Every Fairey boat owner must at some time have to carry out repairs to laminates that have been damaged either by water ingress or impacts.  This article shows in picture form how we have devised and refined the technique we use to repair A142.
The repair shown is where there has been impact damage in the area of the rubbing strake. This has then sprung away from the hull allowing water ingress and delaminating..

Damage needing repair
The layers of laminate need to be cut back until the damage to the lower layers is exposed.  This may require repeated enlargement of the area.

Mark the area to be removed.  A piece of flexible plastic with a right angle corner is ideal.  Ensure that the cross grain cut on the laminate to be removed is displaced from the edge joins of the lower laminates, and that there is a good overlap on all the joins in each direction.

cutting back to repair

Cut along the marked line.  Yes, use a sharp knife. Chisel a “V” from the waste side to the cut. Repeat the cut, this should now be nearly all the way through the laminate. Once again chisel out on the waste side to deepen the “V”. Clean out and deepen the “V” and now, remove all the laminate.  Be careful not to cut through the original adhesive between the laminates.  Doing so will blunt the chisel very quickly.  A final knife cut at the edge will be needed at this stage. Use a disc sander to remove any wood that could not be chiselled away, together with the original adhesive.  Great care is required not to cut into the next laminate.

Fitting the new veneer
Work out how best to fit new wood into the repair so that it conforms to the curvature of the hull, and so that new joins are well displaced from those of all the underlying layers.  It is impractical and difficult to make new pieces to the same width as the original “planks”. Cut new wood to fit.  The easiest way to trim new pieces to size is on a fixed belt sander.

Liberally apply epoxy thickened with colloidal silica to avoid droop.  Note in this picture the underlying laminates have been replaced.  The vertical line is not a join but is the edge of the two new outer layers.  When replacing other than the outer laminate they may be thicker than the original and will require sanding down to the original thickness.  Use a disc or belt sander.  Great care is needed so as not to flatten the profile of the boat.

Align the new wood and staple in place using 10mm staples.  Staple though plastic strips so as not to get epoxy on the stapler and so that the staples can be prised out without bruising the wood.  Whilst stapling, use as much pressure as possible to squeeze the new wood tight, and exclude any surplus epoxy. Having located the new wood in place, work across it to allow excess epoxy to escape.  Check it is secure all over by applying pressure with a thumb.

We cut the plastic stripes from margarine containers and considered renaming A142 “Utterly Butterly”!  The strips can be re-used a number of times.

Having removed the staples use a belt sander to level and smooth the joins.  Once again great care is needed to follow the correct profile of the boat.

repaired ready to paint
The finished job ready to paint.  Note that we have also repaired above the rubbing strake and behind the new stem in the same way.
The repair finished.  Do not ask how the reindeer got in there as the quality control officer.
Smaller repairs can either be required as a result of a gouge or a hole right though the hull, for example blocking up a redundant skin-fitting hole.  In both cases a technique that causes the minimum disruption to the original laminates will be the strongest.
For a gouge that goes no deeper than the second laminate, remove the outer laminate over the area, fill the underlying laminate with the appropriate filler and then replace the outer laminate.
For a hole, remove the outer laminates from both sides taking care that the edges are not coincidental.  Replace one of the laminates and then resin in a hardwood plug to make up the two inner laminates, and then replace the outer surface laminate.
Major repairs where all four laminates are damaged are not too much of a problem if approached logically and with care.  Sorry no photos as when we had to do a job of this type all our brainpower was on the task in hand!
Support the damaged area on one side by taping on strips of thin ply or by whatever means is suitable for the location.  On the other side remove two laminates as explained at the beginning of this article.  If the area is too springy to work on support the area from the other side by bracing, with an assistant holding a dolly (a 14lb post hammer is ideal) or a sand bag held against the hull.  From the side where the laminates have been removed fill any damaged area of the third and forth laminate with polyfiller.  When this has set sand it to the correct profile and paint it and the third laminate with two coats of gloss paint.

Replace the two laminates that have been prepared, and then remove the two laminates and the polyfiller from the other side which will not have stuck to the new work due to being against the gloss paint.
Make good the laminates on this side as previously explained.
It is easier done than said.