Gouge in Hull by Broken Bunk Rail;local Repairman-timebomb

[markb8608]

Hi
I have a 99 GW Tournament 225. I bought the boat with a used trailer. Unbeknownst to me, I used the boat one season and noticed some gouges in the hull along the same line as the one of the bunk carpet rails. The metal brackets were exposed to the hull when I was winding the boat up onto the trailer. I gouged 1/2-3/4 inch pockets along the bottom. Once noticed, I paid $1200 for a local marine fiberglass / gelcoat repairman to fix the bottom.
I thought he would have re-fiberglassed the holes but I came to find out he only gel coated them. Am I sitting on a time bomb? Is gelcoat sufficient for 1/2 inch gouges in the hull?
Kind regards
Mark

 

[cdwood]

I would think not. Damage sounds serious. Do your homework.

 

[richie rich]

Mark, you never mentioned the actual size of the hole(s) ie length and width...just the depth.......also, how did you find out later that he only used gelcoat to patch the repair? depending on the size, he may have used thickened epoxy first then covered over with gelcoat, hence no layers of glass....but that would mean it was a very small hole and I wouldn't worry too much...it should be fine.......but what interests me is the fact that he charged $1200 for such a repair....if all he used is resin and filler, thats a bit expensive to say the least...$50 in parts and $1150 in labor?

If the holes were large and got well into the glass structure, the correct repair would be to grind out the hole to an appropriate size based on the damage and lay in some glass, then fair and gelcoat. What was the actual damage?

 

[markb8608]

about size of a quarter running up starboard side

Hi
I repaired the trailer while the repairman fixed the hull last year. The pock marks ran up the starboard side about two feet. They were about quarter size about a half dozen every couple of inches, directly aligned with the bunk carpet so I could not see that part of the hull when it was put back on the trailer. I did not notice until I saw some marks left from when they lifted the boat off the trailer at the marina

I feel a little bit better if they could have used epoxy coating before gelcoat as you suggested. I was looking raising the boat up off that one bunk carpet in order to get a betterlook.Yes it was 1200.
I like to do electrical and minor engine stuff but it was recommended to leave hull repairs to the experts.
Maybe it is worth it to get a second opinion (after the fact now) .
I would feel terrible if let it go and did not check it. Beautiful boat. I guess I learned my lesson and I should not trust anyone before making final payment.
Thanks so much guys for your respected opinions.
Mark

 

[BobP]

You say 1/2 - 3/4 inch gouge?
Is that depth or width?

If it's depth, boat would have sunk. Doubt you could have winched it up also.

Get coat is very thin, so how deep was gouge? Width is meaningless.
Gelcoat just seals the glass, does nothing else (looks nice too).

Glass work is typically 90% or higher, in labor vs. material. So the bill is more related to hours of work.

 

[richie rich]

Mark, based on your recollection, a half dozen quarter sized holes, 1/2-3/4 inches deep would be a big problem. As Bob said, it would have sunk, as your hull is about 3/4 of an inch thick total.....that would require a solid repair using glass reenforcement.....gel coat is your outside cover, normally less than 1/16 of an inch thick....if it put on too thick it can lead to chipping as its brittle and normally not reenforced with anything.

Are you sure about the hole depth? Since your boat is on a trailer, you should always get a few quotes before making a decision until you find someone you're comfortable with....with larger boats at a marina, you pretty much use the guys in the local shop, or you can call in a repair guy but then the marina will still get a piece of his action, like 10% or so. The tech should answer all your questions about what he's planning before you give him the go ahead.....if he says, "don't worry, I've been doing this for 20 years" and refuses to explain anything, walk away......you should have peace of mind on the water...thinking about the quality, or lack there of, on the water will ruin your day.....it shouldn't be that way and its your money!

Keep an eye on the repair and see if you find any cracks over time....if it was shallow and just gelcoat damage, you should be OK