Boat Repair Course

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Boat Repair Course

Posted by Bruce Niederer on 23 December 2008 | 7 Comments

For more than 20 years the Technical Staff at Gougeon Brothers have been teaching a seminar on boat repair techniques during the winter off season. Now, some of you might find the idea of a winter off season humorous. These are the people who call and ask if WEST SYSTEM® 105/206 will cure in the frigid temperatures of southern Florida where it gets down to (gasp!) 60°F at night! Just so you know, 60°F is swimming weather in Michigan.

Not to worry though — we cover this issue thoroughly during the seminar.

There are two Boat Repair & Composite Technology courses (affectionately nicknamed Glue U) scheduled for 2009: Session 1 will be held February 9 - 10 followed by Session 2 February 12 - 13. These sessions are designed for marine professionals — yard pros, composite repair specialists, managers, surveyors, insurance inspectors and dealers - anyone who works building and repairing composite hulls and parts. The class is not for folks building one-off wooden boats, although, wood in composite structures and wood as a structural fiber are addressed.

The classes are held right here at the World Headquarters of Gougeon Brothers, Inc. (where WEST SYSTEM epoxy is manufactured) in Bay City, Michigan and include both classroom lecture and plenty of hands on projects. Students learn the best approaches to make long-lasting, cost effective boat repairs and will come away with a deeper understanding of modern composite technology.

The cost of the class is very reasonable. Just $495 covers two days of instruction and materials, hotel accommodations for both nights, continental breakfasts, lunches each day and dinner the first night. For complete details, download a pdf of the course brochure.

How you get here is up to you. We've got plenty of snow, so dog sleds or even reindeer are viable options. My advice: pack warm clothes.

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Awesome post. Those dates are really going to be helpful for me. I am very thankful for the information.

Thanks again!!

Posted by fiberglass repair kit, 01/01/2010 6:01pm (2 months ago)
Glue ‘U’ or more correctly “Boat Repair and Composite Technology Two-Day Professional Level Seminar/Workshop Course”. Put on by the Technical and Management Staff of Gougeon Brothers, Inc., or better known as WEST SYSTEM, INC....

I included all of the above titles, because that is exactly what the course entailed. A very professional, hands-on introduction to their products for novices, as myself, but a lot of technical knowledge for ‘old timers’ and users of their products for many years. And they showed you the tools to use. More importantly they gave you their knowledge and ‘tricks’ learned from their research. But also the feed back and knowledge of their customers. Their support is unparalleled. It is like having your own R & D team working for you 24/7. Just give them a call.

I was one of two team members from SAIL22 attending the seminar, to gain further knowledge and also lean what is new, like the Six10 Thickened Epoxy Adhesive.

The seminar was a no nonsense, two day 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM presentation. Their technical staff covered it all.
Basic Application Techniques, Fiberglass Repair, Gelcoat Blister Repair, Vacuum Bagging Techniques, Wooden Boat Restoration and Repair,Final Fairing & Finishing, Fastener Bonding, Composite Structures and Product Safety,

We use WEST SYSTEM, in the field, to get our clients up and running, between races if necessary. Plus we have found ways to use their System to modify and adopt equipment for our own special needs and specifications.

Two days well spent!!

Posted by Bill Furry SAIL22, 18/02/2009 3:45am (1 year ago)
All things being equal, epoxy is a better moisture barrier than vinylester. In section 1 of our 002-650 Gelcoat Blisters: Diagnosis, Repair and Prevention we detail what is the most common cause of blisters, how to assess the extent and devise a repair strategy. That section includes a chart based on testing done in our lab measuring the relative moisture exclusion effectiveness of various resins and coatings. Vinylester, while not as effective as epoxy (by ~15% over 6 weeks) it was 25% more effective than polyester. So it would seem to come down to cost in your case. Generally, VE is somewhat less expensive than epoxy, but you need more of it to get the same effectiveness. 13 coats of VE is alot and will be fairly heavy. 6 coats (20 mils) of West System epoxy with the 422 Barrier coat additive will be equal or better than the VE. Talk to your service guy.

Posted by Bruce Niederer, 24/12/2008 3:54pm (1 year ago)
Ronny -

Our 002-550 Fiberglass Baot Repair and Maintenance manual in section 5.3 details step by step instructions for replacing transom core from the ourside. Section 2.2 details finishing options. More options are described in our 002-740 Final Fairing and Finishing manual. Our 022-898 how-to DVD has a great demo on how to finish using gelcoat.
Be prepared to do alot of sanding if you finish with gelcoat.

Posted by Bruce Niederer, 24/12/2008 3:42pm (1 year ago)
Your instructional videos on this site are awesome!

Posted by Louie Cypher, 24/12/2008 4:02am (1 year ago)
I have had my 1985 Oday sailboat peeled below the water line and I am planning to re coat with resin. The hull is structurally sound and will not need reinforcing fiberglass. It is being recommended that I apply 10 coats of vinyle ester resin and 3 coats of vinle ester barrier coat paint then bottom paint by the person who did the peel. He has completed many bottom jobs. My research tells me that epoxy resin would be better. Does anyone have another opinion on this?

Posted by Bob Johnson, 20/12/2008 1:42pm (1 year ago)
It would be nice to see some articles on testing the strength of transoms of powerboats that have been repaired removing the outer skin, instead of the inner. It is my belief that a transom job is much easier from the outside. Much less body work is required using this method. I tend to think that most people don't like the method because it requires you to insert the plywood in pieces instead of sheets. I tend to thik that even though the plywood is in pieces, ultimately, the transome will be stronger, since you would be repairing with epoxy and better fillers than the inferior polyester that most transoms are built with. Any thoughts on doing some comparative testing? Thanks a lot. RONNY JETMORE

Posted by RONNY JETMORE, 09/12/2008 5:26am (1 year ago)

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