The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual (Hardcover)

Preface

Acknowledgments

1 Materials and Construction

What fiberglass is; Boatbuilding resins; Resin products: glues and putties; The glass fiber materials; Constructing the fiberglass boat; Gelcoat and paint finishes; Interior parts; Other fiberglass parts

2 Restoring the Surface Finish

Gelcoat dullness and fading; Scratches, dings, and breakouts; Gelcoat cracks that won't stay puttied; Bubbles, blisters, and boat pox; Regelcoating versus repainting fiberglass

3 The Art of Fiberglassing

Gelcoating; Hand lay-up; Laying up core materials; Repairing or applying reinforcements; Tabbing parts to hull and deck

4 Fractures, Small Holes, Delaminations

Grinding and Cutting; Rebuilding; Patching cored construction; Delamination

5 Dealing with Core Problems

Saturation--an introduction to the problem; Confined and accessible area of deck saturation; Total deck saturation; Core saturation in hulls; Crushable cores

6 Rebuilding Large Holes and Shattered Areas

Is she worth repairing?; Salvaging the boat; Working out a repair schedule; Backing damage with sheet stock; Working the boat back into shape; Backing compound curves; Framing in a missing shape; Taking a mold off another boat of the same model; Making the piece

7 Undercured, Resin-Rich, and Cooked Laminates

Go back to the manufacturer--if possible; How to repair undercore--if you must; Resin-rich and cooked laminates

8 Repairing Keels and Other Underwater Parts

Damage to hollow fiberglass keels; Weeps around metal hardware; Fixing fin keels and separate skegs; Damage to interior reinforcing members; Lead-ballasted fin keels; Bolted-on iron fin keels; Centerboards and centerboard trunks; Repairing the centerboard case; Rudders and skegs

9 Troubles on Deck

Leaks around fittings; Leaks around deck joints, rails, and railcaps; More about leaks; Hatches and portlights: leaks, fractures, and other troubles; Treating the overstressed boat

Index