Centerline hull damage??

[Ryan Pittman]

Bought a 2005 ar230 in feb...just noticed i have pretty bad centerline hull damage...ive read its from beaching the boat alot...not sure how serious this is or what to do about it...anyone with suggestions?
Pictures below

 

[Scottintexas]

i'm an amateur but actually I don't think that's to terrible, if there is no wood exposed you could probably buy a can of marinetex or similar and smooth it over, maybe do a search for gelcoat repair, We've had a couple of first timers try it and report it wasn't to difficult and had good results,

if there is wood exposed then you have to determine any visible or interior rot that would need to be replaced,

 

[Redneck_4Play]

Based on the pictures, it looks like cosmetic damage and is limited to the gelcoat and not into the fiberglass. You may want to consider a keelguard especially if you continue to beach. Not sure how handy you are but there are some pretty good posts on the forum about fixing gelcoat if you wish to go that route. Otherwise I think a keelguard would be the way to go.

 

[Gym]

Not bad, just sand abrasion. I would seal it and put a keel guard on it even if it were a brand new boat. It protects from sand, shell and small stones. The good part is you won't have to do much roughing up to attach the keel guard.

 

[Matts18]

That is easily repairable by a professional. You can diy gelcoat repairs but results vary. If you did a diy you could then cover it with a keelguard and not have to worry about beaching anymore!

 

[MidnightRider]

Yeah what everyone else is saying. Every boat gets to this point eventually if you are beaching it. Some sooner than others depending on the boat brands gelcoat quality. Before I started using keel guards I'd get this repaired every 2-3 years on my boat. If I remember right it was under $200 by a professional. Like others are saying though, since the fiberglass doesn't seem to be damaged yet, I'd just get a DIY gelcoat kit, fix it best you can, and then cover it up with a keel guard.

 

[Matt Phillips]

If I remember right, when putting a Keel Guard on, you have to rough-up a 5" wide area. If the damage to your Gel Coat is less than that wide, I'd slap a Keel Guard over it and call it good. If the damage is wider, then I'd try some DIY fiberglass repair and the slap a Keel Guard over it.

 

[Scott griffith]

What keep guard do y'all like

 

[Matt Phillips]

Both are basically the same. I don't think I've heard a bad comment about either Guard or Shield. If you can't find the recommended size on sale for your boat length, make sure to check around and buy one a foot or two longer....it won't hurt anything and in the case of my 09, buying a length 1' longer than recommended was $20 less.

 

[Ryan Pittman]

Thanks guys...makes me feel better