rescueing 2 old dingies

[jclays]

My marina is cleaning out its dingy racks. There are 2 boats ive had my eye on for 3 years. Notes left on them by me have gone unanswered. They are now in a Pyle to be chain sawed at the end of the month if not claimed. I will tell the marina manager that i will take them if not claimed.
Now the questions........
First is a 50's era plank on frame 12ft row/small outboard sheath in fiber glass. Paint is 60% peeled off, fiberglass cloth pattern is apparent. Sand and apply poly resin then paint???? Is epoxy compatible to poly resin?????
Next...
2nd boat.
early sixties fiberglass 9ft dingy. All glass (I know..wood boat forum)... Intact however resin worn off from the elements glass threads exposed. Sand and re-apply poly resin then paint. Epoxy over Poly????
Thanks
Jim
To restore these 2 would be great fun.

[James McMullen]

I've used dozens of gallons of both kinds of resin for both boatbuilding and repairs. Don't under any circumstances try to repair old polyester resin laminates with more polyester resin. Epoxy is the only resin to use if you want to ensure a consistent bond with an irregular substrate. Polyester resin is only 100% reliable when it is bonded wet-on-wet using the proper catalyst during a monolithic lay-up using a laminating resin for the bulk of it with the final coat of resin having a wax surfactant added. It's also stinky.

Leave the polyester resin for the brand new fiberglass construction. Epoxy is what you want for use for repairs or anywhere in conjunction with wood.

[WX]

I wouldn't touch Polyester resin....epoxy only.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

Polyester resin comes in varieties intended for various uses. You can forget about plumbing that problem by using epoxy. It bonds to almost anything we are liable to use. it's also a more powerful glue and a better water barrier.
I would repair the all-glass hull in a moment but the wood/glass hull could be a problem. It's integrity as is depends on the quality of the bond between the polyester and the wood. Glass on ply is a successful technology. Glass over a lumber planked hull can be a problem because the wood tends to move and harm the bond. I wouldn't put a lot of money into that hull. just patch and paint.

[jclays]

Bad news
Talked to the marina manager today. Even though the boats will be destroyed. He is not allowed to give them away. They do not belong to the marina. Once notice is given and the boats remain unclaimed they can be destroyed but cant be given away. Sooooo 2 really cool old boats will most likely meet the chain saw in a few weeks. Thanks for the input.
Jim

[banjoman]

Offer to buy them for 50 cents each.

[ccx2]

Bad news
Talked to the marina manager today. Even though the boats will be destroyed. He is not allowed to give them away. They do not belong to the marina. Once notice is given and the boats remain unclaimed they can be destroyed but cant be given away. Sooooo 2 really cool old boats will most likely meet the chain saw in a few weeks. Thanks for the input.
Jim
Does it get dark in your area and do you have use of a pickup truck? Stealin is more noble than destroying.:o:)

[jclays]

He wont do it. Last thing he wants is that I restore the dingys put them on my boat and the real owner finially comes around and notices them and then wants them back claiming that the marina had no right to give them away or sell them.

[James McMullen]

Build yourself a new dinghy, why don't ya? You'll have even more fun than you would have sanding off those old fiberglass tatters.

[bob easton]

What a stupid line of reasoning! Once they're repainted, who's going to know. Test his principles: instead of the 50 cents suggested by banjoman, offer $200 apiece.

In the end, Jim is right. You'll have lots of enjoyment building anew.

[kayakn]

go there at night and take the wooden one...leave the fiberglass one...or offer $100 for it and see what happens.


Blake...

[jclays]

Am in the process of building The Frugal Skiff-12 from ShoeString Shipyard and would finish it soon if Life, work and Family would give me a little bit of time. Cant wait. It will be a fine boat to putt around the marina/harbor with. Not much glass to mess with. Tapped joints and lots of paint.

[sdowney717]

If you go and take these boats, he will be sure to have a good idea who took them.
the marina manager sounds unreasonable to deal with.
It is quite silly to assume someone's old abandoned dinghy would be claimed by an earlier perhaps dead owner.

At my current marina, It is managed by the OWNER. And he does give away and sell abandoned boats and parts.
It is a working fisherman's marina on the chesapeake bay.
If you could talk to the marina owner then you might get permission.