Damage to Hull Above Water Line

[Robert Sands]

Hi all,

I've just come back from a trip where I rented a cottage with some friends and brought the boat, 2015 195 HO Impulse. I need to post a picture, but I ended up incurring damage to the white fiberglass and rubber/chrome bumper strip on the stern on the side of the swim deck. There are deep scratches a few millimeters deep and hard scuffs and pitting in the bumper strip. It basically looks like a bear tried to get inside by scratching way the fiberglass.

The reason being is we had the boat tied up at the dock overnight and a storm brewed up. In the morning when the storm had cleared I awoke to find an aluminum fishing boat had come off it's mooring somewhere and the waves had brought it to our dock where it had been scraping up against my boat for what I'm guessing was most of the night. No identification numbers, no idea who owned it. I pulled it to shore and beached it for whoever it belonged to.

I'm wondering how one would go about dealing with fixing the damage. Is this an insurance thing, or a warranty thing? I've never dealt with this sort of issue before. Thanks.

 

[Bry-n-Jess-165/HOI]

Insurance for sure

 

[Bruce]

I would consider using Spectrum Color Paste for the repair https://jetboaters.net/threads/gel-coat-repair-with-spectrum-color-match.1641/

 

[Robert Sands]

Ohhhhhh! That's a beautiful fix. Thank you sir.

 

[Robert Sands]

Does anyone know what color the white is on our scarabs?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Post a picture if you can. That will help us determine if just gel coat will work

 

[swatski]

Does anyone know what color the white is on our scarabs?

Whites are among the most difficult to match.

I would call Spectrum 800-754-5516. Have your VIN/manufacturer/hull number handy. In my case they requested I call Yamaha for the color code, which I did. I then called them back, was given the product number (it is a repair kit) and advised to order through iboats, which I did.

My kit has just arrived, so I'm getting ready to have at it. As far as gelcoat - this kit is VERY inexpensive. If the color matches, it is going to be the easiest gel coat repair ever. Beats trying to make your own color match...

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[Robert Sands]

All good news, thanks guys. I'll post a picture when I'm out to the boat next.

I saw about 3 pages of options for white gel coat repairs, I'll have to call and get the paint matched.

 

[4x15mph]

I would start with insurance before you try anything. Your boat is very new and outside of deductible, this should be covered.

 

[swatski]

@4x15mph raises very good points.

I agree, but with a caveat:
While your boat insurance may go up due to you making a claim, just like a car insurance would, you MIGHT be able to fix your boat's gel coat ding/scratch as good as a repair shop (which you would not want to attempt with car body) - for the price of the kit ($20) and some elbow grease.

Gelcoat repair can be tricky, but that is mainly about color matching. If you get a kit with perfectly matched color, you SHOULD be able to perform the repair to your complete satisfaction.

This is just my opinion. I have done it both ways, some of my work turned out better than other, and I am not an expert. But it is at least worthy of consideration. And man, if you do it yourself and it works... it feels GOOD!

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[swatski]

So - just FYI - the Spectrum color match of the repair kit for my whatever blue 2012 SX190 is perfect. I started doing it today, have a couple of dings too deep to buffer out, and I am happy.
Now, Spectrum actually makes gel coat for Yamaha boats, so it should not be surprising they can match it perfect, but it is still nice to know (and find out).

EDIT: Happy to post some pics, but the link that @Bruce posted above covers it all. So, there is nothing to add really.

 

[Robert Sands]

This sounds good. I'll call them and get the color code and try to match a kit. The damage isn't terrible, and I think it might be in the do it yourself category. You can't see it from a distance, but up close you can and it's bothering me. I'm glad to hear you guys are having good luck with the products. Thanks a lot.

 

[Robert Sands]

Here are the pics of the damage I promised.

 

[scokill]

Here are the pics of the damage I promised.

IMO that's not DIY. I would just get it fixed.

 

[CrankyGypsy]

that looks like a relatively easy repair, even for the beginner if you took the time to do some research (especially if it's something you want to learn to do). to me, the hardest part is compound curves and inside corners - this is neither. and even though there's a small section into the glass, it's not what I would call structural damage.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-to-beginner-frp-repair-in-the-driveway.8184/

 

[Robert Sands]

Ya...you're probably right. I'll have to call and see if this is something my dealer can deal with. Thanks.

 

[Robert Sands]

that looks like a relatively easy repair, even for the beginner if you took the time to do some research (especially if it's something you want to learn to do). to me, the hardest part is compound curves and inside corners - this is neither. and even though there's a small section into the glass, it's not what I would call structural damage.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-to-beginner-frp-repair-in-the-driveway.8184/

Hahaha, I see you are strong in the ways of do-it-yourself, great work. My biggest issue is time and a space to do it properly. I might just pay someone to take care of it. What pissed me off is the damage to the swim deck matt and the bumper. I wonder what a replacement bumper costs?

 

[CrankyGypsy]

yeah, that rub rail is definitely the biggest bummer to me. you can sand and polish plastic, but I'm not sure how to fill the gouges to hide it completely ...but I'd try to find a way.