Higbee Restoration and Repair Questions.

K

Kevin G.

New member
Just bought a Higbee sneakbox that is going to need some work before the start of next season. I just had some questions that I know some of the more experienced duck boaters can answer, so here goes:
The boat has a couple holes in the decoy racks from what looks to be from grass rails. I would like to fill them just not sure exactly how I should fill them so they don't have air pockets and crack later down the road. To fill them should I:
1. Fill the holes with marine grade caulk/sealant then put a coupler layers of fiberglass/epoxy over top.
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2. Put a filler like some sort of fiberglass bondo into the holes and sand it down flush after drying?




Either option seems pretty good to me but please let me know what you would do to seal up the holes. I also have some fiberglass repair to do to the runners on the hull.


Thanks,
Kevin
 
Kevin~

If these are just screw/bolt holes, you can probably get by with just 3M 5200 or the like - then just paint over.

Better job is to grind an area around each hole (dish out the area 2 oer 3 inches in diameter), then fill with thickened epoxy (Cabosil or milled fiibres), then apply a thin fairing layer (epoxy plus microballoons). Then prime and paint.

If there are larger, structural holes, I would add a layer of cloth or at least epoxy with glass fibres.

Alternatively, since this is all 'glass, you could use Bondo and polyester resin. I lean toward epoxy because I always have some in the shop and I have come to dislike the "aroma" of polyester resin - which hangs around a long time if you cannot work outdoors.

Hope this helps,

SJS
 
Steve,
First off, thank you for the reply! These holes are no bigger in diameter than the size of a pencil eraser. They are on the decoy racks on either sides from were grass rails are so I don't think they could be considered structural. I'm leaning towards just filling them with a 3m product, then sanding them and painting them. That was my original thought, and glad you said it would be acceptable.


If anyone else has any info please feel free to chime in.


Thanks,
Kevin
 
My Higbee had a few of those holes. I filled them with a short bolt, a couple of rubber washers and a castle nut for my first season. You just got the boat. If the holes are so small and not letting a lot of water in seal them temporarily with caulk or bolts as described. You may, in the future, find a need for those holes and it is much less disheartening to use old holes than to drill new ones...
 
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Mike,


Thanks for the reply, but by the looks of it these holes have been in the boat for a little while. They are right above where the current grass rails are which leads me to believe they are where the previous owner first had them mounted. It then looks like they rotted and no longer can hold a bolt. To put it frank, they need repair. On one side it looks like they were caulked over the other side they are still showing. Im just going to go ahead and do a repair, not to mention some other fiberglass needing repair on the hull and bow.
 
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