Straitening out deformed fiberglass boat.


  #1  
Old 03-12-04, 02:28 AM
Steam Nut
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Unhappy Straitening out deformed fiberglass boat.

Hi Gang,
Have a problem here. Bought a 15 foot fiberglass round bottom, keel type boat and found that it has a twist between bow and stern, it's inboard engine type. The boat was built over an old
wooden ( Paulsbo ) type for the form and perhaps this caused
the problem. The bow stem is two or three inches off vertical
when stern is level.

Question is, I can pull it back to plumb now how do I keep it there
? Heat,? How much heat,? Would a good hot steam cleaning, in
and out do it or what, lots more heat needed so get out the
weed burner? Is heat able to reset fiberglass, if so how much?

The hull has wondeful lines for a steamboat but the twist is a
bummer. There are no ribs on the sides and will lay down floor
ribs after engine and boiler mount logs are in place.

Will replace this picture with a bow shot of the problem soon.

Will stay hopefully; Steam Nut

 
  #2  
Old 03-13-04, 06:51 AM
BoatMech's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Los angeles
Posts: 572
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
You may want to consider justa adding some
correct keel lines to the existing hull formation.
You will probably end up ruining the hull if you try
to straighten it. The new "keel" should kep it tracking stright.
 
  #3  
Old 03-13-04, 09:41 AM
Ed Imeduc's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mountain Williams Missouri
Posts: 17,505
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Any heat of any kind will not let you rework the fiberglass . If you can pull it over .Is there no way to glass in a steel brace. I have seen it done on boats. Just a small bow deck to pull it over and hold it out of ply wood then glass it in???? ED
 
  #4  
Old 03-26-04, 05:35 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 15,047
Upvotes: 0
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
Warped fiberglass boat

If wood substrate has warped, as you say, trying to straighten fiberglass will tend not to be successful and may even complicate the situation with damage to fiberglass. Fiberglass hulls tend not to warp like plastic.

A consultation with a local boat repair person may help you make a more informed decision about what to do about your problem.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: