Our Services

Fraser Fibreglass offers an extensive range of yacht repair and upgrade services.

Fibreglass Repair

Fraser Fibreglass has undertaken all types of fibreglass repair. We use polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resin systems, depending on the repair requirements. Our repair staff is experienced with foam core honeycomb and vacuum bag techniques. We also use high-tech reinforcements such as carbon fibre and Kevlar.

Fraser Fibreglass is well-known for its attention to detail and quality. We take pride in our work and are serious about servicing the yachts of discriminating owners and skippers to their satisfaction.

A substantial amount of our service consists of carrying out repairs which are the result of collision, grounding, fire or other accidents. Whether your vessel is insured or not, we are always pleased to give an estimate, including a detailed list of what repairs are necessary.

Fire Restoration and Repair

Fraser Fibreglass Ltd. is an approved boat repairer for many leading marine insurance companies due to the quality of our repairs. Most fire-damaged boats, whether the damage is minor or your yacht is a near write-off, can be fully restored. Whatever the scale of the repair, we provide a fully detailed estimate and immaculate work. Your vessel will be repaired to either its original condition or better. All repair work is done in-house by our own team. Whether it is structural, electrical, plumbing, woodwork, or fibreglassing, you deal with one company and not a group of sub-contractors.

Our Spray Booth

At Fraser Fibreglass Ltd., we believe it is imperative to have a controlled environment for spray painting boats. Temperature, humidity, and dust will all affect the final finish. In addition to spray painting boats, we have also refurbished helicopters, sky trains, submarines, U.S. Navy equipment, cranes, and all types of architectural structures in our 120’ spray booth. It is paramount to have not only the right spay painter but a proper spray booth to achieve a high-quality finish.

Antifouling

Fraser Fibreglass offers an airless spray antifouling application. Our 3,500 psi airless spray system allows even the thickest antifouling to be applied without the use of solvent thinning. Thinning can degrade the paint system and cause problems such as solvent entrapment and blistering. We offer high-speed, super slick racing coatings that can protect against marine growth for up to 7 years. Spray applied antifouling systems boast smooth finishes which result in faster bottoms, particularly when ablative copolymer systems are chosen. When applying these antifouling coatings, we spray the bottom in two different colours which allows you to see when a recoat is needed and more importantly where you do not need to recoat.

Custom Construction

At Fraser Fibreglass, we design and construct pilot houses, furniture, cabinetry, stainless steel prop shaft struts, epoxy window frames, shaft logs, and cut and install Corian® countertops. We do this all in-house; no dealing with subcontractors. Whether your project is big or small, our team of skilled craftsmen will help realize your vision.

Custom Hardtops

Fraser Fibreglass builds custom fibreglass hardtops for both power and sailboats. We engineer, design, and construct. Our hardtops are foam core, sandwiched and reinforced with carbon fibre, finished with Awlgrip, and colour matched to your boat. Our construction method ensures a lightweight top with great strength. Our hardtops can be customized to conceal wiring, travellers, speakers, consoles, and more. Some customers also choose to have canvas enclosures installed to protect from rain and spray.

Fairing

Fairing refers to the shaping of low or high areas so they blend or “fair” with the surrounding surface. Fairing is an art. If the fairing material commonly known as mud, is applied correctly, shaped, and sanded professionally, the task can be achieved in a reasonable amount of time. If, however, too much mud is applied, or the wrong type of filler is used, man-hours are needlessly consumed. Selecting the appropriate filler for each job is essential. Some fairing compounds are very strong, good above and below the waterline but are unbelievably hard to sand. Others can be successfully painted with white urethane paint finishes but will actually melt and distort under dark coatings in direct sunlight. At Fraser Fibreglass, the fairing of fine yachts has been a specialty of ours for over a quarter of a century. For keel fairing, see ‘Keel Optimization.’

Side Thrusters

Fraser Fibreglass is experienced in side thruster installations for both power and sailboats, ranging from 32’ to 75’. Sailboats have the thruster installed at the bow and powerboats have the option of bow or stern-mounted thrusters, depending on owners’ preference. Most of our installations utilize electric powerheads but occasionally hydraulic units have been chosen. Typical thrusters have tunnel sizes ranging from 8” to 12” in diameter. They come in a variety of voltages and are either single or double counter-rotating and propeller-driven.

Painting Fibreglass

Fraser Fibreglass specializes in high-quality yacht painting.

Awlgrip, Alexseal and Imron are commonly chosen for yacht refurbishing. These polyester urethane coatings offer great hull protection, resisting harsh ultraviolet rays, salt, and sudden temperature changes from winter’s freezing rain, common in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.

Customers are happy they no longer need to wax their hull and are impressed by the unmatched gloss of the finish. Some benefits of an Awlgrip finish include long-lasting beauty, excellent corrosion resistance, and ease of maintenance. It is also harder than gel coat, resulting in greater resistance to abrasion, chipping, and scratching.

Many yachts from Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest have passed through the hands of our expert finishing crew.

Painting Wood

Wooden boat owners often believe that two-part paints such as Awlgrip or Alexseal should not be used because of the movement of their substrate. It is for precisely this reason that Fraser Fibreglass exclusively uses these paints on wooden yachts. Awlgrip and Alexseal are the perfect choices due to their elasticity. These systems are aircraft paint, used on planes such as Concord, which expand 6 inches in length during flight with no coating failure. These characteristics make Awlgrip and Alexseal ideal for the wooden boat owner.

Painting Steel

When painting steel boats, the first considerations are the correct preparation of the sub straight and choice of primer. Modified hydrocarbon high build epoxies are often first in the painting schedule. Solvent-free fairing compounds, finishing primers, and polyester urethanes finish the job.

Painting Aluminum

Whether we are refurbishing an aluminum sky rain or a 128’ aluminum yacht, Awlgrip and Alexseal are the first choices. The aluminum substrate undergoes different preparation and primers and often has more attention with fairing. When Fraser Fibreglass Ltd. was contracted to fair and paint 2 custom 28’ aluminum Zodiac tenders for Paul Allan’s “Octopussy,” Awlgrip was the choice for this discriminating boat owner.

Active Fin Stabilizers

Fraser Fibreglass is experienced in supplying and installing Active Fin Stabilizer (A.F.S) systems. Active Fin Stabilizers reduce the uncomfortable and potentially dangerous vessel roll. They also improve steering ability, tracking, fuel economy, and speed.

Active Fin Stabilizers can automatically reduce vessel roll up to an astounding 90%.

The key power A.F.S. system, pictured above, was installed on a 58-foot Skumcumchuck. This system consists of hydraulic-driven airfoil with shaped fins placed to port and starboard. Substantial fibreglass reinforcement was required in way of the hydraulic drive assemblies. The key power A.F.S. system also consists of a hydraulic power unit, reservoir, manifold electronic controllers, and a host of hydraulic hoses. This particular system was also used to power a key power hydraulic side thruster system on the same boat.

Keel Optimization

The keel is one of the most critical elements of a sailing vessel; however, many keels fall short of their original architectural design. Some keels are cast poorly, faired with Bondo-type polyester fillers that slowly blister. Others may look smooth and fast but are far from their original specification. Optimizing keels for racing has been a specialty at Fraser Fibreglass for decades. We can transfer the original drawings, make keel templates, and fair the keel to the precise original design. Keel fairing is completed using epoxy fairing compounds that do not suffer from blistering, poor adhesion, and shrinkage which polyesters are known to do. Some customers choose to have a simpler keel fairing project done. This usually involves filling lows, sanding down high spots, and fairing the keel to an overall standard that the boat owner decides. Although this type of keel fairing will help improve lift and reduce drag, we also offer a specialist high-performance service for the more serious racer who expects higher performance.

Chemical Stripping

Fraser Fibreglass can chemically strip anti-fouling, non-osmotic gel coats, properly cured barrier coats and other hull substrates, using our water-based and fully biodegradable stripping formulation.

We can also remove industrial paints and coatings, including 2-part epoxy and urethane systems.

Our stripper will not damage non-osmotic, healthy gel coats and will not remove intact, properly cured epoxy barrier coatings.

This environmentally friendly product creates 2 waste streams; liquid waste (product and wash water) which is inert and fully biodegradable; and solid waste (paint material) which can be collected at the drainage point.

Installations

At Fraser Fibreglass Ltd., we handle all types of marine installations, including:

  • Furuno Navigation Solutions
  • Marine Heating Systems
  • Generators, Rudder Bearings, and Seals
  • Propane Systems
  • Hydraulic Steering
  • Watermakers
  • Propellers
  • Thru-hull and Underwater Equipment
  • Engine Controls
  • Shaft Bearings and Seals
  • Marine Engine Systems
  • Wastewater and Raw Water Plumbing
  • Davits and Tender Storage

Detailing

We believe proper detailing of your vessel is crucial for the health of your vessel as well as critical for maintaining its value. Sun and saltwater create a harsh environment, constantly attacking gel coat, paint, metal, vinyl, etc. Boat detailing goes much further than simply cleaning your boat.

Our detailing services include:

  • Gel Coat Oxidation Removal
  • Surface Scuff and Scratch Removal
  • Gel Coat Colour Matching and Repair
  • Acid Washing
  • Rust Removal
  • Teak Restoration
  • Stainless Steel Polishing
  • Vinyl Seat Repairs
  • Awlgrip Polymer Protective Sealing

Diesel Heating

Fraser Fibreglass can install a variety of heating systems to vessels large and small. We are experienced with Webasto, Espar, Wallace, and Hurricane Hydronic systems. We are very excited about Hurricane Hydronic. This system produces hot water on demand, almost instantly, by using a diesel burner with a 12 volt supply. It’s hard to believe but there is no waiting for a shower when at anchor.

Tank Removal

Fraser Fibreglass is fully experienced in safely removing gas, diesel, portable grey, and black water tanks. Often, tanks are not designed to be replaced and require woodwork, plumbing, and fibreglassing skills to remove and replace. We design, plumb, and fit new stainless steel, aluminum, and welded poly tanks.

Shipwright

Our shipwright services include:

  • Complete Restoration and Renovations
  • Custom Interiors
  • Teak Decking Repair and Replacement
  • Fuel and Water Tank Replacement
  • Teak and Holly Interior Flooring
  • See Installations for More Information
Fraser Fibreglass Established
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Yachts Repaired