How to patch a fiberglass hull?

[Kmot]

I just got a Midwest Lobster Boat. It has a small crack and piece of the painted portion of the fiberglass hull broken off. I am not experienced with fiberglass. I need to know how to properly repair this. I have materials.

Do I:

1) Just fill it with resin?

2) Patch it with resin and a small patch of fiberglass cloth? If yes, what weight cloth?

And a hairline crack in the cabin. I figure I can handle this with a touch of CA and some sandpaper and paint.

Thanks for your help!

[4Speed]

Is it one of the New ARR type or one of the older balsa hulls that was fiberglassed?
I have one of the older balsa type and I have had cabin damage before & like you noted, I went with a "thick" CA glue to fill cabin cracks.
The hull could probably be done with just resin or cutting up some fiberglass matt and adding it to the resin making like a fiberglass/resin puddy. Standard auto bondo I heard over time will absorbe water .

[Ghost 2501]

here is what id do.
use fibreglass resin and fibreglass matting on the inside.
once that has gone off, a mild filler on the outside, once dry and only then, sand it down smooth to the surface.

then paint the hull

[Kmot]

It is the new ARR version. It is not a hole, not broken all the way through. But you can see the fiberglass in the cracked open area.


Thanks!

[just_steve51]

I agree with Glassing ( Fiberglass matt and epoxi ) on the inside........
Or instead of Matt, you could just cloth - 6oz tape.......

The exterior hull......I would sand an oval area, lenght of the crack plus a little, then an inch or two on each side of the crack......Fiberglass cloth and epoxy.....Let dry for a few days - sand smooth - 80 grit - 150 grit - 220 grit - prime - paint.........

You will need to sand the oval 2 mm deep to allow for the space of material and paint - It is labor intensive - to do the job right.........A dremel with a sanding wheel would speed the job along.........

There are many articules on glassing........use caution for the sanding - fiberglass dust has health risk...........