Fiberglass Boat Repairs Illustrated

Step-by-step color photo guidance for repairing and renewing fiberglass boats If you don’t have the experience of working with fiberglass, any repairs to your boat must be done by high-cost professionals or left undone. This entry-level guide uses full-color, step-by-step photo sequences and line drawings to present you with the basics in an easily digested form. You will learn how to: Save money and time doing your own fiberglass repairs Improve the value, appearance, and safety of your boat Work with materials such as polyester, epoxy, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and core materials Fix annoying leaks; repair cracks; restore gelcoat; fabricate new components

List Price: $ 24.95
Price: $ 15.54

Meguiar’s M4965 Marine/RV Fiberglass Restoration System

Meguiar’s Fiberglass Restoration System uses three specialized steps to effectively restore all fiberglass gelcoats. Oxidation Remover handles wear from oxidation, stains, and scratches, Polish restores brilliant gloss to the finish, and Pure Wax provides long-lasting, durable protection to the restored surface.

• Three step process to restore fiberglass gelcoats
• Oxidation remover takes care of wear
• Polish restores brilliant gloss
• Pure wax provides durable protection for surface

List Price: $ 40.34
Price: $ 23.98

The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual

“This book will save you money and grief before you can say woven roving.”–Sailing “A comprehensive and accurate work that should benefit almost any owner of a fiberglass boat.”–SAIL “This book will prove a valuable addition to the library of any boat builder or owner who is seriously interested in doing his own repairs, as well as intercepting minor problems before they become major projects.”–Boatbuilder Are there hairline cracks in your boat’s deck or topsides gelcoat? Have her color and luster faded over the years? Does she have deck leaks? Has she been holed? Is her hull oilcanning in a sea? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, this book is for you. This is the definitive guide for fiberglass boat repair and beautification, covering not just cosmetic dings and scratches, but also major repairs of structural damage to hull and decks. It will show you how to: replace deteriorated gelcoat, or repair the flaws in an existing gelcoat and recoat it with polyurethane or marine alkyd enamel paint; strengthen a weak and overly flexible hull or deck; tab in loose hull liners and joinerwork; make templates from the good side of a hull to reshape large shattered or missing areas on the other side; repair or replace water-saturated deck cores; repair keels, rudders, and centerboards; rebed and refasten underwater and on-deck hardware; rebed, refasten, and strengthen hull-to-deck joints; fix broken hatches, and make new ones when necessary; treat the symptoms and causes of overstressed hulls. That beautiful craft swinging at anchor or nestled dockside, her topsides reflecting water and sky like a polished mirror, could be yours. Here’s how.

• ISBN13: 9780071569149
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Rating: (out of 6 reviews)

List Price: $ 29.95
Price: $ 15.98

The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual Reviews

Review by Bruce Boatner:

Of the many boatbuilding and repair manuals I have seen, I would consider this to be the best reference for fiberglass boat repair. The pictures on the dust-jacket alone indicate that a serious treatise is contained within. It would appear that no matter how bad it looks, there is no problem beyond the scope of the competent fiberglass repairman. (Caution – some of the color photos of repairs-in-progress between pages 118 and 119 are not for the faint-hearted!)Mr. Vaitses has been at this for a long time and with experience in the world of wooden boats (all boats have wood in them somewhere) as well as having been a player in the fiberglass revolution, is able to offer a well-rounded perspective. His honest, no-nonsense approach to problem-solving is refreshing. Besides the obvious background info and how-to descriptions, this book can be an invaluable asset when examining a used boat. Mr. Vaitses is currently working as a marine surveyor (a person who inspects and evaluates the condition of boats for prospective buyers). All used boats need some kind of work and the challenge then becomes evaluating the nature and scope of needed repairs, e.g. distinguishing structural and safety issues from cosmetics and determining whether one can affect the repairs oneself vs. how much it will cost to have someone else do it.Studying this book allows one to communicate more effectively with the surveyor and to describe problems more accurately to repair facilities in order to estimate projected costs. We recently completed the evaluation and purchase of a 1974 36-foot fiberglass cruiser. I can honestly say that the knowledge and confidence I gained from this book made the entire process a good bit less nerve-racking than it might have been!

Review by Jerry M. Robinson:

For those looking at an older boat, this book offers great insight to how the older boat may have been constructed. That insight is just nowhere else to be found. I have read my copy from cover to cover. I go back and FREQUENTLY reread sections to better understand how to work on my boat. That’s what makes this book a BIBLE of fiberglass boat knowledge.

With rampant cost escalation for fuel, dock space, upkeep, and every single other aspect of boating, it is SERIOUSLY worth looking at a 1960’s, ’70s, or ’80’s boat instead of a new one.

I am working on restoring an older boat – ’80s Hunter. It would not be possible without this book. This book, along with those by Casey, Calder, Payne, Vigor, Wittman, and others are the core of my repair resource.

As has been pointed out, there is not a host of material about Carbon Fiber or more advanced composites/epoxies. For that you could go to West System’s books and pamphlets.

For working on my collection of “good old boats”.. I would NOT be without this book. I absolutely recommend it.

Buy The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual now for only $ 15.98!

Duck 00-07222 2-7/16-Inch-by-15-Feet Fiberglass Carpet Seaming Tape

The Henkel Duck fiberglass carpet seaming tape has an extremely aggressive adhesive to splice carpeting permanently. The self-stick tape is fiberglass reinforced for maximum durability and is both water and mildew resistant. Application is easy, without the need for special tools or ironing. The extra wide, linerless tape simplifies the carpet seaming process and ensures a tight, permanent seam. It is best used with foam/rubber, woven polypropylene and jute-backed carpets. The tape comes in a 2.44-inch-by-15 foot roll.

• Carpet seaming tape for permanent carpet splicing
• Features extremely aggressive, durable adhesive
• Fiberglass reinforced for extra durability
• Water and mildew resistant
• 2.44-inch-by-15-foot roll

List Price: $ 5.90
Price: $ 5.49

Fiberglass Repair: Polyester or Epoxy

Fiberglass Repair is filled with easily accessed information, all aimed at giving a determined boatowner the necessary skills and the confidence to tackle typical fiberglass repairs, using either polyester or epoxy resin. In every boating area, hundreds of fiberglass boats—twenty, thirty, even forty years old—are still afloat, still providing all the fun of boating because their owners were willing and able to do the repair and restoration.

Rating: (out of 5 reviews)

List Price: $ 10.50
Price: $ 8.40

Fiberglass Repair: Polyester or Epoxy Reviews

Review by J. Stockenberg:

This book has a lot of basic information but most of that is available in the literature that West Systems provides. You can pick up that information free at any West store.

Review by R. Young:

For my job, I bought and read every book on this subject, and this is the best. It covers both polyester and epoxy resin use, it covers the widest variety of typical repairs, it has the best illustrations, and overall, it stands head and shoulders above several very good competitors.

Buy Fiberglass Repair: Polyester or Epoxy now for only $ 8.40!

Scratch Brush, Fiberglass (Colors may vary)

With pen shaped handle, glass bristles.For removing rust or corrosion, in hard to reach places.

• Used for removing rust or corrosion in hard to reach places.
• 1 1/4″ long.
• Made In Germany

List Price: $ 6.25
Price: $ 8.95

Bondo 499 Fiberglass Cloth 8 sq.ft.

Car Body Repair Fillers Type: 8 Sq. Ft. Cloth

• Package Quantity: (1) Piece
• Type: 8 Sq. Ft. Cloth

List Price: $ 5.69
Price: $ 3.21

Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats: A Step-by-Step Guide for Buyers and Owners

Since the late 1950s, when the first “plastic” sailboat shocked the New York Boat Show, fiberglass boatbuilding has gone through classic growing pains. Longtime yacht broker and marine surveyor Henry Mustin has seen it all: the slow acceptance of those early, heavy boats; the market boom of the lighter boats of the 1970s; the “boat pox” scare of the 1980s; and the continued lack of industry standards that makes buying and owning a fiberglass boat an adventure. In Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats Mustin explains what to watch for in a used sailboat from each era, and how to ferret out the hidden defects in any boat. He shows how to estimate the cost of repairs and the value of a boat. And he addresses the question: When is a fiberglass boat too used up to save? Mustin’s part-by-part look at hull, deck, rig, and machinery is both a minicourse for transforming used-boat shopping from a game of craps to a science, and the first step in a holistic boat maintenance program. His discussion of the significance of cracks found in aging hulls and decks is the most thorough in print. He is not shy in assessing the lack of regulation of professional surveyors, nor does he shrink from pointing a finger at shoddy building practices. Having a used boat surveyed is a critical prelude to buying it. Yet a professional survey is expensive–several hundred dollars. Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats will enable you to conduct your own surveys while narrowing the field, then monitor a professional surveyor’s performance when selecting your target boat.

Rating: (out of 6 reviews)

List Price: $ 17.95
Price: $ 9.26

Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats: A Step-by-Step Guide for Buyers and Owners Reviews

Review by Conrad B. Senior:

Read this book and you can evaluate boats and surveyors. This in turn will make you feel more comfortable when you hire a surveyor to meet an insurance requirement or to evaluate things you don’t feel competent to do yourself.This book does a great job explaining how glass is laid up, the different types of glass, mat, roving, etc, and where they should be used. Common problems found in fiberglass boats such as blistering are discussed with lots of surprising information. I’ve found that my personal experiences confirmed many of the points made by the author. Like the myth that fresh water boats are better than salt water. Contrasted with fresh water boats are more likely to have blister problems than saltwater. Today, many people come to me with questions about boats. As I write this review, I realize that many of the answers I give out come out of information I found in this book. I don’t believe you have to have a survey on a boat to make an intelligent purchase decision. In part, because some of the surveyors are only interested in your money, and do not look boats over thoroughly. A properly educated individual can do most or all of his, or her, own survey.Some surveyors are very good, and some are very bad. How can you tell if someone is good or not? To become a surveyor some certifying organizations only require a couple of sample copies of surveys done and that you have a few books on your bookshelf. What a joke!I personally know of a real case, which happened in 1999, where an old survey was pulled up, the date changed and it was reused without any a new survey being actually done. This is a good reason to choose your own surveyor and not the one recommended by the seller. Going aloft and checking the rigging on a boat is not easy. Is it not surprising that important steps like these get skipped.Some surveyor’s haven’t read this book–so how good can they be? Contrast this with someone who has taken a 8 week course on surveying, holds a USCG license, and grew up on boats. This is the kind of person you want for a surveyor.It is up to you to be knowledgeable enough to make your own decisions-including choosing a surveyor if you feel you need one. This book will help you do that.Educate yourself. Being able to look a boat over to evaluate it for purchase is an important skill. This book is a good starting point. It is cheap insurance and worth the price.

Review by M. Mitchell:

Mustin gives a lot of good information in doing your own survey for that boat you have your eye on. I would never recommend not having a professional survey, but this book guides you through a lot of information with good pictures and sketches. Read this book before you go boat searching to eliminate the dogs. Then use this book to hire a really good surveyor and be able to talk intelligently to him. Good luck. Would I buy again. Yes

Buy Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats: A Step-by-Step Guide for Buyers and Owners now for only $ 9.26!