Ghenooe Bottom patch job

Brad on these Ghenooe hulls there is no solid surface inside as in a boat keel. Think more fiberglass canoe type of construction. I intend once bottom repairs are complete to flip and build in a fiberglass pad over that area as you can see its been thru a lot of stress over the years. Thats what sliding over logs, stumps, and submerged beaver dams will do after 15 years of chasing ducks! Hard to tell from pics but that worse area is directly under where I stand when push poling over stuff.
 
Roy

Having lived in Anne Arundel, Kent, Caroline and Washington Counties I can only imagine what you've slithered across down there in Wicomico and Somerset Counties. But getting high centered crossing those logs, knees and beaver dams sounds like a good way to break the keel. Don't want to see you have to walk out of the Pocomoke bottomlands.
 
If I had kept on running that boat after woodies this week that probably what would have happened. Still amazes me that the damage didn,t show from inside hull. Interior gel coat probably only thing not cracked thru. 2 weeks ago I thought it was just a leaky drain plug!
 
I have a white 15'4" Gheenoe High Sider (1980's vintage) that I ran first with a 3HP Ducktwin and later with a 6.5 HP Go-Devil. I bought it used and discovered lots of bubbles and voids along the chines which I ground out and filled before painting the boat Dull Dead Grass. Otherwise it is a solid hull. Running around in our shallow, marly marsh really started wearing down the keel, especially near the stern, revealing the glass cloth just under a shallow vestige of resin. However no cracks like you have encountered. I haven't gotten around to repairing it yet because I switched to a TDB 14' that I found. Both Gheenoes and TDBs are rare in Ontario so you have to snag'em when you find'em.

There are often posts by owners on restoration and repair of Gheenoes on Microskiffs.com which may be helpful. There used to be a forum on CustomGheenoes.com where folks swapped lots of info but it appears to have been shut down. Good luck with your boat.
 
They don,t even sell Ghenooes near me and i,m on E.Shore of Md. Bought this one new while on a vacation near Chesapeake bay bridge. Had to travel an hr. south of there then to get it. Love the little boat and useit probably more than my 20 seeark or 16 jon just because its so easy to handle. Use to run an 8 2stroke on it but when I sold my blackjack I took the 15 2 stroke off it and run that on it. 26mph w lab & myself. Thats scootin in a 15' Ghenooe! I,ll get her patched up and yes I did notice some tiny bubbles down keel line when I flipped it. As well as a bit of spider webbing.
 
Well I got to do some sanding/grinding on that bottom problem to day. Worse area cleaned up like this, about a 3" long area of damaged glass had to come out. I created a dam inside hull with siran wrap backed with painters tape and started filling with layers of mating /resin and topped it off with a larger layer of 6 oz. cloth about 1 foot square. After that ran a 6" wide layer of cloth from bow to stern along keel area. Hopefully get to flip boat tomorrow and start patch from inside if weather cooperates. Question for the group. I,m not planning on re jell coating area but pretty sure polyester resin needs to be sealed with good marine paint. Am I correct in this approach? I,ve got some paint on order from Kush Paints.
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If you are not going to do it the way Dave illustrated, I would build up a big pile of glass patches on the inside that extend well beyond the damaged area.
 
They were after pic was taken Dave although not real wide. Plenty of strand matting worked in and 3 layers of 6 oz. cloth over all outside. Completed inside today grinding out , sanding and 3 layers 6oz. laid in . Looks like its going to be rock solid. Waiting on paint now from kush so that will probably be a week.
 
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