While having a great time with my wife on an unfamiliar section of the
Willamette River on Friday night, a rock found the bottom of my boat
(a Four Winns 205 Sundowner). Fortunately, I was not moving quickly
and neither of us was hurt. My question...

There are three gouges in the bottom of my boat ranging from 1 inch to
10 inches long and a quarter to a half an inch deep. Of course, all
have penetrated the gelcoat and there is exposed fiberglass. I would
prefer to wait until this winter to have the boat repaired but am
concerned that I may damage the boat more because of the exposed
fiberglass. I trailer the boat so it is typically only in the water
for 4-6 hours at a time. Should I be concerned about water damage
because of the exposed fiberglass? If so, is there a "quick fix" that
can get me through the rest of this season?

Thanks in advance.

A half inch is a pretty deep penetration in a 20-foot hull. You might have
somebody look at it to make sure you're not structurally effected.

*If* it's just cosmetic, throw some quick
patch stuff on it and use the boat until you can get the glass work done in the
slow season. *If* there's any possibility you're structurally compromised, I
wouldn't suggest using the boat prior to repairs.

Sometimes things that look small can turn out to be huge..........other times
we get lucky and things that look small really are.

If your hull is cored and the penetration has exposed the core, you should
certainly make a repair before using the boat again.

Assuming your hull isn't structurally hurt, you can just mix up some
fiberglass resin and use a little brush to paint it on the damaged areas.
That'll seal them up till you can fix it better.

Make sure all is VERY dry 1st.

-W


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PLEASE NOTE: Email address change from to

"Jim" wrote in message
om...
While having a great time with my wife on an unfamiliar section of the
Willamette River on Friday night, a rock found the bottom of my boat
(a Four Winns 205 Sundowner). Fortunately, I was not moving quickly
and neither of us was hurt. My question...

There are three gouges in the bottom of my boat ranging from 1 inch to
10 inches long and a quarter to a half an inch deep. Of course, all
have penetrated the gelcoat and there is exposed fiberglass. I would
prefer to wait until this winter to have the boat repaired but am
concerned that I may damage the boat more because of the exposed
fiberglass. I trailer the boat so it is typically only in the water
for 4-6 hours at a time. Should I be concerned about water damage
because of the exposed fiberglass? If so, is there a "quick fix" that
can get me through the rest of this season?

Thanks in advance.

Since you normally have the boat on a trailer, take a day to clean the
damaged area and repair it. While you might be able to use the boat all
season, the weakened area may develop into a serious leak.
"Jim" wrote in message
om...
While having a great time with my wife on an unfamiliar section of the
Willamette River on Friday night, a rock found the bottom of my boat
(a Four Winns 205 Sundowner). Fortunately, I was not moving quickly
and neither of us was hurt. My question...

There are three gouges in the bottom of my boat ranging from 1 inch to
10 inches long and a quarter to a half an inch deep. Of course, all
have penetrated the gelcoat and there is exposed fiberglass. I would
prefer to wait until this winter to have the boat repaired but am
concerned that I may damage the boat more because of the exposed
fiberglass. I trailer the boat so it is typically only in the water
for 4-6 hours at a time. Should I be concerned about water damage
because of the exposed fiberglass? If so, is there a "quick fix" that
can get me through the rest of this season?

Thanks in advance.