dlos

While cleaning the boat today I discovered two small areas that are somewhat concerning inside the deck storage locker. Boat is in great shape otherwise, just not sure what caused these and what additional damage I may NOT be able to see. They likely occurred taking a boat wake poorly. Not sure what, if any, next steps I should be taking here. Thanks...

bugnut

Looks like it might be caused by something heavy bouncing around in there.

dlos

Hmm, hadn't considered that as an option. I typically don't really have anything heavy in there, but anything is possible and I like this option far better than others I've considered.

cronced

Looks like an easy fix. Grind it down to glass, shoot some epoxy into the crack and then throw some glass over top. Sand it, prime it, paint it, use it.

dlos

Glad to hear this! I have no experience working with any of this stuff, will have to do some homework see if I can figure it out. Thanks!

bamaboy473

Are there any marks or signs of impact on the hull outside? That would make it a much bigger deal...

OReely

Those appear to be broken from the outside in. Best guess would be that there is some structure (bulkhead, frame, stiffener) under the box that was pushed up at some point, ref. Your hard wake comment. Or, it could be the box is loose and has settled on a couple of hard points. The glass looks pretty thin and may only be a little chopped mat rather than biax or woven roving.

I'd be looking at the hull for signs of stress and/or failure for the first scenario and separation of the box from the underside of the deck in the second.

Fish Haid

I would poke around and inspect closely to determine if they are isolated areas, or part of bigger under-laying damage. Like, do they connect under the surface? If not, then a quick patch should be OK.

dlos

No marks, stress cracks or anything obvious showing on the side or hull of the boat. These two spots are the only visible issues.

dlos

I haven't found a way to inspect under the box yet. I need to see if I can shine a light or something in any of the access ports but due to the location I'm not optimistic that I'll be able to see into that area.

dlos

So far no way to look inside. I emailed the manufacturer for their opinion and info on the area, we'll see if they get back to me. Thanks..

dssmith

The above answer is the fix. A simpler version is to grind down to glass/dry or dry wood, then fill with 5200. Level it off before it sets. Sand if its rough, and live the the cosmetic change of a couple repair spots. A structural problem will start cracking anyway. I doubt your problem is structural, so fixing with 5200 after proper preparation is a simple and inexpensive alternative to above.

bakerjw

IMHO, it looks like they didn't glass the sides to the floor very well.
I'd grind down to glass on the floor and the side. 3 to 4 inches.
I'd mix some cut glass and cabosil with epoxy and push it through the exposed holes to make a fillet.
I'd then epoxy a couple of layers of glass along the entire area.
Finally hit it with some gelcoat.

Not cheap by any means and this is coming from someone who built a boat from the hull back up the deck a few years back.

williamwallus

That's not from taking a wake. Looks like something smashed into it.

dlos

I spent more time poking around near it, trying to see under it and am starting to come around to this conclusion. No idea what I'd have had in there that could have done that, maybe some beach chairs, but the whole floor feels rock solid in that area. The wall is less solid but by no means would I call it "flimsy" either. I also went back under the boat and really looked at the hull and side of the boat, again, both areas are solid as can be, no scratches, dents or anything to indicate an impact.

I'll start looking into repairing it on my own, it'll take some research but considering where this is located it offers the opportunity to mess around with glass repair and gel coat in spot that can afford to look less than stellar if I don't get it quite right. Appreciate the all the replies!

lazyboi1212