A question for bass boat nation.

Just bought a 87 Winner and when cleaning the live well found a hole in the bottom. I would like to get some ideas on best way to repair it. Thanks in advance for your responses

 

The hole is a little bigger then a quarter 

Get some small pieces of fiberglass mat. If there is a boat yard nearby, you might be able to scrounge some scraps from them.  

 

Get some two part epoxy resin and mix it according to instructions.  Get a cheap throw away brush from the hardware store.  

 

Sand the area thoroughly and wipe it down using acetone or lacquer thinner.  Brush the resin on the scuffed area.  Tear a piece of mat about twice the diameter of the hole and center it over the hole.  

 

Work the resin up through the mat using the brush.  Add more resin to the area and tear a slightly larger piece than the first. center it over the first patch and work the resin up through that layer of mat.  Depending on the thickness of the mat, you may need three to five pieces to build it up til it's even with the area around it.  

 

When you are done, let it sit until it is cured.  Once cured, you can sand it with a small disc sander until it's reasonably smooth.  Then put a skim coat of bondo on the patched area and when it kicks, sand it smooth, and brush some white gel coat, or paint over the patch and you're done.

 

The instructions on the epoxy should tell you the work time you have before it starts to kick, so get everything organized before hand.  Shouldn't take more than a few minutes to lay it up.  Tearing the patches up before you start will make the job go faster.

Cheapest and quickest way is silicone.

Another option is Marinetex

http://www.marinetex.com/

Contact Winner boats and ask them what type of material was used to make the livewell?

You need a patch material that is compatible with the livewell materials so you don't create a bigger problem with dissimilar plastics.

You can go ahead and prep the bottom area by lightly sanding the surface to clean it and remove any dirt and debris. The entire bottom looks stressed with a few chips and cracks, the fix maybe covering the entire bottom area in lieu of a small patch.

Tom