boatingonthehudson.com HOLIDAY 2013 7
the keel that had very little adhe-
sion. We used a chisel and ham-
mer to tear off the old bad patch
work. Next using a laser level we
taped off the hull at the water
line. It was then soda blasted to
remove all the old bottom paint.
Soda blasting reveled more crack-
ing, crazing and additional repair
issues. The hull was full of holes
from the rub rail to the chine
on the port, starboard and tran-
som; all were ground out, filled,
sanded and faired. It was a very
time consuming part of restoring
the hull. It was then prepped for
gelcoat and new gelcoat applied;
followed by additional sanding,
compounding.
On the outside of the hull from
the waterline down the gelcoat
was sanded off entirely down to
the original laminate. Epoxy fillers
were applied and it was sanded
to establish its original body lines.
Next we prepped it for epoxy bar-
rier. The barrier was applied using
spray equipment and a technique
perfected in our shop. The ep-
oxy barrier will help to prevent
osmotic blistering.
The boat was flipped upright and
we started the interior gelcoat
work. All of the holes on the inte-
rior are now being repaired.
A future issue of “Ask Dr Gel”will
feature the continued restoration
steps with additional photos.
Looking to buy a boat that looks
too good to be true? …move on
There are many Superstorm
Sandy damaged boats for sale
and there will be many more to
come. Let’s not forget about all
the boats for sale damage by
storm Irene.
We receive emails and calls
frequently from people who are
looking to buy these boats and
asking what repair costs will
be. The first thing I tell them is I
need to see the boat in person
to examine it. Photos rarely show
the true damage. If I cannot see
the boat I recommend hiring an
accredited marine surveyor or
a professional marine repairer
to evaluate the vessel. It is well
worth the expense. Anything can
be fixed; you need to know if it is
worth it.
Don’t get caught with one that is
so damaged you will be sinking a
pile of money in to. Many of the
boats for sale were submerged
and while any kind of water can
do damage; salt water is the
worst. Many badly damaged
boats should be for parts only but
owners are choosing to market
them to recoup money lost. Insur-
ance companies total boats for a
reason. Once deemed a total loss
some owners opt to buy them
back and peddle the boats onto
unsuspecting buyers.
One more word of advice; don’t
take a marine surveyors re-
port provided by the seller! We
saw one person get stuck with
thousands of dollars of repairs
because he relied on the seller’s
marine surveyor “good” report
before he made the purchase.
Secure your own assessment.
We repair boats. We don’t want to
see people get taken.
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