Nightime Colliison w/28" Metal Buoy

[Dools]

Hello Fellow Grady Owners –

I need some help from the collective knowledge of this group.

I was running in the dark in San Francisco Bay on my 2007 Marlin looking intently on my Nav unit for the entrance to the St. Francis Yacht Club when I hit something hard. I was going about 18 miles an hour in 30 feet of water.

That something was a 28 inch metal buoy which was shown on my Nav unit. I just missed it as I was distracted looking for the aforementioned marina. Another lesson learned.

I am not sure if I was successful in adding a photo, but this collision resulted in a 3.5” x 2” gash just above the water line on the starboard side of the boat.

Obviously, the gel coat is gone. What appears to be beneath the missing gel coat is resin or the hand laid fiberglass covering the plywood?

The gash is not deep. It just appears as though the gel coat was obliterated.

I think that the damage was mitigated to some degree as the buoy was not static and the buoy and boat “bounced” away from each other. But it was certainly terrifying to hear and feel the collision in the darkness.

I called Grady White customer service to inquire if there is access to the inner hull to determine if any serious damage occurred, but they said that that area is full of foam and you cannot access this area.

I read an older thread on this site that you can somewhat get a sense about any structural damage by using a 50 cent coin and tapping the area around the area in question to listen for any change in tone.

I did this test and all appeared solid around the gash. Obviously, when I tapped the area where there was no gel coat, the tone did change.

Also, after checking for any water leaks below, I ran the boat for a couple of hours to get back to my marina, and it did not appear to be taking on any water, nor were the bilge pumps on at any time.

So, the questions that I have are:

• Do you think that I need to hire a surveyor to determine the exact nature of the damage, or is this a relatively easy repair?
• I do have insurance, but my deductible is $1,800. Do you think this repair would cost less than this amount?
• Is there anything else I can do to better assess the damage?
• How do you go about repairing this type of damage?
• Is this something I can do myself?
• Should I attempt it myself?

Any insight and/or suggestions are welcome.

Sincerely,

Tim

 

[Fishtales]

HI,
I'd get it hauled and let it dry out. In parallel get some references for few good glass guys and get some estimates, this will help you decide if you should pay out of pocket or not. Looking at it, I'd guess you will end up paying out of pocket. The gelcoat is a standard color and your hull is relatively new, it should be no issue to make it look like new. Just do your homework, make sure it is repaired properly and you will be fine.

 

[ayacht]

I agree haul as quickly as possibly and get it to dry. Last thing you want is a moisture issue. Looking at the damage I would say you got lucky.

 

[uncljohn]

The tapping test works for wet sections of hulls and voids in the epoxy below the gelcoat. Wet wood and empty voids cause different sounds than a solid hull. Its not going to tell you anything about a brand new gash in your hull, unless you've allowed water to intrude and saturate the core.

Looks like only glass and gelcoat work so sould not be a big deal.

 

[ocnslr]

Obviously, the gel coat is gone. What appears to be beneath the missing gel coat is resin or the hand laid fiberglass covering the plywood?
Tim

Shouldn't be any plywood there.

Concur with the comments re getting hauled, estimates, and professional repair.

Brian

 

[lgusto]

I concur with the rest, i.e. have the repair professionally done. I'll best it costs less than one might think and the peace of mind will be priceless.

 

[gradydriver]

yes to the rest....get a pro to do it....if he's good you won't be able to tell where you hit....he'll get matching Grady gelcoat....it should not cost over $1800.