BOBP/MAG/27 BOBP/MAG/27

Guide to simple repairs of

FRP boats in a tropical climate
25 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate
 Guide to simple repairs of
FRP boats in a tropical climate
Thomas Anmarkrud
FAO Consultant
Per Danielsson
Global Project Coordinator
Safety at sea for small-scale fisheries in developing countries
&
Ari Gudmundsson
Fishery Industry Officer (Vessels)
FAO, Rome

GCP/GLO/200/MUL

1 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

 Disclaimer
This guide was prepared during the course of the FAO project GCP/GLO/200/MUL. The designations
employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any
opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or
concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products
of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed
or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.
The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views
of FAO.

Copyright
All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational
or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright
holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product
for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders.
Applications for such permission should be addressed to:
Chief, Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch Communication Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme
di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to: [email protected]

© FAO 2010

2 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

 Foreword

This booklet was prepared under the FAO Project on Safety at sea for small-
scale fisheries in developing countries (GCP/GLO/200/MUL) implemented
in South Asia and West Africa during 2007 – 2009. It results from FAO’s
experience in FRP work in many developing countries, particularly in Asia. This
booklet would be useful for fishers and small workshops in the fishing villages
to undertake minor repairs on the FRP boats. It may also serve as a guide for
officials of the department of fisheries and other concerned agencies with training
in matters of simple repairs of FRP boats. It is recommended to translate and
adapt the contents of this booklet for each target audience, in order to be
consistent with the local weather conditions, topography, types of vessels, etc.

3 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

 Acknowledgements
This guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate has been prepared with the support
of a number of people working with FRP boatbuilding. It was developed under the FAO project
Safety at sea for small-scale fisheries in developing countries, GCP/GLO/200/MUL, funded
by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the International
Maritime Organization (IMO).
Most of the pictures and illustrations in the guide were provided by Thomas Anmarkrud during his
previous work in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Other pictures have been provided by
Per Danielsson, Global Project Coordinator for the Safety at sea for small-scale fisheries project
and R Ravikumar, Regional Coordinator of the South Asia component of the project and the
BOBP-IGO.
The authors would like to thank John Mcveagh, FAO Consultant, who conducted an FRP training
course for boatbuilders under the project in Kakinada, India as well as R Ravikumar for his invaluable
advice. Special thanks go to the BOBP-IGO and its Director, Dr Yugraj Singh Yadava, for his
excellent support in producing the guide.

4 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Introduction
This guide to simple repairs of FRP boats was developed to address simple repairs that can be carried out by
fishing boat owners or others who do not have the necessary expertise. A great deal of repair work is done by
boat owners, including work that should have been carried out by FRP experts, because the owners might
have difficulties in finding a skilled FRP boatbuilder or taking the boat to a boatyard for proper repair work.
This booklet gives simple guidance to owners or laminators on how to carry out good simple FRP repair on
the beach, the pitfalls and the do’s and don’ts. It also advises when a skilled FRP expert should be contacted
because of the complexity of the repair work.

Common bad practices in relation to FRP repairs

• Substandard workshop conditions.
• Incorrect FRP handling.
• Inadequate lamination methods.
• Lack of personal safety and protection.
• Careless handling of dangerous and highly inflammable materials.
• Insufficient waste disposal.

5 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

What can be repaired on the beach?
Figure 1
Abrasion of gelcoat and shallow damage to the
fibreglass.
This is an example of damage that could be repaired on
the beach by the boat owner.

Figure 2
Small damages on the gunwale.
Another example of damage
that could be repaired on the
beach by the boat owner.

6 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Figure 3
This is a typical example of major damage that needs professional FRP
repair work.
Damages that penetrate the laminate should only be repaired by a trained
FRP boatbuilder.

What is FRP?
Fiberglass reinforced plastic, or FRP, is a composite of several materials
(mainly fibreglass fibres and resin) laid down in alternating layers and
hardened to form a solid laminate.

Figure 4
If put together correctly,
the laminate can be
both strong and stiff
with good resistance to
fatigue and the
influence of water.
If constructed badly,
the laminate might still
look good on the
surface but, because of
its poor quality, may
degrade and collapse
in half the expected
lifetime or even less.

7 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Handling of FRP materials
Figure 5
FRP materials should be protected from sun, wind and rain.

Figure 6 Here are some guidelines to follow when carrying out simple
FRP repair work.
• Always check that you actually get what you have ordered
from the supplier.
• Keep the fibreglass dry and clean.
• All polyester-related materials should be stored in as dark
and cool places as possible, and the hardener should be
stored separately.
• Ensure that gelcoat and resins have been properly mixed
in the drum or container before use, to avoid additives
settling at the bottom.
• Ideally, when undertaking repair work, all raw materials, the
boat itself and the environment should be at the same
temperature.

8 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Dry storage
Figure 7
In a tropical climate, FRP materials must be stored in
conditions as dark and cold as possible in order to ensure
maximum shelf-life.

Work area

Figure 8
It is very important to protect the work area from sun, wind
and rain.
If a shelter like the one shown in the picture is not possible,
a temporary shelter should be constructed, using canvas,
for example.

9 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Tools
Figure 9
Brushes are best for applying gelcoat but can also be used for getting
polyester resin into tight corners and on to small details.

Resin rollers of different sizes can be used. They should be made of

materials that will not be damaged by solvents.

A variety of compacting rollers are used for different applications. They

should be applied firmly but not too hard. Compacting must stop as soon
as the resin starts to gel, otherwise the continued used of rollers will only
create air bubbles rather than remove them.

Figure 10
Electric disc grinders are mainly
used for sanding away damaged
FRP. They can be fitted with rubber
backing discs for use with 40 grit
paper or coarser.
Carborundum cutting and grinding
discs can be attached and used for
cutting or grinding cured laminate
and cutting off stainless steel bolts.

10 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Repairing of damage to the laminate
Marking of the damaged area to be grinded
Figure 11
3 mm
10 mm This damage does not penetrate the
Laminate
laminate.
The scarf should be at least 1:20.
1:20 = 140 mm

7 mm
140 mm

Figure 12
Mark the area on the surface of the laminate to be grinded.

Hull Shell

Marking of the
damaged area

11 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Prepairing for the repair work
Figure 13
Prior to grinding, all surface contamination, such as oil and
silicone, should be washed off and removed with an
appropriate solvent.

De-
Soap
Grease Choosing the right paper
Water

Figure 14
For grinding, 40 grit
paper, or coarser, is a
good choice.

12 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Grinding
Figure 15
The area should be grinded with grit paper, either manually or
by power tools, such as disc grinders.
All damaged fibreglass must be removed.
Remember that the scarf should be at least 1:20.

Fibreglass
Figure 16
For simple repair work, choose chopped strand mat (CSM),
which should be tailored for the repair.
The first piece should fit in the deepest point of the hole. Other
pieces should increase gradually in size to fill the hole along
the bevel as the repair progresses.
When tailoring the patches it is best to tear the CSM to size,
leaving a tapered edge to the patches, otherwise excess
thickness may build around the edges of the patch.

13 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Figure 17
A handy tool for measuring hardener can be made by
attaching a piece of steel wire to a bottle cap.
A typical cap from a soda bottle will hold 5 ml (0.18 oz)
of hardener, which is sufficient for 500 ml
(17.6 oz) of resin.
The resin and the hardener should be mixed
thoroughly.

Figure 18

14 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Mixing the resin and hardener
Figure 19
A cut-off plastic bottle may be used to measure the resin. It should contain
exactly 500 ml (17.6 oz).
The resin is poured into a bucket.

Figure 20
The correct amount of
hardener to resin is 1 percent,
however 0.8 percent will
= 500ml = 1/2 Litre
normally also work in the
tropics.

= 5ml

15 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

 Figure 21
33.3% 66.6%
This is the correct amount of polyester resin to
1 kg polyester fibreglass.
For example, the amount of resin for 1.0 m2 of
1 kg 450g/m2 CSM is 1000 g (or 1 kg).
Fibreglass

3 kg Laminate

Applying the resin

Figure 22
A coat of resin should always be applied before applying the
fibreglass mat.

Laminating first repair layer

16 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

 Figure 23
Another coat of resin should be applied after applying the
fibreglass mat.

Compacting the resin and fibreglass layers

together

Figure 24
The metal roller should be used to eliminate
any air bubbles and to compact the resin
and fibreglass layers together.

17 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Preparation of the topcoat
Figure 25
The topcoat can be prepared by mixing gelcoat, wax and
hardener in the percentages shown in the figure.
A colour pigment can be added to the topcoat. It should be
GELCOAT + 4% WAX + 2% MEK = TOPCOAT noted, however, that it is virtually impossible to obtain a perfect
PEROXIDE colour match with the surrounding area.

Topcoating
Figure 26
The topcoat is applied on the top of the repaired laminate.
The purpose of the wax is to ensure proper hardening of the
topcoat.
If the topcoat does not have wax included, it should be covered
with a layer of thin plastic or a coat of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA),
which serves the same purpose.

18 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Gelcoat or topcoat repair work
Figure 27
1 Gelcoat When there are small cracks or abrations in the gelcoat or
Laminate topcoat, but no damages in the fibreglass, the damage can be
fixed by repairing only the gelcoat or topcoat.

Preparing for the repair work

Figure 28
All surface contamination, such as oil and silicone, should be
washed off and removed with an appropriate solvent.

De- Soap
Grease Water

19 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

 Figure 29
The damaged area should then be grinded by hand with 40 grit
paper or coarser.

Topcoating
Figure 30
Finally, the fibreglass should be sealed with a topcoat.

20 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Examples
Figure 31
A typical repair to a damaged hollow
Damaged area gunwale.

Cut back to solid

laminate

Bevel ground out

Backing piece
Repaired laminate

Typical repair sequence for one sided access to damaged area

21 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Occupational safety and health
• Always use eye protection when working with FRP, there
are hazards both from chemicals, which can be anything
from an eye irritant to a severely corrosive liquid, to airborne
particulate matter.
• Always use respirator and/or dust mask when working with
FRP to protect from hazardous fumes and FRP grinding
dust.
• Always use proper gloves when working with FRP repair
work to protect skin from hazardous liquids and solvents.
• Always use ear protection when working with noisy
machinery during FRP repair work.

22 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Environment
Always get rid of waste in a safe and environmentally friendly way.
Check with your local authorities on how to handle hazardous waste.
Always reuse as much as possible to save money and the environment.

Further reading
Anmarkrud, T. 2009. Fishing Boat Construction: 4. Building an undecked fibreglass reinforced plastic boat. FAO
Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No.507. Rome. FAO.
Coackley, N. 1991. Fishing Boat Construction: 2. Building a fibreglass fishing boat. FAO Fisheries Technical
Paper. No.321. Rome. FAO. 84p.
McVeagh, J. et al. 2010. Training manual on the construction of FRP beach landing boats. Chennai. FAO.

Note:
These publications can be downloaded from the Safety for Fishermen Web site at: www.safety-for-fishermen.org

23 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate

Do not pull your boat up on to a rocky shore
without protection!

50

10
25 Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate
BOBP/MAG/27 BOBP/MAG/27

Guide to simple repairs of

FRP boats in a tropical climate