Bilge pump pad wet and delaminating

[Longislandfish]

Hello,
I was getting the Parker ready for the 2023 season and swapping out the water fuel separator and noticed large cracks through the gelcoat on the bulbs pump mounting pad. I started investigating and the glass and gelcoat peeled right off. Without thinking about it much I started to worry since these hills are cored and have a fair amount of marine ply that I was worried it would have spread to the hull below. Not realizing that the hull bottom is solid glass and that the pad is just a sacrificial wood piece glassed in I tore all the glass off it and exposed the wet wood.

Now how can I repair this the correct way. Never worked with glass or resin. I would like to glass it back into the hull with ply. Composite Material too difficult to source, and I only need what looks like 10x10 or 12x12 inch square.

I was going to use 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch exterior ply and encapsulate it with resin then glass it to the hull after I removed and cleaned up any remaining tabs and gelcoat for the resin to bite.

No idea what fiberglass I would need or what type of epoxy resin. The Materials don’t look cheap, so I was wondering if anyone has any instructions or tips or even a video or page I could read.

I was gonna re gelcoat the bilge but that seems like a big pain in the ass, maybe an epoxy paint in oyster white. I hear the tin clad paint by sherwin Williams is excellent.

The other issue is the access sucks, im
Working though a 13 inch bilge hatch on a 1801, the pad all the way in back on the starboard side.

Any help or suggestions on how to do this relatively painlessly and able to use the boat this summer. I know I can just move on and let the pc rot away, but it’s gonna drive me mental looking inside to see a wet pc of wood.

 

[MadGar]

Fortunately, these hulls are not "cored". Yes they have wood in the stringers and transom but the hull is solid fiberglass. As for the the mounting block, I would just clean it up real well in that area and see if you can find a piece of starboard (below) to replace it with. When clean, and dry, you can use 5200 (below)to get the starboard to strongly adhere to the hull.

https://www.amazon.com/KING-STARBOA..._10?keywords=starboard&qid=1684845457&sr=8-10
https://www.amazon.com/3M-05220-Mar...70-bb93-f415a8e680f6&pd_rd_i=B0000AY6CA&psc=1


If you would like to use wood that is fine too, just a little more work if you decide to fiberglass it. Just think of it as a sacrifical piece if you do use wood, knowing eventually you will replace it again (unless fully encapsulated).

 

[Longislandfish]

Agreed. So I was leaning on using PVC trim board, as it takes glue and actually bonds well to the glass. I’m deff not looking to glass it in after looking at the working space I have and the angles I would have to be in for a few hours. My body won’t be too happy. I’m gonna get the multi tool out, grind the wood out and affix the new pvc 1/2 board with boatlife or six10. It seems that If you rough up the underlying glass well and pvc as well the bond is pretty damn solid. HDPE or starboard is another story where adhesive do not stick well as far as I know.

 

[Andy]

Hello,
I was getting the Parker ready for the 2023 season and swapping out the water fuel separator and noticed large cracks through the gelcoat on the bulbs pump mounting pad. I started investigating and the glass and gelcoat peeled right off. Without thinking about it much I started to worry since these hills are cored and have a fair amount of marine ply that I was worried it would have spread to the hull below. Not realizing that the hull bottom is solid glass and that the pad is just a sacrificial wood piece glassed in I tore all the glass off it and exposed the wet wood.

Now how can I repair this the correct way. Never worked with glass or resin. I would like to glass it back into the hull with ply. Composite Material too difficult to source, and I only need what looks like 10x10 or 12x12 inch square.

I was going to use 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch exterior ply and encapsulate it with resin then glass it to the hull after I removed and cleaned up any remaining tabs and gelcoat for the resin to bite.

No idea what fiberglass I would need or what type of epoxy resin. The Materials don’t look cheap, so I was wondering if anyone has any instructions or tips or even a video or page I could read.

I was gonna re gelcoat the bilge but that seems like a big pain in the ass, maybe an epoxy paint in oyster white. I hear the tin clad paint by sherwin Williams is excellent.

The other issue is the access sucks, im
Working though a 13 inch bilge hatch on a 1801, the pad all the way in back on the starboard side.

Any help or suggestions on how to do this relatively painlessly and able to use the boat this summer. I know I can just move on and let the pc rot away, but it’s gonna drive me mental looking inside to see a wet pc of wood.

Why rest the pump on anything but the hull? Why raise it? The pump on our 2520 sits on the factory made raised area, and there is water surrounding that raised base that I have to vacuum out on occasion. Why not just clean up the hull where the old base was, and mount the bilge pump to the hull (a couple dabs of adhesive). The pump would not get all of the water out, but it would get a lot more than it does with the raised platform... (when/if mine rots, I will do just that).... Or if you think you need some kind of 'base' at least make it very thin, so the pump does not sit up on Mount Pump-Less.

 

[Longislandfish]

Apparently the pad is designed for keeping the pump from sucking trash off the hull bottom. There’s a lot of mixed feelings about it, I would like to have it factory but, it requires more work, more money, money waiting to fish. I’m gonna remove and install the pvc board glue down or just use the adhesive sealant route. No paint work required or glassing or working in uncomfortable positions. Just happy it’s not going to ruin my beloved Parker hull. I’m too ocd to leave it looking like that. If I would have known I would have just left the delaminating glass alone and done it over winter but curiosity got the better of me. Now I have to work lol

 

[MadGar]

Why rest the pump on anything but the hull? Why raise it? The pump on our 2520 sits on the factory made raised area, and there is water surrounding that raised base that I have to vacuum out on occasion. Why not just clean up the hull where the old base was, and mount the bilge pump to the hull (a couple dabs of adhesive). The pump would not get all of the water out, but it would get a lot more than it does with the raised platform... (when/if mine rots, I will do just that).... Or if you think you need some kind of 'base' at least make it very thin, so the pump does not sit up on Mount Pump-Less.

Andy, I believe the "factory made raised area" you are mentioning is what LongIslandfish is referring to that is de-laminating. Parker, at least they use to, placed a block of wood that they laminated over in the bilge for you to screw your pump into. The problem is that over the years people change out their bilge pumps and screw the new ones right into that block of wood without caulking the screwholes, opening it to the elements. It's actually made to be sacrificial and over time does need taken care of, or replaced, unless your lucky. They do last a very longtime, often the life of the boat.

 

[Andy]

Andy, I believe the "factory made raised area" you are mentioning is what LongIslandfish is referring to that is de-laminating. Parker, at least they use to, placed a block of wood that they laminated over in the bilge for you to screw your pump into. The problem is that over the years people change out their bilge pumps and screw the new ones right into that block of wood without caulking the screwholes, opening it to the elements. It's actually made to be sacrificial and over time does need taken care of, or replaced, unless your lucky. They do last a very longtime, often the life of the boat.

Thank you. I agree with you and understand the issue with damaged block of wood. I was just saying that for me, I'd prefer it not be there in the first place, and I don't think it's needed. (It's mounted too high to get most of the water out). Besides, I keep my bilges clean, so I'm not concerned that raising the pump might prevent debris from getting to the pump; I don't have debris in my bilge areas, and much of the debris that might be in others bilges (leaves, chips of wood, etc) floats, so for those items it would be a non-issue anyway. On our last four boats, the bilge pumps were mounted to the floor of the bilges (not high-up on blocks of wood) therefore the pumps were able to do a better job of pumping out more of the water. They were mounted with dabs of adhesive. I'm guessing epoxy. When I replaced a pump on the last boat, I used a bed of silicone caulk. It did a fine job.

 

[Longislandfish]

Few blows with a hammer and flat bar. Soaked. I think the puddle underneath is gelcoat, it’s not resin and deff not wood. Guess I’ll rough it up, clean with acetone and fix the exact dimension pvc board in 1/2 in its place with 4200. The skin around the wood in back is still intact, no reason to grind it off.

 

[Longislandfish]

Test fit. Multi tooled the tabs down flat. And more an I’ll be grinding the perimeter too much. Will use 4200 or six 10 to fillet around. Thinking of predrilling and making epoxy plugs for the basket, solely for more bite on the screws. I see no need to have to remove this. Seems like a permanent solution. Hope this someday helps someone with this issue. I took the easy way out, only because the access is horrific and I don’t trust my abilities to laminate ply or composite with sure small space confinement.

 

[SamR]

If you remove the hatch it will give you a good bit more access. Just be sure to to reseal the holes when you reinstall.

On the question about why not mount directly to the hull without a block, a little elevation also keeps the pump from being set off by minor amounts of water in the bilge. This helps with longevity.

 

[warthog5]

Never worked with glass or resin.

Well THIS is the Perfect project to get your feet wet.

I've Never seen a pad that was 10 X 10 or 12 X 12.

No I wouldn't use plywood. The 2530 I had used Coosa.

Coosa is the Only core I'd use, Unless I just made it from solid glass.

Guess I’ll rough it up, clean with acetone and fix the exact dimension pvc board in 1/2 in its place with 4200.

If you do that? Run the PVC piece thru the tablesaw and put a grid of 1/8 or 3/16in cuts in the bottom side. This will act to "Key" the 4200 to it.


In the pix's below you will see how I built a mount for a Seacock. If you glass a piece to the bottom of the hull... [This was not] Then you run the piece thru the tablesaw a 45deg all edges. This allows the glass to conform and no bridging. BUT Beware of the size you make the part, as once the 45's are cut.... The flat area gets smaller to do the mounting..... Plan ahead for this.

 

[Longislandfish]

Well THIS is the Perfect project to get your feet wet.

I've Never seen a pad that was 10 X 10 or 12 X 12.

No I wouldn't use plywood. The 2530 I had used Coosa.

Coosa is the Only core I'd use, Unless I just made it from solid glass.




If you do that? Run the PVC piece thru the tablesaw and put a grid of 1/8 or 3/16in cuts in the bottom side. This will act to "Key" the 4200 to it.


In the pix's below you will see how I built a mount for a Seacock. If you glass a piece to the bottom of the hull... [This was not] Then you run the piece thru the tablesaw a 45deg all edges. This allows the glass to conform and no bridging. BUT Beware of the size you make the part, as once the 45's are cut.... The flat area gets smaller to do the mounting..... Plan ahead for this.

Appreciate your input on the subject. I want to laminate something like coosa, but time is an issue and I have no where to source a piece. Also I don’t want to make a meal out of this. If I had more time or room to do the job right with proper lamination and then gelcoat I would, just feel like I’m limited with time. I think this will hold up for a long long time.

 

[Longislandfish]

Well took your advice warthog, 1/8 depth cut 1x1 spacing for maximum adhesion. Thanks bro