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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Clarke on September 9, 2009 at 12:53pm

Karl,

I've had some small fractures in the interior bottom of my boat, probably "exit wounds" from impact on rocks. I've taken approach 2 (3), as my craft is very much a work quality boat. That's actually worked out pretty well. I also had a terrible oh sh^%#$ moment of my own a couple of weeks ago when I managed to ram the hull into the trailer at the boat ramp. In that case I injected System 3 adhesive epoxy in the wound and put moderate pressure on the repair with a piece of hardboard covered with polyethylene sheeting. I faired it with a little System 3 compound after it set up and had sanded it. New paint and it looks miraculously better. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Mike Dearing on September 9, 2009 at 7:45pm

Karl,

Sorry to hear about the rock damage.

Long ago I hit a rock very hard at the bottom of a rapid with two very large boys in the front of my wood boat, it sounded like a gunshot when we hit it, I was literally looking for a hole with water coming in. Once I got the boat on the bank I found what made the noise and assessed the damage.The rib underneath the passenger seat snapped like a toothpick, and the plywood bottom had fractured outward in about a foot circle where the impact had centered. The bottom had delaminated almost half its plys at the impact center on the inside. It was very ugly to say the least. I will say we did fish the rest of the day and it did not leak, but I was extremely cautious down the rest of the run.

At the time the only thing I had on the bottom of the boat was a sheet of UHMW over the plywood like Tatman recommended. I found out the hard way this is not adequate, at least not for where I boat. I repaired it by stripping and sanding out all the delaminated plywood, then filled the "hole" with epoxy. I also made a triple thick rib under the seat where the boat sits lowest in the water, and lastly I put one of Ray heaters bottom kits on and fiber glassed the two sections inside the boat under where the passengers sit. I feel pretty confident in my repair, but to tell the truth its never been tested, cause my last repair was to but a Willie Boat and only use the wood boat when the flows are not low.

I know this is not going to be popular around here, but IMO if a guy can only have one boat and floats rough rivers when they are low you are much better off with aluminum between you and the rocks than wood. No matter what you hear, a wood boat will not stand the kind of abuse a aluminum one will. I suppose it just depends on how much you use your boat and what kind of water you float, but I would rather fish my boat hard rather then just look at it.

I know there are people on here who guide out of wood boats and love them, but I am also sure they are beyond experts on the sticks, or they may only float certain rivers and know them well. The rest of us mortals hit shit when we float, sometimes very hard. When I know conditions are going to be brutal, I dont even have to think about which boat gets the call.

Mike

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Permalink Reply by Dave Z on September 11, 2009 at 5:45am

My old boat has about a hundred interior floor cracks. just as mike says, usually from an impact exit wound.

Super stiff, hard bottoms transfer all the enrgy to the inside, where it blows out.

I bet your boat is just fine. I'd personally fill that thing with oil and not worry about it, go fish and wait for the next impact.. Battle scars are cool.

PS: I have ZERO impact fractures on my latest boat since I went old school-sacrificial shoe over 1/2" plywood. soft enough to absorb an impact, and distribute it.

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