Fiberglass is used to build boats for many reasons. The main ones are its resistance, and the ease with which it repairs itself. You can close a hole in an afternoon and coat the entire boat with fiberglass in a couple of days. This article tells you how to apply it using epoxy.
Steps
Step 1. Prepare the boat
Before starting work you need to prepare the surface in several ways.
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Remove items from the bottom of the boat. Remove the keel, planking, balustrades and anything that does not need to be lined with fiberglass.
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Repair holes with suitable putty. To fix a hole, cut the damaged area, wash and treat it with a wax solvent, sand it with a disc sander, and apply a laminate or a specific acrylic patch to the outside of the hull with the help of polyvinyl alcohol such as anti-mold. At this point, put a fiberglass patch that you had already cut according to the measures of the damage. Smear some resin and apply multiple layers of fiberglass and resin as needed to harden the area.
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Clean the hull. It must be free of all debris, dust, mold, dirt and marine encrustations.
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Sand the boat. To get a good result, the surface must be a little rough. If you go overboard with the sanding, however, you may be waving it.
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Step 2. Mix the resin and hardener following the instructions on the packaging
Immediately pour the mixture onto a painter's tray. After 30 minutes the solution has already hardened so much that it is difficult to apply it to the hull.
Step 3. Apply the first coat of resin
This first layer is also called the "sealant". Use a foam roller for this and apply direct, steady pressure as you spread the resin evenly. Wait until the surface is no longer tacky before proceeding with the next steps.
Step 4. Prepare and install fiberglass fabric
Cut it into the proper shape. Secure it to the hull using tape, staples, or pins.
Step 5. Apply the second coat of resin
This second layer is called "bonding". If you've had to wait a while, consider sandblasting the hull a second time. Working from one end of the boat to the other, apply the bonding layer on top of the fiberglass fabric. Remove the material you used to hold it in place before the resin coat dries completely.
Step 6. Apply a third coat of resin
This is called "filling". Wait until the previous coat has hardened, if you have had to wait for a long time, clean and sand the hull one more time.
Step 7. Apply the final coat of resin
It must be smooth, homogeneous and thick enough to allow you to sand the hull without damaging the fiberglass fabric.
Step 8. Sand the hull
Give the last coat of resin enough time to dry, preferably overnight. Start with some thick grit sandpaper to finish with one end.
Step 9. Apply protective agent
You can use paint or another hull sealant. Follow the directions on the product packaging.
