Hydrostream Vista bowrider seats repair

[86brown]

Looking for some tips on how to repair an issue I'm experiencing with the fiberglass below the bowrider seats of my Hydrostream Vista. Images posted. The edges of the fiberglass where the seats sit on are tearing when people sit up there and we happen to hit a huge wave, which lifts the person in the air and they come back down on it pretty hard (even split the plywood that was in the seat itself in half through the hole).

It seems as though I either need to strengthen the edges with more/thicker glass work so that I can keep the storage area functional if needed, or since I rarely use the front storage (due to it being best to keep weight near the back) to fill it in or glass over it completely to close up the hole.

My goal is to not introduce much or any new weight in the front, but to solve the issue of having the fiberglass unable to handle the weight. I only allow light people up front but still this happens. Adding a support in the middle doesn't seem possible as the base is slanted where the V part of the hull starts. I was thinking of perhaps removing the carpet material to offset the weight of additional fiberglassing to make the edges slightly wider and thicker.

If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, would love to hear them!

Note -- I did do just a quick repair with Six 10 thickened epoxy but no glass just to fix it to attend a boating event, which ended up on quite a choppy day and it broke again. I already know it wasn't repaired correctly, was just a quick fix and it worked until we hit 1 rogue wave.

[LakeFever]

Might be easiest to bond a thin piece of marine ply to the inside of that vertical and glass over it with 1708. Vinylester bonds better to old glass. Just be sure to first acetone wipe the surface down, grind with 36 or 24 grit, then lay up new material. I was thinking the vertical ply could be made to support that entire lip that is cracking. Corebond would make easy work of this but it’s a lot of material to buy. I’m sure there’s other ways but that’s what came to mind

[XstreamVking]

IMO you need to grind out the damage and reglass the areas on the underside with several layers of 1708 woven glass using vinyl resin. Fill the cracks on the outside with mat. Then match the flake using clear gelcote if desired.

[LakeFever]

^ this guy knows more about glassing than I ever will, follow his advice

[XstreamVking]

This is why I don't bother to respond much any more. No response and no thanks.

[LakeFever]

I get that 110%. I try and help when and where I can but im still green on many things and can only offer so much. I tell ya this much i am extremely thankful for your guidance and the support of S&F members in general. I've learned a TON here and Im still learning.

[XstreamVking]

You are one of a bunch of good guys I have enjoyed helping on here. I still learn too, it should never stop! We get some that ask and go w/o any response. He may have wanted the jb weld repair guy to respond. Or just used some flex seal repair stuff. As you know, it sucks and cost lots of money to do it the right way....

[TraceF3]

This is why I don't bother to respond much any more. No response and no thanks.

Thanks in part to the excellent advice you gave ME... I now have a beautiful new floor in my CM. Glassed, gelcoated, and textured.

[XstreamVking]

Glad I could help a little. You guys do all the work, I have the easy job.

[TraceF3]

That's only because you live too far to lure over with wine women and song LOL

[XstreamVking]

I did that stuff for way too many years. Passing it on to my son and his buds that like to work on their own stuff.
I build a few things here and there, but it's a leisurely schedule.