Gel / Fiberglass repair in NE Indiana area
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URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20656
Printed Date: November-22-2024 at 9:22pm
Topic: Gel / Fiberglass repair in NE Indiana area
Posted By: skyway2k
Subject: Gel / Fiberglass repair in NE Indiana area
Date Posted: February-16-2011 at 12:51am
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I saw a lot of guys talking about the Ft Wayne boat show, so hopefully they may have some input for me. I didn't want to hijack their thread.
I have a 91 SN that I would like to have some gelcoat / fiberglass repair done. The P.O. had an incident once while loading her on to the trailer and drove up on to one of the wheel wells. The chine between the hull side and bottom is scarred up pretty good around the front of the SRP on the port side. The damage extends forward probably 6 or 8 inches and then there's another bit of damaged area further forward. It is deep enough that it is down in to fiberglass in places. I'm sure this could be a do-it-yourselfer, but I'm just no where near knowledgable or patient enough to do all the prep and finishing required and after all, she is my baby and I want her to be perfect! 
Since I purchased the boat towards the middle / late summer 2010, I just really wanted to get some use out of it before getting work done, so I hope that wasn't a mistake. I doubt it was leaking water, but that's just an assumption. My question is where is a reputable shop / marina that can do the work and do it right in the NE Indiana area? I'm in Mississippi for work, but driving home this weekend, so I can get some pictures of the damage to post on here. Thanks for your help! ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
Replies:
Posted By: ky82sn
Date Posted: February-16-2011 at 1:21am
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Welcome to the site!
I would start by calling your local body shops and ask if they reccommend a body shop that specializes in boat repair. I'm in a rual community in KY and one of the best boat repair shops is in my town. You can ask to see pics of other jobs they may have done. A good boat repair shop should have no problem fixing our boat. ------------- 1982 ski nautique 1966 Al Tyll Skier |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: February-16-2011 at 11:19am
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Bill,
Gel repair is very easy and really can be a DIY project. It's easy/basic to the point where almost any marina will do it. However, it's the color matching that requires some skill. If you do want to give it a try, gel repair kits are available. Tinting colors come with the kits. We can guide you through it. Get us the pictures when you get home. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: skyway2k
Date Posted: February-17-2011 at 7:40pm
Okay, here are some photos of what I would like to have fixed or attempt to fix myself:
Looks like the PO used to beech the boat. How hard is this to fix and make good as new? 
One thing I hadn't really noticed before were these small blisters. They are on the starboard side almost directly down from the dash area. This is the only spot on the boat where these are found, and it is about a square foot of area. They all appear to have a very small hair-line crack in the center of each blister, but the cracks don't extend beyond the blister. What would cause these blisters? Are they much of a concern, and how hard are they to correct? 
Thanks for the input, guys! ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: pornautique
Date Posted: February-17-2011 at 9:54pm
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Fiberglass Products & Boat Repair 260-337-5636. St.Joe IN st rd 1 N.E. of Fort Wayne - just east of Auburn. They have been there for over 40 yrs. They fixed the gel coat on my sport that was in bad shape when I bought my boat. There is also a place in Angola - fiberglass works -260-667-7931 but I have no experience with them. Don ------------- 90 sport nautique |
Posted By: skyway2k
Date Posted: February-19-2011 at 10:07pm
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Thanks for the info. What do you all think about the level of difficulty of these repairs as a DIY project? I'm mechanically inclined and also usually good at detailed stuff like this once I do it, but I get a little apprehensive when I really want something to turn out perfect and I've never done it before. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: skyway2k
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 5:32pm
Hi Don, I'm leaning towards having Fiberglass Products & Boat Repair in St. Joe fix my boat. Can you give me your opinion on how the repair turned out on your Sport? How was their pricing, pretty good? I just don't feel like it will be something I can get done and be happy with myself. Where the damage is over the trialer fender, it will be difficult to actually work on it while it's on the trailer, and I really want to get this done before putting the boat in the water for the first time this season so I know that everything is dry in the repair area. Thanks for your help! ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
REMOVEautique wrote:Posted By: W.U.S.S.
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 6:58pm
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Fiberglass Products & Boat Repair 260-337-5636. St.Joe IN. These guy do incrediable work. I have used them numerous times on different boats. Just a something to think about, I recenty had a "friend" do some gel coat work for me (to try to save a couple bucks)and, needless to say, I was less than impressed. Tom does great work and I should have taken my recent project to them.
Just make sure you get there early, if you want it back my spring. Some people I know, take stuff to him in the fall. The only down side to that is #1 they get very busy at that time, mainly due to the big show clubs bringing their boats to him. #2 if you wait till fall, you boat might sit outside for a while. Just something to consider. |
Posted By: W.U.S.S.
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 7:02pm
| Something else I just thought about. How old is your boat? if it is older than a 93, you most likely have wood stringers. The stress cracks and blisters you mentioned could be from wooden stringers. May want to look into it before you spend the money to gel. |
Posted By: skyway2k
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 8:10pm
Thanks for the information, Paul! I definitely don't want the boat sitting outside long at all. It's kept in a heated garage and has been for the last 18 years, so I'm pretty protective of it.
I will give him a call and see what he's got on the work queue. And also, the boat is a 91. I'm not trying to kid myself into thinking the boat is completely dry, I realize that's just wishful thinking. I just know the guy that owned it before me since 1993 kept it as a trailer queen, it spent most of it's life on the trailer in his big heated garage, never out in the weather. And he only put 400 hours on the boat in 17 years. Is weak / rotted stringers and hull flex the only cause for the blisters? It doesn't really have spider cracks or cracks running all over the gell. It's just that the blisters each have one little crack that spans the diameter of the blister. I'd say the blisters are no more than 1/8" - 3/16" in diameter. The only way I saw the cracks was because some dirt had built up in them. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: skyway2k
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 8:27pm
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Here's http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/gelcoat_repair.htm - an interesting article I found regarding blisters in gelcoat:
------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: pornautique
Date Posted: February-27-2011 at 10:15pm
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Sorry for the delay on your question, but I agree with W.U.S.S on his response about st. joe. Good but busy. ------------- 90 sport nautique |
Posted By: MMT
Date Posted: March-26-2011 at 12:38am
| I don't think he is overly busy right now. I just spoke with him last week about a stringer job and he told me 2 weeks to complete it. I decided to do it my self though. He does. Do great work, but I didn't think he was very friendly. Just my 2 cents..... |
Posted By: skyway2k
Date Posted: March-26-2011 at 12:44am
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Thanks again for the replies and input, guys.
Just as a quick follow up to this post, I was back home again in Indiana last weekend and I dropped the boat off on Monday at his shop in St. Joe. He said it would be just a few weeks and it would be in tip top shape again. I thought he was a nice enough guy. He asked me where I had heard about him and of course I told him that he came highly recommended on CCF.com but he had never heard of it. I will let you all know how the repairs turned out when I get the boat back. I will just be happy to have a hull that's 100% visually right again. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5240&sort=&pagenum=1 - '91 Ski Nautique |
Posted By: MMT
Date Posted: March-31-2011 at 11:04pm
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Maybe I caught him on a bad day. glad you had a nice experience. He really does do amazing work. I'm sure you will be happy with it. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5617&sort=&pagenum=1 - '81 Ski Tique |