r/boatbuilding

This boat has been on my grandparents property since before i was born. I just pulled it out because we need to drop a tree nearby and was thinking it would be an amazing project to learn new skills. I just dont know where to start. I cleaned and dug it out. The trailer doesnt look bad but the springs are gone. The interior is rotten out. Is it fibreglass? Can I just remove it the put new? The wood under is definitly rotten. So I know I have to rip it out. What are some resources/people on youtube or similer sites I can learn the skills to repair?

Ps I dont really care about how long it takes I just want to learn how to do this kinda work.

Tldr: Resources on how to repair this. Or a pointer on where to ask.

Hello!

A few year ago, my wife's father built us (for her) a cedar strip canoe.

I live in the PNW. I've built I a lean to shed, and it's elevated from the wooden deck as well.

We had some mildew problems occur. Especially on the yoke and thwart and breast hooks, all cherry

And a little bit on the exterior ash gunnels.

The hull itself is cedar strip, with a layer of clear fiberglass and epoxy over. It was 100% unaffected.

Were going to remove the affected cherry pieces and sand them, as well as scrape/sand the gunnels.

What should I put on the cherry and ash after to prevent this from happening again? I was thinking about thinned epoxy, a couple layers thick. Any advice would be great.

So I have started to undergo the transom and stringer replacement in one of my boats. The original layup of the boat is Kevlar. I should probably use epoxy resin like west system or comparable? Or would a poly resin work just as fine. I wasn’t planning on using Kevlar mat with all my work. Looking for recommendations as I’m assuming the original layup was done with epoxy for the Kevlar. Pics of said boat for attention

Hello all, I have replaced my steering hydraulics system (French boat powerboat Antares 750, French brand: Lescomb & Schmidt) and replaced it as is. The hydraulic cables are connected to the steering system via throat clamps. Tightened with a hose cutter. However the system keeps leaking fluid and becomes soft and lofty needing regular top ups.

Are there viable solutions for me to do that are DIY friendly and don’t require pulling out or replacing the current cables??

Am I doing something wrong or is this normal?

Everywhere I check with the multimeter I get 12.45v. But the gauge is reading below 12v. I returned the first gauge thinking maybe it was just a bad gauge or something (there is no needle adjustment on them) but the second gauge is reading exactly the same as the first. When cranking the motor it jumps down to 10v so it appears the gauge is working, just reading a volt low.

How concerned should I be? It doesn’t peel off, needs to be aggressively sanded, but sands cleanly between the layers.

Epoxy on fiberglass in wood.

I have a 1988 Astro Procaft bass boat that I have been working on. I noticed the pedestal seat in the back had a lot of flex in the base when the boat encounters waves and someone is sitting on it. I decided I would take the plate off and try to fix it. After removing the plate I can now see the problem. A layer of wood under the fiberglass has rotted and is no longer supporting the fiberglass causing the fiberglass to easily flex when force is applied. Please help me brainstorm solutions.

I have purchased a 1/4inch aluminum plate, that I cut to the size of the the raised surface. I was planning to use this to reinforce the area, but now that I see the problem, I am uncertain.

The pictures are after I cleaned out the rotted wood that I could easily reach.

I’m looking for ideas on how to finish off this bow. The nose of it looks kinda unfinished. I’m not looking for it to take impact, so rubber or plastic aren’t necessary. Is there a term for this piece?

Hi folks ! I am restoring this 12ft oien boat, ive managed to get all the top planks off intact but the plywood underneath was rotten ! Will i be able to bend 9mm marine plywood to fit without steaming it ? If I do need to steam it then all advice is appreciated 👏

I’ve been trying to figure out what actually protects gelcoat the best over time when it comes to fender covers.

I’ve used the typical fleece/poly ones and they seem fine at first, but after a while I’ve noticed they tend to hold salt and grit, and once they get dirty they almost feel a bit abrasive. They also seem to fade pretty quickly in the sun.

From a more technical standpoint, especially from anyone who has done gelcoat work or repairs, I’m curious what material actually causes the least wear over time. Would something like neoprene, being a smoother closed-cell material, reduce micro-scratching compared to fleece? Or is breathability more important to avoid trapping salt and debris?

I’ve been experimenting with a tighter-fitting neoprene style on my own setup and it seems like it stays cleaner and doesn’t move around as much, but I’m not sure if that actually translates to better long-term gelcoat preservation or if I’m overlooking something.

Interested to hear from anyone who’s seen long-term wear patterns or has experience repairing gelcoat.

Buenas. Siempre quise saber como hacen para navegar como en la foto, como se llega a tener tan minima superficie del casco en contacto con el agua. Alguien sabe como se logra tal resultado?

Bottom of the hull got 2 layers of 200g cloth and inside got 546 liters of EPS100 foam, weighing 9,92kg (I weighed the EPS before and I weight the leftovers and calculated the volume). The old outrigger was only partially filled with foam (~20% of volume) and expanding-contracting (summer-winter / sunshine-clouds) kept breaking the fiberglass seams, as the sides were bending back and forth. Gaps between the EPS and plywood hull will be filled with 2 component PU foam also increasing the rigidity of the hull.

I do not store my boat in water, so the PU soaking up water is not an issue and the EPS is foundation rated, so no water absorption from the EPS.