Pros and Cons of Building, Repairing, and Maintaining Fibreglass Boats
Building boats is fun if you use the right material and tools. The material you use to build boats must be durable, light, and flexible, which is one of the major reasons for the popularity of fiberglass and aluminum.
Though there is a great demand for aluminum boats today, structural RETROFIT consultants especially among fishermen, fiberglass is not far behind. More people around the world purchase their boats to enjoy rowing and fishing whenever they want to and there is great demand for boats made of both metal and fiberglass.
Boats made of fiberglass and aluminumare structural retrofitting available and ready in shops. However, there is no match for the thrill and experience of building your boat. If you are planning on building a fiberglass boat, it is highly recommended to gain structural repair contractors in Mumbai enough knowledge on the pros and cons of this material.
There are many advantages of using fiberglass for boat building –
Low maintenance – Fiberglass boats require very low maintenance and as compared to a wooden boat, you do not have to constantly keep checking for rot.
Sturdier than metal – Fibreglass is also sturdier than aluminum metal boats that are prone to dents which may destabilize the boat by creating an imbalance in the center of buoyancy.
Easy to make the hull – It is easy to construct the hull of a fiberglass boat as it is just a continuous, single piece and requires no assembly.
No shrinkage of planks – As fiberglass is a plastic material, it is highly resistant to moisture and therefore there will be no shrinkage of planks.
No corrosion or electrolysis in water- Fiberglass is an inert material and is therefore not prone to corrosion or electrolysis in water as in aluminum boats.
Simpler to construct the boat – Fiberglass boats as compared to wooden or even aluminum boats are easier to construct. It takes only a quarter of the time to construct a fiberglass boat as you require no particular skill. All you must know is how to make a mold and get basic training in boat building.
All these advantages apart, there are many disadvantages in choosing fiberglass to build your boat.
You cannot use any fiberglass variety available in the market. It is necessary to import a particular type of fiberglass suited to make boats whenever you want to.
Once you decide upon and fix the molds and design, it is not possible to make changes. So, it is very essential to pre-determine the type and style of boat you want before cutting the fiberglass.
If you take your boat anywhere near factory dumps, you may expose fiberglassboats to damage from chemicals and suffer huge investment losses.
Of course, the advantages of owning a fiberglass boat far outweigh the disadvantages. Fiberglass is a material that is easy to repair and maintain in the long run as compared to metal and wood. Even after repair, the material will be as good as new due to the unique nature of the polyester resin. With great confidence, it is possible to make both structural as well as superficial repairs in a fiberglass boat.
If you have decided on building a fiberglass boat, here are a few essential repair tips –
Before starting the repair work, be sure to remove any loose material from the area. Sand the gel coat and smooth edges. Dry fit your repair cloth after cutting it to size. If you opt for first-layer applications that are heavy-duty, then it is recommended to choose woven roving. If on the other hand, you choose the first layer of lighter applications, then you can use the chopped strand mat.
Fiberglass resin is a polyester compound that hardens with the help of a catalyst. It is recommended to catalyze only the exact required amount of resin as the speed of the chemical reaction depends on ambient air and material temperature. After wetting the area to be repaired with the catalyzed resin, it is time to apply the first cloth layer.
After applying the required number of cloth layers smoothen the final layer. You can add wax to the resin used in the final layer as it helps isolate resin from atmospheric oxygen and allows for complete hardening of the surface. After you complete the repair process, sand the surface and apply a gel coat to make your boat original and new.
Fiberglass boats are best for easy maintenance and repairs. Choose the material you want for building your boat after careful consideration depending on your specific requirements. You can contact us through our website if you want to get any kind of repairs done.
