CONTINUOUSWAVE

[Inferred question]
Q1: what method can be used to repair a 1 x 1 x 1-inch puncture on a Unibond hull at the lip on the bow.

From visual inspection, there does not appear to be foam below the laminate, just wood. I plan to make this repair myself. The repair does not need to be pretty, as the damaged area is not normally visible.

BACKSTORY
A wave pushed my boat on top of an old bolt, creating the damage described above.

[Moderator's note: a (yes-no) question proposing a survey of readers regarding they ever had made repairs of this type has been deleted. As a general rule, asking for surveys of the readers and whether or not they have performed some sort of repair is not a productive way to draw out advice. Accordingly, I have created the initial question above from what I inferred was the purpose of the survey question. Also, if you want to mention a particular boat, give the model year, model designator, and length in the text body of your forum post. ]

A good method to repair damage that has created a 1 x 1 x 1-inch puncture in a Unibond hull is described in the Boston Whaler factory publication on repairs. I have reproduced this publication in HTML. You can read the factory advice at

INSTRUCTIONS -- HULL PATCH KITS
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... tions.html

Read the section of the instructions under the heading "Punctures."

Because the area that has damage contains embedded wood, you can laminate new wood into the area, or perhaps use wood chips or sawdust as a filler for the resin adhesive that will bond the repair to the original laminates.

For making repairs, I recommend you use an epoxy resin rather than a polyester laminating resin as originally used to lay-up the hull. An epoxy resin is a much better adhesive and will make much stronger bonds to the completely cured polyester resin that was used in building the boat. Unlike polyester resin, epoxy resin will cure to a hard surface while exposed to air, with a dependable cure time. Because this repair will not be visible, there will not be an overwhelming concern to create a perfect color match to the original hull gel coat color.

A good source of epoxy resin for boat repairs in which only a small amount of material will be needed is to buy the WEST SYSTEM Fiberglass Repair Kit. The basis for my recommendation of the WEST SYSTEM Fiberglass Repair Kit is based on:

• the epoxy resin is supplied in pre-measured sealed foil packets, insuring a perfect mix and very long shelf life for any used packets;
• the kit comes with two types of filler to thicken the epoxy;
• the kit includes other needed items such as gloves, brushes, mixing containers, a syringe, reusable mixing stick, and illustrated instrutions;
• I have personally used this kit to make many small repairs to several of my Boston Whaler boats;
• use of the white filler will result in a reasonable color match to the hull,; and
• note that WEST SYSTEM is the originator in the use of epoxy resin in boat building and repair, and is not associated with WEST MARINE.

If you think you will never need to make another repair in the future to your Unibond hull, you can purchase the WEST SYSTEM 101 HANDY REPAIR PACK, which contains less quantities of the items in the "kit" and save $25.


You may also find listening to an interview I conducted with Jim Watson of WEST SYSTEMS many year ago, which would now be called a Podcast, but my recording and posting of this interview occurred many years before the term "podcast" was invented. The recorded interview is available at "Whaler Radio" at

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/radio/

Also note that the information about Boston Whaler boats on the continuousWave.com website is not just limited to this most recent forum in which you have posted. The continuousWave website has extensive long-form articles regarding Boston Whaler boats in the REFERENCE section, located at

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/

Also the archives or an earlier forum are preserved and can be also searched for information. See

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/search.html

Based on the description that the damaged area is not normally visible, I infer that the puncture is on the underside of the bow lip. The best approach to making this repair would be to invert the hull so that the repair resin will remain in the puncture area while it cures. Of course, that may not be practical, so some method must be used to inject the bonding resin (epoxy, I hope) into the damaged area while the boat remains in its normal orientation. Covering the damage area with a strong plastic tape and injecting the bonding resin into the repair area with a syringe introduced into a small hole in the tape may be a workable method.

Also, using some un-thickend bonding resin to wet the repair area initially before introducing the thickened bond resin will help create a stronger repair.