C-Forum

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 !!!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.