Fixing a small hole in a 4+

[lite&lanky8]

Hole is in the bow of Kaschper 4+. Not entirely sure which model level it is (I don't think they make it anymore), maybe from around 2004.

The hole is below the waterline and has been covered for duck tape since the spring (Horrible, I know). The boat has been rowed regularly since being damaged. The damage is not incredibly deep, but it is far from cosmetic.

How would you suggest going about fixing this?

[MChase]

I've had no formal training in handling such repairs but what I've done and continue to do with holes like this is to clean out the hole (like debriding a wound-- get rid of the dead stuff), shift the boat to get the repair site level, stuff some carbonfiber fibers into the hole and fill it with epoxy. Try to get the surface level to decrease your work later when sanding. Use Bondo to feather out the edges. The paint looks lousy so you can't match it (and why I like white boats) so even bothering with Bondo is a good question.

[Scott @ Noble Hardware]

It's hard to tell from the picture the scale of things - what's the size of the puncture?

Does it go through both layers or just the outside?

Like Matt said, remove any loose cracked material. Then I'd fill the hole with micro-balloon/epoxy paste, let it cure. Sand smooth. Then I'd put a small patch - 1/2" outside the hole - of carbon or fiberglass, and a second patch a 1/2" larger than the first. Put some packaging tape over the patches and let them cure. Sand the patch to smooth. Sand just a bit, though, you don't want to sand away your whole repair! Bondo, sand, paint. Go big with the bondo & paint - like 3" past the edges of the patch. That's how the repair will "disappear".

Good luck!