[bluegill]

Hi all–– I just bought a used Gheenoe. It has a small hole (less than an inch in diameter) on the bottom of the hull–– close to the drainage port. I'd greatly appreciate any advice on fixing it!

For context, I've never owned a boat, and am usually not the do-it-yourself type when it comes to repairing anything. But, two friends I showed the hole too independently agreed that a do-it-yourself patch job should suffice. So, I figured it would be reasonable to try.

I purchased a fiberglass patch kit from Walmart (attached below) and do have access to a sander and other various tools.

I've been watching YouTube videos and am a little confused in terms of how much to sand away around the hole. For example, one guy says to taper down 4inches around the hole. Another video recommended drilling the hole out with an added taper and patching over that.

Meanwhile, I don't know if the proximity to the drainage port means there are other things I should consider/be careful about?? Also, for what it is worth, I am unable to access the other side of the hole–– I think the hole opens up into the hollow cavity within the hull. I feel like the complicates things. Additionally, the curvature of the area makes me wonder if there is a particular strategy to ensure it lays down right.

Last, I'm not opposed to taking it to a professional–– it just seems like (from what my friends said) I should be able to do this, lol.

Any advice? I probably am overthinking things, but I'd greatly appreciate any guidance/tips.

Thanks everyone!

Nick

 

[Smackdaddy53]

@JC Designs

 

[JC Designs]

Normally, you’d want to grind an area 3-4x’s the size of the hole to make a proper repair. From the looks of your pics, that’s just not going to be practical. After making darn sure all water has dripped and fibers are dry. Grind it out to about 2x’s the size of the hole creating a bit of a funnel shape. Cut 3-4 pieces of glass starting with one just larger than the hole and work up to a piece just smaller than your ground out circle. For a small job like this, I wet my fiber out on a piece of cardboard largest piece down first then the consecutive smaller pieces. Once the patch is wet out I move to the boat. Wet the patch area out with a little resin and apply the patch piece. Stipple the piece into place with your chip brush pushing out any air and excess resin. Wipe up any mess with an acetone rag. Sand patch, do any “body work/ fairing”, and paint.

 

[bluegill]

Thanks @JC Designs! A couple follow-up questions...

Grind it out to about 2x’s the size of the hole creating a bit of a funnel shape.

1. What tool/method would you use to achieve this result?

Sand patch, do any “body work/ fairing”, and paint.

2. Sorry, what would “body work/ fairing” consist of here? (I genuinely have no clue)
3. And for the paint part, should I just hit the patched area with some black spray paint? Fwiw, the seller told me the bottom of the boat has gator glide (but I'm guessing it'd be overkill to buy some for this one-off application in a small area).

Thanks again, I feel much more confident that I can do this

Nick

 

[JC Designs]

Thanks @JC Designs! A couple follow-up questions...


1. What tool/method would you use to achieve this result?


2. Sorry, what would “body work/ fairing” consist of here? (I genuinely have no clue)
3. And for the paint part, should I just hit the patched area with some black spray paint? Fwiw, the seller told me the bottom of the boat has gator glide (but I'm guessing it'd be overkill to buy some for this one-off application in a small area).

Thanks again, I feel much more confident that I can do this

Nick

(1) A die grinder pr dremel is my got to. But can be accomplished other ways I’m sure.

(2) Body work/fairing is just that. Either purchase some filler or mix your own with resin, q/cells, and a little fumed silica. For such a small job, you’re better off purchasing a pint somewhere.
(3) If it’s scarred up pretty good. A gallon kit of gator glide or slick bottom will do the bottom a couple times. You want to seal that repair with something be it gelcoat, paint “not spray paint”, Epoxy top coat, gator glide/ slick bottom.

 

[curtwrig]

Hi mate,
I built two fiberglass boats from scratch and posted the builds on this forum. I had grand-pub-ah status until I lost my login and couldn't figure out how to reset and had to get a new username...
My $0.02. Not sure whats in Walmart Bondo and probably wouldn't use it. I'd ream out the brass drain tube because its going to get in the way. Then I would start from the inside and grind off the geloat about 4" all around the repair area. Then I would lay 2-3 alternating layers of chopped strand matt and some type of structural cloth maybe a 6oz or 9oz cloth. 1708 would be ideal, but I think the bend in the keel will be too sharp for it to lay flat without getting airbubbles. Wet it all out on some cardboard first then just place it in and let it cure. This will give you something to grind and fair to on the bottom. Then I'd flip the boat over and hit the whole area with a grinder to remove the gel coat. Then I'd lay just a single layer of matt down and let it cure. Hit it with a grinder to remove the high spots then thicken some resin with a filler and apply over the grind marks. Then block / sand it smooth with an orbital. Then depending on what you want the boat to look like, I'd either sand and paint the whole exterior or just try and match the little area and to hell with looks. Its probably a 4 hour job to hire a pro and will cost $300 - 400. Probably a whole weekend for an absolute amateur.

 

[bluegill]

Thanks @curtwrig! I understand the approach but I think the issue is that I don’t have access to the “inside” of the hole. Despite being so close to the drainage port, the hole actually punctures through to a hollow section of the hull that I assume runs underneath the whole boat. I’d have to cut through the top deck to reach it. What do you think given this?

 

[curtwrig]

Thanks @curtwrig! I understand the approach but I think the issue is that I don’t have access to the “inside” of the hole. Despite being so close to the drainage port, the hole actually punctures through to a hollow section of the hull that I assume runs underneath the whole boat. I’d have to cut through the top deck to reach it. What do you think given this?

Depends on the value you place on your time and your desire to learn how to do fiberglass work. This is your first repair so I can almost guarantee you will mess up and have to do some rework and buy more materials and it will take 4x as long as you think. If it was my boat and i was attached to it, I'd cut the false floor out with an angle grinder and patch it the way I described above. Then glass the piece back into the floor. It would take me a full 8hr day to do the repair and another day if I wanted the interior geloat and exterior gel coat to match and look brand new. It would probably cost me $200-300 in materials.

Being that its you not me I see three choices:

1. If I had $1000 and didn't want to get itchy, sticky and burn a few weekends. I'd just sell the hull and buy a newer one without issues.

2. Just slap some bondo fiberglass stuff on the outside and maybe invest in a bilge pump just in case you hit something and it peels/ falls off.

3. Do it the hard, expensive way, but learn a relatively useful life skill

 

[Big Fish]

I would want to work on it from the top and bottom. Just cut a hole big enough in the false floor to work on the hole and then put a deck plate there when you are finished. The repair certainly does not need to look professionally done but needs to be solid. Fiberglass work is actually pretty easy, the hard part is making it look good IMO.

 

[WhiteDog70810]

For a small repair on a Gheenoe, you can use darn near anything. That Walmart kit is adequate. Of course there is “better” stuff available, but isn’t that always the case?

Got to Boat Builder Central. Read all their instructional materials to become conversant on the materials and techniques. They’ll talk about epoxy resin; your kit is polyester resin (a Bondo knock-off), but the techniques they describe translate to both. Search this site also for discussions comparing and contrasting epoxy resin vs. polyester resin (vinylester resin will also be mentioned, but home builders don’t really use it.

Your boat is chopped strand construction held together with polyester resin, so it isn’t a travesty to use polyester resin to fix it. Polyester resins smell like a solvent as it cures, so work in a well ventilated area. As that solvent evaporates out, it leaves pores in the cured resin that allow moisture to wick through. This is why you have to seal it with something, usually gel coat, as JC suggested.

Fiberglass is fairly easy to work with, even as a beginner, so don’t be intimidated. It is just like patching a hole in a sheet rock wall, just a bit harder to sand. Jump in, make a mess, grind it off and fix it again until you are happy. I built an entire boat that way.

Bodywork/fairing is the final part of the repair where you sand it flat to the surface and attempt to make the repair blend seamlessly into the surrounding surface. This usually only takes time and sweat. The last part is the hard part. Color matching paint and gelcoat requires the summoning of demons or Devine intervention depending on your taste. I have small boats and use paint over epoxy, so I generally give the entire hull a new paint job to avoid the headache. There are decent tutorials out there on matching gelcoat, but it usually takes more stuff than a homebuilder wants to buy for a small repair. It should be below the water line, so just buy a gelcoat color that is ”close enough” and be done with it.

Nate

 

[millerrep]

What does the bilge look like, can you get the this hole from the inside? Photo of the inside!

 

[JC Designs]

Guys, it’s a Gheenoe! While an inside/outside patch job is preferred in most cases, it’s really not necessary for a patch job of this size. It’s tiny and a simple hole. 3 layers 1.5oz csm with poly resin on a properly prepared surface will more than suffice and won’t simply peel off if the bonding surface is ground with 36-80grit then acetone wiped a couple times. Ya’ll seem to be advocating the fella do a $1,000.00 repair on a $800 boat!🤣 From what I gather, he just wants to go fishing and a simple outside repair done right will get him there!

 

[Smackdaddy53]

A piece of screen wire and some FlexSeal should do it.

 

[bluegill]

From what I gather, he just wants to go fishing and a simple outside repair done right will get him there!

@JC Designs is right in that I just want to have a good time fishing with a friend. My main objective is to not sink 😅

@millerrep, attaching some more photos. As y'all can see, the opening on the back deck is quite small and you'd have to get in there and then go through the floor there. Might even have to widen the cut on the back deck to get a good working area.

I really appreciate everyone's comments so far. I fear I already paid too much for this thing, so I'm a bit apprehensive to do any expensive repair. I embarrassingly missed this hole when looking it over when I purchased it–– I found it the day after. 😞 I feel I've learned a few life lessons already.

 

[JC Designs]

@JC Designs is right in that I just want to have a good time fishing with a friend. My main objective is to not sink 😅

@millerrep, attaching some more photos. As y'all can see, the opening on the back deck is quite small and you'd have to get in there and then go through the floor there. Might even have to widen the cut on the back deck to get a good working area.

I really appreciate everyone's comments so far. I fear I already paid too much for this thing, so I'm a bit apprehensive to do any expensive repair. I embarrassingly missed this hole when looking it over when I purchased it–– I found it the day after. 😞 I feel I've learned a few life lessons already.

View attachment 234281 View attachment 234283 View attachment 234282

Trust me buddy, my way is the way lol! Been doing this chit a long time and do it daily do a living. Just remember, the key is in the prep! Those hulls are so thin that 2layers 1.5oz will be as thick as you can go in that area without creating a bulge. Patch it, paint the patch, go catch some fish!

 

[Big Fish]

@JC Designs is right in that I just want to have a good time fishing with a friend. My main objective is to not sink 😅

@millerrep, attaching some more photos. As y'all can see, the opening on the back deck is quite small and you'd have to get in there and then go through the floor there. Might even have to widen the cut on the back deck to get a good working area.

I really appreciate everyone's comments so far. I fear I already paid too much for this thing, so I'm a bit apprehensive to do any expensive repair. I embarrassingly missed this hole when looking it over when I purchased it–– I found it the day after. 😞 I feel I've learned a few life lessons already.

View attachment 234281 View attachment 234283 View attachment 234282

The seller didn’t point it to you? Dang that’s sketch.

 

[bluegill]

The seller didn’t point it to you? Dang that’s sketch.

Nope–– possible he didn't know but it still sucks.

 

[WhiteDog70810]

I fear I already paid too much for this thing, so I'm a bit apprehensive to do any expensive repair. I embarrassingly missed this hole when looking it over when I purchased it–– I found it the day after. 😞 I feel I've learned a few life lessons already.

Dude, it is a very cheap repair. You could pay 3x what that hull is worth and still not spend that much, so don’t let buyer’s remorse crap in your Cheerios. Save that for when you take a reverse mortgage on your house to buy a Chittum.

Like I said before, don’t be scared. In fact, that is the perfect hull to learn on because they are not collector items; no one will ever notice a fugly repair. If you want to experience self-loathing, you should have bought a damn old Carolina Skiff with waterlogged foam. Just jump in and start grinding. You really can just muddle through it.

Nate

 

[leon jones]

...
From what I gather, he just wants to go fishing and a simple outside repair done right will get him there!

JC Designs, that's what i'm reading in this also

the outside only patch should get him fishing as safely and expediently as possible

Trust me buddy, my way is the way lol! Been doing this chit a long time and do it daily do a living. Just remember, the key is in the prep! Those hulls are so thin that 2layers 1.5oz will be as thick as you can go in that area without creating a bulge. Patch it, paint the patch, go catch some fish!

yepperz ... grinding a gentle taper and thorough cleaning(vacuuming and wiping w/ acetone) prior to patching is in order

bluegill, i may have missed it butt i don't rememberize reading if the hole actually causes the boat to leak

if the hole is in a hollow section(external keel) below the structural bottom and filling the hull with water w/ the drain plug in place produces no outflow of water this changes my personal attitude toward your problem

if you fill the hull w/ water w/ the drain plug in place that changes the critical nature of the issue

i say this because i can't see the answer in the picture you provided

i've blown the pic up and still can't see the actual drain hole in relationship to the problem

IF ... IF the problem is under the sealed floor then an outside patch as JC Designs suggested will be quite enuff

if the issue allows water to enter/run out of the hull from the inside then a bit heavier patch is in order

even without knowing the answer i'd be strongly inclined to patch from the outside and go fishing WITHOUT WORRY

as for the patch ... many will buy a kit similar to the one you pictured and get away w/ a cheesy patch job

EPOXY is strongly recommended for the home/DIYer/noobie in situations like this

epoxy is much more likely to provide positive results even if learning mistakes are made

a small epoxy kit can be had thru many sources and you don't have to buy a gallon for this project

do not buy anything that says 5-minute or Devcon on the label for this project even though those products are good for resolving other issues

epoxy mixes into a rather thin consistency which will penetrate any cracked or bare fiberglass to create a very good bond for this project

grinding the affected area back at a taper until you(ideally) have a 1-12 taper and have only bare glass showing in the area to be patched will aid in creating a proper bond w/ epoxy saturated glass fabric(cloth or mat)

the shape of your problem is different than the following pics butt the process is the same

notice how the area was ground to bare glass

after cleaning coat the area with un thickened epoxy

apply patches from largest 1st to smallest until the hole is filled a/o stacked up enuff to be sanded to your desired shape

if you need putty to fair your shape you can mix any number of thickening agents into epoxy to create a good strong putty of the thickness/consistency you desire

i use wood flour(from sanding) not saw dust(from cutting) and many DIYers use wheat flour while some use talc

the "professionals" will suggest using a $$$ filler/thickener butt for this project the $$$ stuff is overkill IMHO

3 layers of glass fabric should be adequate making sure to fil the fibers w/ epoxy which clears the fabric and leave no white spots

turning the fabric to different orientations allow the filaments/fibers to conform to different curves

the location of this issue is in a location that will be most easily approached with the hull upside down though it can be done from below(just more sporty)

wear long sleeves face protection and nytrile gloves

if working upside down cover the floor w/ an el cheapo blue tarp

for final shaping you can simply wrap some 80 grit paper around a piece of old garden hose to get your concave shape and a block of wood for your longer convex shapes

sand to 220 and paint w/ a color that doesn't shout out IVE BEEN PATCHED

clean up your mess and GO TO THE WATER

if you begin on one weekend you should be back in the water by the end of the next

BON CHANCE


leon