Assistance Please: E27 Resin Type?

[Sean Engle]

All -

I just got the email below from a yard guy named Tyler who's working on someone's E27. Could you please take a look and see if you can respond (here and/or directly to him)?

Thanks,
//sse

-----Original Message-----
From: infoexchange@ericsonyachts.org [mailto:infoexchange@ericsonyachts.org]
On Behalf Of Tyler Wilkins @ EY.o Information Exchange
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 2:20 PM
To: infoexchange@ericsonyachts.org
Subject: EY.o Information Exchange Contact Us Form - Tech support

The following message was sent to you via the EY.o Information Exchange Contact Us form by Tyler Wilkins ( mailto:lannondiesel@yahoo.com ).

--------------------------------

I am a technician at harborside yacht center in milwaukee, wi. I am supposed to do some fiberglass work on a 1978 ericson 27 tommorrow but i need to know what type of resin you guys use, whether it is poly ester or vinyl ester, etc.

If you could point me in the right direction i would appreciate it. Contact me at 414-248-9668 or e-mail me at lannondiesel@yahoo.com Please help me out even if it is just telling me who else to contact. Tyler Wilkins

 

[Emerald]

Am I not correct that the boats were built with polyester resins?

However, I'm a big fan of epoxy resins, and haven't used polyester in a long time. Any reason for this repair not to use something like West System, MAS or System Three? An epoxy would be my first no-brainer choice.

What type of repair are we talking about?

 

[Alan Clendinen]

I would recommend using vinylester resin, especially if it is a below-the-waterline application. Vinylester resin is much more resistant to osmotic blistering, plus it is easier to work with, compared to epoxy.

Alan

 

[Loren Beach]

One of the largest and busiest repair yards around here uses West epoxy resin for all their repairs. The logic is that epoxy will stick a lot better to either type resin, no matter whether the boat is original or might have some previous (unknown) resin types used for repairs on it.
They use West for almost all their new custom boats as well.

FWIW, I would bet that any Ericson product built in the 70's would have used poly resin. There are some ex-factory guys that check in here once in a while, and they will have much better info.

Best,
Loren

 

[Alan Clendinen]

Loren,

If in fact a boat was manufactured using polyester resin, vinylester resin is a better choice for fiberglass repairs, especially if below the waterline. Vinylester resin is more resistant to osmotic blistering than epoxy resin, plus for the amateur, it is easier to use than epoxy when it comes to adding the catalyst.

If one is unable to determine the type of resin used to manufacture the boat, then epoxy is the best choice, since it will be compatible with either epoxy or polyester fiberglass boats, but if you know your boat was manufactured with polyester, then vinylester resin is the best choise IMO.

Alan

 

[Sean Engle]

Thanks for the input, guys!

//sse