ABS wear on my hull

[space-katet]

I have a well-used Dagger Prophet. I think the boat used to be red, but now it's faded to a pinkish color, except for patches right under the pedestal where the greenish layer (ABS I think) is showing through. Someone suggested I spraypaint the hull to keep the UV rays from damaging the ABS, but that solution hasn't worked-- all I'm doing is painting every surface that comes into contact with the hull a nice spraypaint-red.

What product should I use to coat the hull of the boat??

Thanks !!!

[sbroam]

What kind of paint did you use? There are a couple formulated for plastic that I've had reasonable luck with - one by Rustoleum the other by Krylon (Fusion). How did you prep the surface? I wiped them down with alcohol. I do leave the occasional mark, but it is not bad.

A long time ago I bought vinyl paint from Dagger and Mad River that I think worked just about the same.

[MotorCityOC-1]

A long time ago I bought a used Blue Hole OCA that had a puke green Royalex hull. It was just WAY too ugly, so I painted it blue, with a marine hull paint designed for fiberglass boats (not bottom paint). Of course a deep scratch would take it off, but I was surprised at how long the boat stayed blue- especially on the sides. For my money it was also slicker than the vinyl pigment layer on modern Royalex...

I liked it so much that I'm fixin' to use the same stuff on the Phantom once I'm done with repairs.

[ezwater]

When my 10 year old MR Synergy finally wore through the vinyl under the pedestal, I used a sharp chisel to clean off the vinyl in an oval section around the pedestal. (This works better and faster than sanding.... Ask me for details), and then I laid on a two layer, concentric S-glass patch, using West epoxy.

This patch is holding up very well, notwithstanding the times where the boat has dragged my 220# right over rocks. I don't worry about the UV effect on the epoxy in the patch. The degradation isn't that fast, and I can renew the patch when it wears through.

[MotorCityOC-1]

Hey ezwater,

No problems with the patch peeling up around the edges? Not even the leading edge (towards bow)?

I've been thinking about using the same method to build up a spot forward of my saddle where the hull is oilcanning noticeably. I should probably do my onside chine as well... I would use West System G-Flex and 6oz. glass I guess, but I'm a little fearful of peeling back a big scab of on one of my ELF weekends. Sounds like so far, so good- but how many river-days has the patch been through, and how times has this actually happened?

...the times where the boat has dragged my 220# right over rocks.

Anybody think patching where the boat is hogged could somehow make it worse in the long run?

Oh yeah, ezwater, what weight S-glass did you use?

Thanks,
Kevin

[ezwater]

I haven't noticed any peeling yet. Actually I think the edge would not peel, but would crack off in little nibbles. I think there is a synergy between the pedestal and the patch to keep the patch from being distorted enough to crack. I only used two layers because the ABS was sound. I overlapped the first, larger S-glass layer slightly over the vinyl, and the epoxy has held to the vinyl quite well. The second S-glass layer is just about the size of the exposed ABS.

I used a 6 oz tight (satinish) weave of S-glass that I got at a bit of a discount from Sweet.com. It seems highly compatible with my West epoxy, though it does not wet out easily. I would suggest a more ordinary 6 oz weave---- Should wet out better, though it will have a lower glass content.

[space-katet]

Now where do I get a 2-layer concentric S glass patch?
Or West Epoxy?

I'm new to this stuff... the biggest repair I've done was the paint (it was Rustoleum paint, by the way-- I think. I got it from Home Depot and it was the kind made for plastics.)

Thanks!
katie

[ezwater]

Some marine shops serving the sailing and powerboat industries carry West products, including epoxy and at least E-glass. If you want S-glass, you can order and get it quickly through johnrsweet.com, which you can find in "paddling links" above.

But I hope you have a local boater who has done enough glass repair that s/he can help you out. It isn't rocket science, but once you get that epoxy mixed on a warm day, you may feel anxious and fumble-fingered.

I'll help as much as I can on here or by email, but see if you don't have a local resin hand around.