Crash! Fixing the Bow of a Crashed Lightning Sailboat

Terry Monville, WEST SYSTEM Technical Advisor, fixes the bow of a lightning sailboat that was crashed in a regatta. Terry demonstrates how to:
plan your approach to the repair the damage
mold a backer over the damaged area
remove the damage
plan your fiberglass layers
properly bond the repair to the hull
properly fair the repaired area into the existing hull
gelcoat the repaired area to match.
Shop for the products used in this repair:
www.westsystem...
Detailed product information:
105 Epoxy Resin - www.westsystem...
206 Slow Hardener - www.westsystem...
300 Mini Pumps - www.westsystem...
407 Low-Density Fairing Filler - www.westsystem...
Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive - www.westsystem...
503 Gray Pigment - www.westsystem...

[@russellcole3549]

Thank God for Dad!

[@WestSystemEpoxy]

100%!

[@casybond]

I love the speed of this video.

[@motorv8N]

Fantastic job!

[@kaiserbutler]

nicely done!

[@Seamus322]

Did the same thing with my Lightning today- smacked the committee boat before the start- at least I didn't have to do a 360!
Thanks for posting this is a big help. BTW, what gelcoat did you use?

[@JenkinsBoatWorks]

brilliant!

[@1972mdc]

Awesome video
2 questions:
- noticed you didn’t mask up during epoxy application (is that bc modern epoxy isn’t toxic like the old stuff)?
- wondered why your daughter wasn’t helping fix the issue? ;)

[@WestSystemEpoxy]

Great questions! Especially the 2nd one haha. Our Tech Department's facility is very open and well-ventilated, so we do not have to mask up in there. Plus, WEST SYSTEM Epoxy has nearly 0 VOC, meaning the fumes are almost non-existent. Terry's daughter was probably in school and therefore unavailable to help out her Dad during normal business hours. 😄

[@BryanBowser]

How do you get the gelcoat to bind with the epoxy?

[@CaptainRon1913]

Was going to ask the same thing. Maybe he was just calling linear polyurethane paint "gel coat"

[@petersgrayson]

Have a look through West Systems video on this channel, they have videos of it. While the common saying is polyester resin can't bond to Epoxy, it isn't strictly true. Chemically (wet layup) you can't bond them, but mechanically to some Epoxies, like West System you can and plenty of other videos/channels testing this have proven you can and it works. While some 5 to 1 will work, unless the manufacturer really states it, like West does, you should test it first.
I wouldn't do it for anything structural, but for laying polyester gelcoat, great way to do a repair!
Remember to remove that blush with water first between any layups of anything.

[@BryanBowser]

I repaired boats for decades and never became consistently reliable putting gelcoat on top of an epoxy patch. It may be a superior resin to use when all is said and done but most patches can be done using polyester resin. I avoided using epoxies during my career. Aside from the high cost, the health hazards associated with them are not well published in my opinion.

[@petersgrayson]

Yeah, their is professional shipwright on another channel who did tests etc with another brand and got good results. He then went to do a dedicated video recently and the Gelcoat wouldn't even set.
The most common cause I believe is aging batch or incorrect ratios. The Epoxy goes off, but the incorrect ratio or age stops the Gelcoat setting later.
Unfortunately if the boat is Epoxy based you are cornered to Epoxy repairs.

[@WestSystemEpoxy]

Thank you for your comment, Bryan! While there are arguably many benefits to using epoxy resin vs. polyester resin, we've put lots of time and research into how to use epoxy safely and cleanly. We also publish safety data sheets. For epoxy safety information, visit www.westsystem.com/safety/.
If you'd like to learn more about our experiences and comparisons between epoxy vs. polyester resin, we have an article here from back in the day! www.epoxyworks.com/index.php/west-system-epoxy-vs-polyester/
As always, we're always happy to have in-depth conversations. Our Technical Advisors bring a cumulative 121 years of professional experience to the table. Feel free to give us a call! 😃 US: [phone] • UK: [phone]

[@CaptainRon1913]

Haha, what about the other boat, gotta fix that one too?

[@williamwoolcock]

Still in Bay City?

[@WestSystemEpoxy]

Our USA office/manufacturing facility is still in Bay City, yes!

[@Irbhxo2539]

KA-CHOW

[@WestSystemEpoxy]

I AM SPEED ⚡