Glass hulls can last a long long time - and be very fix uppable.

But exposed wood in them is a disaster - if it is structural - better
to avoid them and leave the rot to other people.

Brian W

On 29 Sep 2005 09:42:59 -0700, wrote:

I am planning to get a 18-ft used boat at low cost and fit it up. I
would like to see what kind of used boats are considered as "good
enough" for a DIY fix-it-up.

The kind of used boats that I am looking for:
- 18-ft
- Semi-V
- Center console or open deck (like a utility boat)
- Either fiberglass or aluminum, or even wood
- Only need the haul, no motor
- Very cheap

What I need to know are what kind of damage on the boat that are too
expensive to repair (meaning that the damage is so extensive that even
a "DIY fix-it-up" will cost too much; hence, better off paying a bit
more to get one that is in a better shape).

Aluminum boats:
I am under the impression that aluminum boats are great for fixing
because the repair job is relatively easy, and the problem areas can
easily be found. I assume that those problems like "pin hole leak",
"rivet leak", and "seam leak" can be fixed and are not big problems (I
am quite handy and I can find people in the shop to teach me how to
weld). I guess I only need to avoid aluminum boats that are bent out of
shape, or has rust and corrosion in areas where I cannot weld a flat
piece of marine aluminum on it. Is that right?

Fiberglass boats:
Based on articles in Yacht Survey online, fiberglass can hide many
problems, and the problem cannot be seen from outside. And those boats
may not have enough fiberglass in it. Sound like this can be a can of
worms. What should I watch out for? How can I find a "true" fiberglass
boat? Is there any particular model-year of fiberglass boat that is
"true" fiberglass boat? Can I fix any problem by wrapping the hull with
two layers of fiberglass?

Wooden boats:
I assume I should simply avoid them unless they have been enclosed
with resin and fiberglass.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Jay Chan

Glass hulls can last a long long time - and be very fix uppable.

I assume you are talking about "true" fiberglass boats that don't use
foam or balsa wood as core material of the hull. I am glad to hear
this. Thanks.

The problem is how I can tell if a gel-coated boat is really a "true"
fiberglass boat? According to Yacht Survey Online, there are many
gel-coated boats that have very little fiberglass on it. I am hoping
that someone can tell me something like:

"Model year 1976 to 1985 of SuperFisher-XL
from company-XYZ were all true fiberglass
boat; unfortunately, all their recent boats
from 1986 and on only have a thin layer of
fiberglass in the interior side of the hull"

or something like that. Then I can use it as a guide to quickly narrow
down the selections.

But exposed wood in them is a disaster - if it is structural - better
to avoid them and leave the rot to other people.

I am wondering whether I can remove the rotted wood and use it as a
template to make a replacement. In TV show "ShipShape IV", the host of
the show removed the entire rotten wooden transom and fabricated a new
one with wood and epoxy / fiberglass.

I guess this depends on how much the hull costs. If the hull has rotten
wooden structural elements, and they still ask for a thousand dollar
for the hull, I will definitely take your advice and walk. On the other
hand, if they are only asking for a couple hundred dollars, I may still
consider.

Obviously, this is even better if the hull doesn't have that kind of
structural problem even if the hull costs a bit more. Therefore, I need
to go around and shop often to find a good deal.

The things that I really want to know are those problems that cannot be
fixed, or cannot be fixed economically (as comparing to the
alternative), or require skill that an average person doesn't have even
if he is willing to follow instruction.

Let's say the hull has a 5" crack on one flat side. I "assume" that
this can be fixed by applying a couple layers of fiberglass in both
sides of the cracked area. I am just guessing here.

On the other hand, if the bow of a boat has rammed into something and
the bow has cracked open and one side of the bow seems to be deformed.
I "assume" this is not something that we can fix because the complex
angle in the bow area and this is probably tough to force the deformed
area back into the right shape. Again, I am just guessing here.

I have a feeling that this is an open-ended question. I may be better
off getting a book about doing major repair on boat hull, learning the
techniques, and trying to figure out if I can apply the techniques to
fix a boat that I will be looking at.

Thanks for the info though.

Jay Chan

fiberglassis an OK material for boats. after owning a few that had a
balsa core, I'd never do that again. with age and previous owners, you
can end up with balsa/sponge core---suitable for a land fill.
I wrote to "This Old Boat" magazine to see if they ever did a story or
put together a list of solid fiberglass boats. the answer was, "no".
good research project. talked to a fellow who had just put a new
transducer in a Fischer motorsailer, he said he was amazed to drill away
and find the hull to be an inch and a half thick, solid glass. yeah!

fiberglass is an OK material for boats. after owning a few that had a
balsa core, I'd never do that again. with age and previous owners, you
can end up with balsa/sponge core---suitable for a land fill.

I hear you. This means I need to avoid those "fiberglass" boats that
have too little fiberglass. Now, I just need to be able to tell which
one is "true" fiberglass boat and which one is not.

I wrote to "This Old Boat" magazine to see if they ever did a story or
put together a list of solid fiberglass boats. the answer was, "no".
good research project.

I guess they didn't want to hurt their revenue from advertising.

talked to a fellow who had just put a new
transducer in a Fischer motorsailer, he said he was amazed to drill away
and find the hull to be an inch and a half thick, solid glass. yeah!

Seem like the Fisher Motorsailer is a sailing boat from 1970's. I guess
they still didn't figure out how to cut corner back then.

Nice to talk with you and have a great weekend.

Jay Chan