Cover came loose and damaged the boat

[jeremy0011]

Last Friday I was towing the camper and my wife was following me with the boat. We were about 6 miles into our 20 mile trip to the lake when I noticed the cover was loose on the boat. We stopped right away but the damage was done. The cover is shredded, the boat is covered with nicks in the gel coat and several black marks on the seats with one small cut. Where should I start with getting this fixed? Should I call the insurance company?

The good news is we had a great time at the lake.

 

[Zarrella]

Man...Sorry for your pain. I would make a claim, because there is no way I could ever look at that damage and not be sick to my stomach.

 

[McMark]

Aw man

 

[biglar155]

Ugh.

@Glassman - Any suggestions for repair? Does this look buff-able?

 

[Wayloncle]

Wow. Was that all from the ratchet flopping around?

 

[jeremy0011]

Yes the ratchets can do some serious damage and we didn't even get over 50 mph. I wish yamaha put the ratchets on the front of the covers like the shipping cover. I was sick when I first saw it but it could have been worse. Luckily it was daylight when we were towing otherwise it would have been much worse. It will defiantly be fixed but I'm not going to let it take away from the boating season. If they can't fix it in a few days during the week it will need to wait until the off season.

 

[dan144k]

After you get your claim going. Magic eraser and elbow grease may clean up a lot of the black scuffs and marks. In the fiberglass and on the seats.

 

[ToddW850]

Oh man I just got sick looking at that. But you got the right attitude. And like mentioned above, I bet some Magic Eraser would at least take the black scuffs out and make it a little less noticeable. Good luck with getting it fixed. Hope it's quick.

 

[SCSTWG]

After you get your claim going. Magic eraser and elbow grease may clean up a lot of the black scuffs and marks. In the fiberglass and on the seats.

I agree that the magic eraser should take out some of the scuffs, but be careful on the elbow grease as you can further damage the gelcoat. I have been amazed at some of the scuffs that the magic eraser removes effortlessly. Sorry about the damage.

 

[Julian]

Curious....was the cover not installed properly or did it disintegrate and then loosen the ratchet somehow?

 

[jeremy0011]

I started the claim process tonight we will see how it goes in a few days. I can't be sure how the cover was installed. A friend was helping us get ready and I was out of my normal routine. We were in a hurry and now I'm paying the price. Either way I blame Yamaha, if the seats would not blow out I would not need to tow with the cover to my local lake. I guess it's Yamaha's way to ensure we are required to make a $650+ purchase every 5 years or so.

 

[Dhow]

Holy crap just thru up in mouth / dizzy/sick to stomach . Black scuff mark all should come off the nicks are another story . All fixable for a price good luck. We are all feeling bad for you

 

[Glassman]

Ugh.

@Glassman - Any suggestions for repair? Does this look buff-able?

Yes

From what I can make out, it should clean up. There looks to be random chunks missing, I can't tell how bad. Don't let it sit, if you can fill any deep chips now, before any dirt or polishing compound gets in it, you'll be able to polish the repair out all at once. Wipe it down with acetone to clean the dirt off and get a better idea of what you are looking at.

 

[dan144k]

I know that some people use the big bungee type nets when towing to keep things in the boat for short trips. Just an idea for your the future. To avoid the entire cover

 

[jeremy0011]

Yes

From what I can make out, it should clean up. There looks to be random chunks missing, I can't tell how bad. Don't let it sit, if you can fill any deep chips now, before any dirt or polishing compound gets in it, you'll be able to polish the repair out all at once. Wipe it down with acetone to clean the dirt off and get a better idea of what you are looking at.

I'm still waiting on the adjuster to give me a call but if they can't fix it in a reasonable amount of time should I use Spectrum color or just mix my own gel coat?

 

[Chris K]

I love the thought of a cargo net to travel with. clip to the bow eye, the 6 cleats, and to the rear trailer eyes under the swin deck..... would be nice to let the boat dry out on the drive home, much simpler to put on and get out of dodge...
Wonder how much a custom one would be. Would even save on the mpg's of having to pull a sail boat down the road at 70-80mph.... custom fit to make it nice and tight so when seats or carpets to get blowing around they are safe... hmmm... i might need to learn to make nets and buy a few miles of bungee cord...

 

[Eurocat]

your cover does not have a zippered section around the ratchets?
The nicks are definitely not something you can just buff away. They need to be filled, sanded, then finished with a buffer. Not a major job, but a delicate one. as far as the seats, depending on the tear and on your acceptance of damage, it can be patched or reupholstered. In any case, magic eraser should take care of most of the black marks.

 

[rkluck]

Wow I know you hate the results! As mentioned above it looks like chips are missing and the seats could be repaired with a repair kit. I saw that Gorilla tape now has a clear tape. I know it sucks but it is waterproof and will hold anything. I am thinking you may want to use that to prevent the rip(s) from getting worse while you decide next steps. I am curious how your insurance will handle this too.

 

[jeremy0011]

your cover does not have a zippered section around the ratchets?
The nicks are definitely not something you can just buff away. They need to be filled, sanded, then finished with a buffer. Not a major job, but a delicate one. as far as the seats, depending on the tear and on your acceptance of damage, it can be patched or reupholstered. In any case, magic eraser should take care of most of the black marks.

Yes the ratchets were zipped up! I feel confidant that I can repair the gel coat and the seats will come clean. I do have one small 1/4" tear in the back rest cushion on the swim platform that I will need to figure out but otherwise it could be worse. The worse part is I had a tire blow out 3 weeks ago on the camper that did $1300 in damage! I just finished the repairs the day that the cover came loose. When it rains it pours.

 

[Glassman]

I'm still waiting on the adjuster to give me a call but if they can't fix it in a reasonable amount of time should I use Spectrum color or just mix my own gel coat?

The Spectrum product is great stuff and if they have your year/color I do recommend it - but be very careful with the supplied catalyst.
The ratio instructions are a bit vague. The jar is two ounces, but there are no measurements on the container, so I recommend mixing a small amount first to get a feel for how much is needed to kick it.
Use a fine, flexible putty knife (we sand them flat with fine paper on a belt sander) to apply the product and them use the knife edge or an old credit card to scrape the excess off. I would also recommend spraying some PVA over the area after you've filled all the nicks to help with curing.
Let it cure fully before lightly wet sanding - I'd start very fine 800-1000 and move up to 1500-2000 and polish. Then wax, then go have fun.