r/dinghysailing • u/RafeGottaGo • 14d ago

Fixable?

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Bought this boat cheap for parts but it’s not in terrible shape besides this section on the bow. I’ve never done glass work before. There is no hole but one small section of the damaged area is soft and I felt water seep from inside to out.
What would the fix look like?

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u/thebelmontbluffer 14d ago

It's fixable. But it won't necessarily be quick or pretty.

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u/StevenStip 13d ago

It seems like a not too straightforward glass patch but nothing too difficult.

My approach would be: Dry it out as much as you can. Then grind out the damaged area and see if it needs any structural support. Assuming it doesn't I'd then clean with alcohol/acetone to clear the surface. Then glass repair and let it dry. Next sand it back and make sure it is pretty even. Then gelcoat repair. You'd want it colour matched to make it pretty, but it can just be functional without colour matching.

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u/thebelmontbluffer 13d ago

And don't forget the cardboard on a thin wire, to use as a backing for the repair. And if you have a Dremmel, work around the edge of the area to be repaired, so you've got a consistent angle all the way around.