How Do You Repair Nicks on Fiberglass Boats?

Boats are frequently the pride and joy of their owners. When a fiberglass watercraft gets scratched or damaged, it can be frustrating. Fiberglass is simple to repair. It never rusts and it will not corrode. It is made of layers of glass fabric saturated with polyester resin or epoxy, which effectively hardens it. While repairing holes and cracks requires a lot of work, fixing scratches and nicks is a simple process.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Wax and silicone remover Rag Paper towels V-shaped cutting tool 100 grit sandpaper Resin/hardener mixture Epoxy Plastic spreader 406 filler Gelcoat
Wax and silicone remover
Rag
Paper towels
V-shaped cutting tool
100 grit sandpaper
Resin/hardener mixture
Epoxy
Plastic spreader
406 filler
Gelcoat

Step 1

Use the rag to apply, by rubbing, a wax and silicone remover to an area twice as large as the nick or scratch.

Step 2

Dry the area thoroughly with paper towels before the solvent dries and hardens.

Step 3

Insert the V-shaped cutting tool in the crack and open the crack deep enough to find undamaged material. Widen the crack enough so epoxy will flow into it.

Step 4

Sand the scratch area down with 100 grit sandpaper to smooth it out.

Step 5

Completely fill the cracked region and surrounding fibers with a resin-hardener mixture.

Step 6

Spread the epoxy evenly into the crack using the plastic spreader.

Step 7

Use 406 filler to thicken the resin/hardener mixture to a consistency similar to peanut butter.

Step 8

Apply the thickened mixture to the crack and remove any excessive epoxy before it dries. Once it is fully applied, allow the resin/hardener to dry.

Step 9

Sand the area until it is as smooth as the surrounding surface.

Step 10

Finish as needed with gelcoat or paint.

Tips & Warnings

This process is for cosmetic fixes only. If a crack goes into the structure of the boat, it will continue to worsen and that section of fiberglass will need to be replaced.

Article Written By Michael Davidson

Michael Davidson started writing screenplays in 2003 and has had a screenplay professionally produced. He has also studied martial arts since 1990 and has worked as a licensed security specialist. Davidson has written articles for various websites. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in advertising.

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