberglass damage you will need to use an epoxy with some chopped strand mixed into it or some fiberglass matt.
  • Checkout Total Boat or West System they boat have good products and how to's. They also sell repair kits that would have most of what you need.
  • Fairing compound is basically an epoxy with fillers in it, a fiberglass putty that dries hard and can be sanded.
  • Apply gelcoat to finish the repair. (Spectrum Gelcoat Repair Kits) they can match your SeaRay color.

All in this is a relatively simple repair and will likely be undetectible once you fix it. My question is how did it happen, was there damage to the outdrive?

Also, this could be a winter project, if you pull the drain screws and they are dry I would keep using the boat until it is convenient to repair - it looks ugly, but appears to be solid at this point -- at least from the pictures.

Very informative! Thanks! All screws are free of material. Once I removed the left bottom screw, the hole started to weep out water as there was some residual in the bilge I guess. But the screws look clean.

The original owner trashed the lower unit during the event that caused that rash.

 

[scoflaw]

That screw doesn't go thru to the bilge, your transom is wet.
I'd pull the plug fitting for a better look. Not saying to panic but water should not be there.

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

That screw doesn't go thru to the bilge, your transom is wet.
I'd pull the plug fitting for a better look. Not saying to panic but water should not be there.

Ah, okay. I could feel the pointy screw tips when I was feeling around the inside with my finger, so maybe there’s a backing that’s missing? I’ll remove the fitting and snap some pics

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

That screw doesn't go thru to the bilge, your transom is wet.
I'd pull the plug fitting for a better look. Not saying to panic but water should not be there.

Thanks for your input. Also, what’s the best method to break the plug fitting free?

 

[scoflaw]

Should pry out after the 3 screws are removed

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

So I removed the plug fitting and threre is just a wet cavity that allows me to run my fingers along the bottom of the hull from the inside. What should I be looking for?

 

[scoflaw]

Is the wood transom core soft? Can you push a screwdriver into it?

 

[Nicholas Del Rio]

To be honest there’s not much in there to push on? It’s a big ol hollow cavity. Should there be a bunch of wood around in there? Just smooth gel coat?

 

[scoflaw]

The transom is an 1 1/2" plywood core with fiberglass on the inside and out. It's summer maybe just use the boat without looking deeper.