Fibreglass Boat FAQ'S

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Q: Can flow coat be used to enhance the finish to the whole exterior of the hull of my boat 4m long.

A: No, I am afraid that you cannot use gel coat to enhance the finish on your boat. Gel coat is very difficult to apply smoothly and burnish up. The best product to use is a 2 pack polyurethane (which you can purchase from a chandler) or a 2 pack acrylic which can be purchased from a good car paint supplier).

Q: I've used glass fibre matting and resin to repair a small hole in my fibre glass boat. What should I finish it with to a get a "smoother" feel to the surface. At the moment it stands out a mile.

A: To create a "smooth finish" on your repair I recommend that you use flow coat. This is gel coat with a wax additive that can be used on the surface of your boat to blend in the repair. Flow coat is available in numerous colours (we have stock if you would like us to send you some).

Q: My daughter would like to repaint her glass fibre canoe, what types of paint would it be best to use and where can I get it from?

A: I would recommend that you use a 2 pack polyurethane paint or a 2 pack acrylic paint which can be purchased from a good car accessories/paint shop.

Q: I am building a small dinghy (to plans) made of plywood. The design requires that it is coated with an epoxy resin and the joins stitched with copper wire then covered with epoxy and fibre glass. What product do you recommend bearing in mind the possible temperature variations in my garage?

A: We would recommend that you use fibre glass tape and epoxy resin (tape is available in various widths - 25mm - 150mm and the epoxy is available of the shelf in packs from 500gms to 6.0kg (all available from our factory shop). In extreme weather conditions you may have to put a heater in the garage while doing the repair.

Q: I have a 19 feet long glass fibre lake boat. I would like to increase the thickness of the fibre glass. Can you please advise on the materials that I would need to use in order to do this properly? I would also be grateful if you could give me some advice on the process of completing this task.

A: Materials that you would require are: Resin and Hardener, chopped strand mat, laminating brushes, buckets, acetone, metal roller (if you pass me your email address and mailing address I can send you a price full list of materials available at our factory shop). To start work: Abrade and wash the area to be laminated. Cut the glass fibre to the required size. Mix resin and hardener (you will need approx./ 1 litre resin to 1 square metre mat, Paint over the area to be patched with the resin. Lay 1 layer of glass fibre over the area and wet out with the resin. Lay 2nd layer and wet out. Roll the area with a metal roller to consolidate and allow to harden.

Q: My 2 yr old 35 ft boat is showing a yellowy/brown stain on the hull. Could this be a problem due to the release agent. Can you advise how to get rid of the stains.

A: No this will not be caused by release agent. The possible cause could be rust from a support frame or the gel coat has been repaired in that area. Rub down with 800 or 1000 wet and dry paper and compound the area infected.

Q: Hi. I am interested in a project to join 2 cheap short (about 7 feet) fibreglass Kayaks together to make a Tandem kayak. Basically I would cut the back of one and join insert the bow of the second

A: Prout Catamarans started in this way and built the first catamaran in the UK. I can't see any problems with your idea.

Q: What is the normal moisture level found in glassfibre boats?

A: There is no "normal" moisture level in glassfibre boats. If you have a moisture reading of any description this would normally dry out when the boat is taken out of the water each season. If this is not the case I would say that there is a possibility that osmosis is present (this means that the water has penetrated through the gel coat into the fibre glass matting).

Q: I have a 1981 carver 3326 sedan, the gel coat has started to show lots of tiny blue spots in patches around the boat, it looks like over spray from a spray gun but they wont rub out, any ideas?

A: My apologies but I would need to survey this type of problem before suggesting any solutions.

Q: The hull of my yacht (below the water line) has some "blisters". Is this called osmosis? If not what is the difference and is one more serious than the other? How are they repaired?

A: Yes, this sounds like osmosis. If you break a blister it will taste and smell like horrible vinegar. This can be repaired at a cost of approx. ?100 per ft. You need to consider 2 things: Is the boat worth spending this kind of money on and how many more years do you want out of the boat!

Q: The paint on the upper part of the hull of my GRP boat is starting to look unsightly. Is a special type of paint required for the gelcoat of boats?

A: The best type of paint to use is a polyurethane 2 pack.

Q: I would like to rebuild the deck of my boat using plastic honeycomb as the core material. Please advise how many layers of the CSM are needed on the top and on the bottom. Besides, do I need to apply gel coat on both sides? Thanks.

A: I cannot answer this question fully, I would need more information, please call our offices for an informal chat.