70 / 87
July - August 2018
70
Disponible en línea en español.
All of these expensive repairs came out of pocket. This poor customer, I could
see alligator tears in his eyes when he found out what the repair costs were going
to be. All he could say was “lesson learned”.
If you are going to unhook your boat trailer from its tow vehicle on unleveled
ground at least keep your safety chains attached and chalk your wheels to see
what may or may not happen.
#8- It’s a hot buggy day and you spray bug spray in your boat.
This is a sure way to stain and damage upholstery. Sun tan lotion can also
cause damage.
#9- Let only competent people use your boat.
It’s essential for those
who are at the helm know how to operate a vessel and know the rules of the
waterways! We all know how dangerous inexperienced boat operators can be.
I’ve repaired many smashed up boats caused by unqualified drivers. Check your
local area for state sponsored Safe Boating Classes. Be familiar with your state
Boating Laws.
#10-Take your drain plug out in the off season.
If water gets in the boat it freezes. Damage can be catastrophic. The ice
expands and could push up the floor, crack the hull or both! Strange hull damage
has been suspected to be caused by frozen water.
#11- Ventilate your boat to prevent moisture, dampness, rot
and worse of all potential explosions of accumulating
gases in your bilge. Let it breathe!
We’ve been getting numerous calls and emails from people who have
deteriorating and/or rotted floors, stringers, supports, transoms, seating, etc.
Some boat buyers are getting stuck with boats they thought was a great deal
but ended up with water soaked floors, stringers, etc.
A customer brought a bow rider walk-thru boat to our shop wanting to repair
a soft spot in the floor. The boat looked clean and well maintained. The exterior
was in mint condition. Looking at it you would never have thought it had any soft
floor issues.
Upon examination we discovered the floor was spongy and rotted from the
bow to the forward area of the floor storage compartment. The boat owner was
surprised, very unhappy and disgusted with the boat manufacturer. He thought
the choice of materials used to build the boat should have lasted much longer.
What caused this to happen? Moisture!
The rot began in the “Storage Locker” - it’s a convenient place to stuff all your
wet lines, life/ski vests, etc. but these usually carpeted compartments absorb
moisture. It’s a big sponge in the center of the boat! The lifting hole in the cover
allows additional water access. It’s always damp and never has a chance to dry
out due to lack of ventilation. The moisture works its way up the sides of the
compartment into the underside of the plywood floor. Next the flotation becomes
saturated. I have removed water saturated flotation that I was able to wring
out like I was squeezing a wet sponge. The excessive moisture can easily add
hundreds of pounds to your boat.
Once it is in the flotation and in the wood it will never dry out. Never, ever!
Removal and replacement is the only option.
It is one of the more miserable, time consuming jobs I do in boat repair!
This boat also had a bow and cockpit cover allowing the windshield to be
exposed to the sun creating an incubator. Hot air holds more moisture. You
could have grown mushrooms inside this boat! And yes, I have actually seen
mushrooms growing inside of boats.
Other helpful advise…
Look around your boat- Do you have any screws missing? – Put the screw(s)
back in to seal it up!
Are there any holes? Seal them up!
If at all possible, do not cover a wet boat!
Leave your cabin doors open and let the air circulate!
Install fans/blowers- Keep that air moving!
Lift your engine covers/compartments after each use- it’ll keep your engine
from rusting too! The key is – and it’s worth all the effort - keep things as dry and
ventilated as you possibly can, after every boat outing!
#12- Check hardware & fasteners often - tighten as needed
I worked on a high performance boat that endured normal vibrations that come
along with big engines and high speeds. It was brought to me to repair because the
rub rail was falling off. I discovered that not only the rub rail was falling off but the
deck was in fact separating from the hull.
The resonation caused the heads of the screws to actually pull through the rub rail
and deck thus separating the deck from the hull. Eventually the deck would have
completely detached from the hull.
I had to completely remove the entire rub rail and clean off what was left of the old
silicone all around the boat. Silicone should never have been used it was the wrong
choice of sealer. 3M 5200 Permanent Adhesive Sealant, a high grade product is
specifically made for this purpose and should have been used. Chances are if the
proper sealant had been applied there never would have been a problem.
In other areas of the boat there were similar problems because of improper
sealant use.
Both forward deck hatches had loose screws and had to be re-bedded. Good
sealant would have dampened the resonation thus keeping the hardware tight.
Both hatches were leaking like a sieve.
After finding all these problems I proceeded to check all the hardware and found
most of it was loose.
On the transom I found loose swim platform bolts. These bolts are positioned
below the water line. They were resealed with the correct sealant.
Point here is; don’t assume all is well; check your boat hardware before heading
out on the water. High performance boat owners may want to check your seat
hardware especially the drivers’ seat; I have seen them come loose. At the very
least, make sure your kill switch tether is attached to you!
#13- Store your boat in an adequate/safe location
#14- Know the waterway. Plan ahead. And you’ll avoid a
catastrophic situation!
#15- Stay away from using gelcoat paste repair kits or Marine Tex
I never suggest using “Gelcoat Repair Kits”, “Gelcoat Paste” or any of the repair
snake oil that is sold today. Sounds like a wonderful thing in theory but I have never
seen to my satisfaction a successful repair using them. I have even tried the kits
myself and have not been successful for a host of reasons.
There is a lot you need to know about gelcoat before you attempt a repair.
Gelcoat is affected by many things including age, temperature, humidity,
hardener, surfacing agent, additives, and application methods.
How much color fade the boat has will also determine how nice the repair will
look.
Do not use Marine Tex- it is not good as a finish material. Why? When it is applied
to the gelcoat damage and dries it is harder than the surrounding gelcoat. When it
is sanded smooth you sand away the adjacent gelcoat leaving a Marine Tex bump
on your boat. It’s a good material in some applications but not a good choice as
finish filler.
AGE- Gelcoat
has a shelf life! Hopefully that Repair Kit you used was fresh and
not sitting on the shelf for a couple of years! Gelcoat is good usually for up to 6
months. I won’t use gelcoat if it is more than 3 months old. There are chemicals in
the gelcoat that evaporate over time. The chemicals are crucial to insure a proper
cure. Once a boat manufacturer sent unknown to me, outdated gelcoat to do a
warranty repair! I sprayed the gelcoat and it would not fully cure – it was TACKY!
Hummm, brand new boat, outdated gelcoat. I asked the manufacturer to please
ship me some fresh gelcoat! Repair was redone successfully. That will only happen
to me once!
AGE OF GELCOAT-TEMPERATURE - HUMIDITY – HARDENER- SURFACING