fairing a sea coaster bottom

calvin · Post by **calvin** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 4:24 pm

I have a sea coaster in which the bottom has deformed due to improper trailer adjustment this makes the boat ride bow down..structure is fine I was wondering what to use to fair and straighten the bottom and what to use to fill the screw holes that are loosing their putty?

txcaptdan · Post by **txcaptdan** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:42 pm

I filled a small hog on a 16' I am restoring see
http://www.thompsondockside.com/views/v ... c&start=15

Larger deflections made take more agressive counter weighting keelsons and ribs from the inside.

I have used Formula 27 a marine filler that works much like bondo for small repairs and fairing screw holes. I used a similar material that had fiberglass strands mixed in it to fill small hog as seen in other post.

calvin · Post by **calvin** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:19 am

It looks like the max fill is going to be about one-half inch deep and about 3 feet long....Do you remember the name of the filler that you used on your bottom?

txcaptdan · Post by **txcaptdan** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:15 am

I use West Marine Supply materials, It is the same as product as Formula 27. They offer their filler with or without fiberglass strands. You mix it the same and it gives you about 3-5min apply time before it starts setting. I did several layers as you can only mix so much at a time. It is a lot harder to mix hardner into it because of the strands.

John Hart · Post by **John Hart** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:36 am

Dan... is an epoxy filler more appropriate than a polyester based filler... This is what I have heard .... especially if an epoxy barrier coat is to be used over the filler.

John Hart

txcaptdan · Post by **txcaptdan** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:37 am

John,
This material is a polyester base but I have never had any problem with anything adhering to it, so far. I just dug some of it out to tighten a lap and it was adhering well and kinda tough to remove. It is called Marine Surfacing Putty available at West Marine.

John Hart · Post by **John Hart** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 6:19 pm

Thanks Dan.. that makes sense... I have used Pettit Protect 7000/7001 Epoxy Fairing compound... After I bought it, I didn't see it in any catalogs again, so I am not sure if it still available....

However, it was really stiff to mix... like two cans of stiff taffy... Also fairly hard to sand. The one good thing for me about the epoxies I use, like Smith's Fill-it, is that the Pot time is so long, and it is usually a 1/1 mix...

Half the time I use auto polyester resin on car repairs, I have a hard time getting just the right squirt of hardener. I race like mad and it is hardening as I am barely getting it spread the way I want... Another time it was tacky for three or four days....

So I tried Smith's Laminating and Layup Epoxy on the underside of my car, all along the outboard edges to cover some rust repairs/holes. I embedded fiberglas cloth and then covered with undercoating. I could work with it for an hour or two, and it has been stuck completely through three Minnesota winters.

I think the fibers mixed in your Formula 27 is a good idea.

John.