Boating Mishap!!!

[TayTay]

Sooo...... I don't know if anybody read my post about going out on Saturday and having a little mishap, well here's the illustrated story.

A friend was trying to get up on the wakeboard, well she is not very good and couldn't stay up. Needless to say her last fall the rope whip lashed her in the knee. I turned around and went to pick her up. When I got there, the angle I took put me kind of close to the shore so I told, once you are on the back of the boat, I'm gonna idle away from the shore a little bit. Well, I was back up and I heard someone say uh stop, then an immediate thud thud thud. I thought somehow the wakeboard went under the boat so I threw it in drive to try get away from it, hearing more thud thud thud I stopped and killed the engine. When I turned around they said I had run over the rope...and handle come to find out.

Well the water is 48 degrees right now. Luckily this time if year I wakeboard in my 7.5mm diving wetsuit with a hood for lack of anything else. I donned my wetsuit and wet diving with a rope around my waist in case I there was an issue, they could pull me out. It was that cold you cant hold your breath for very long so it probably took me 15 trips under the boat to finally get the thing untangle. By then I literally couldn't feel my feet and my hands were getting pretty stiff.

Soooo, we checked the boat when we pulled out and there was a little rubber from the handle wedged in the prop shaft and the strut. Today I noticed the real damage. Apparently those handles are made of aluminum or something and it really dinged the bottom of my boat up. It looks like what happened is the prop hit the middle of the handle, as you can tell by the gouge, then spun it around hitting the bottom of the boat, hence the thud thud thud I heard. Here are some pictures....

The Handle Set Up

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07356.jpg

The Rope

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07357.jpg

The gouge in the Handle

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07358.jpg

The part that I think F-ed my boat up

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07359.jpg

[TayTay]

The rubber from the handle in the shaft and strut

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07360.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07361.jpg

The fiberglass :-(

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07362.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07363.jpg

[TayTay]

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07364.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07365.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07366.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07366.jpg

[TayTay]

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07368.jpg

Ok guys, I need your help. Is this a DIY fix that I can pick up a kit for or am I going to have to pay 100's if not 1000's of dollars to have shop fix this one??

Any input would great! Just want to know how bad I did myself in :-(

[dusty2221]

Holy crap!!

[cmtaylor777]

Damn dude!!! You dinged it good!!!

Good luck. Wish I had some info to help. Just wanted to say daaaaaaaamn!

[saltare inverts]

I think you can repair it. Youll want to do your homework and take your time. Youll have to fix the fiberglass and regel the finish but you can do it. I would do mine if it was me.

[suprava10]

Damn that sucks! Glad it wasn't too bad...

On the repair side, I would get the plastic out from the strut bearing and inspect it. Try to move the prop side to side and up and down...if it moves quite a bit then you would need a new strut bearing. Also, some of them are made of brass and some are made of a plastic material. I would assume that the plastic material would be easier to muck up.

On the fiberglass, you dinged it down to the cloth. For a nice look you probably want a good fiberglass guy to do the job. It shouldn't take them long. Have them use Epoxy resin, maybe some cloth depending on the depth, and regel it. I would say that you have a few hundred dollars of fiberglass work but not horrible.

Good luck with your repairs bro!:cool: No big deal, just a small mishap in the grand scheme of things...

[TayTay]

Thanks for the input guys. I might take it to the shop and see what they have to day. I am big into doing projects so I might tackle it myself, we will see what the shop says. At this point, I don't really need it to look nice, I just want to keep the integrity of the boat. I'll keep ya posted on what happens from here. Any more input would be great.

[michael hunter]

Looks like an insurance claim to me. Have the hull professionally repaired and the drive gear checked and realigned. This is why we pay for insurance.

[sybrmike]

Dang, Mike - sorry to hear about the "oh, sh&!". Hate to see such a nice boat dinged up. Good news - it was the rope & not the board or boarder, it's on the bottom where you'll never see a repair, & it's fiberglass (you'll never know it was there after a good glass guy is finished). Professionally, the glass repair is probably ~ 500 bucks. Depending on your deductible, it might be worth the insurance route to get the shaft/strut work covered as well. Good luck.

[TayTay]

I didn't even think about insurance, but yes, that is why we have it for sure. I will probably call them today and see what my deductible is.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Tay that stinks. I ran over my rope last year and went diving too. Couldnt get it so ended up commandering someone's boatlift! Whew! HATE it when that happens. Very sorry to hear of the damage.

[Okie Boarder]

Yikes! You did a number on it. When you were saying thud thud and talking about being close to shore I thought for sure you hit something...glad that wasn't the case.

I'd take it in for an estimate, then go from there. It's doable yourself, but you want to do some research to understand how to do it right. There are some really good guys on another forum that have helped me...

www.correctcraftfan.com

They know a lot about glass and gel. You might post on there and see what they all say too.

Definitely check the shaft, prop, and strut, along with strut bearings carefully to make sure you didn't damage them. That can cause big issues down the road with your transmission if they got messed up.

[TayTay]

So I just called insurance and I have a $500 deductable. I honestly think that it would be worth it to pay the $500 and get it all done right, get the alignment checked, the shaft, etc. That way I know she is good and I will have paperwork for everything, which will be nice when it comes to selling and upgrading :-D

Is anybody familiar with doing insurance claims with boats? The lady said she didn't even know of any fiber places around here. I know of one, but I will look for more. I am going to need to get the fiber done, plus probably take it to another shop and get the strut and allignment checked.

[michael hunter]

Tay
Check with your dealer they can usually set up the whole repair with mechanical and glass work. For 500 I would have it done also if there is anything bent in the drive it will cost a lot more than that for just parts. If nothing is bent you will have the peace of mind of knowing all is well and aligned properly.

[saltare inverts]

I am totally in to doing my own projects but with insurance, definate route I would take. For resale its good to have pro do it also. So uh what kind of new rope and handle are you going to get?

[TayTay]

So I got a fiberglass quote from the only place in town that does it just from the pictures I took. They quoted me $1300 for the fix. I haven't got a quote on getting the alignment checked, probably do that tomorrow or the next day.

For the new handle. I got a Proline LGS handle. I had the LG but at the store I liked the feel of the LGS a little better. I wanted to stay with the same brand. I am kind of weird like that, but I like to have matching things.

So I have a question for those who know about insurance, is there anyway I can squeeze more than just the bottom out of the same claim. I dont really want to break the rules, but there are some other areas that need repair as well i.e. the spot I drilled through the side of my hull when I was mounting an amp last year. I ghetto fixed it but it looks like crap. If anybody has any input, let me know. Maybe a whole new paint job.... ;-)

[sybrmike]

Boat insurance claim is sure to be a pain & full of hassles (just like cars). Expect to fight for all the "legitimate" issues, like the driveline. You can probably work out a side deal with who ever is doing the repair to fix a few additional things at a discounted rate since they alread have the boat.

Good luck.

[michael hunter]

As sybrmike said the insurance will pay for all repairs related to the accident. Now would be the time to negotiate with the body shop for the other repairs. It will be easier for them to repair them all at the same time while the gel is mixed and matched. Turn in the receipt for the new handle it should be covered.

[OUI]

Good thing it's on the bottom. It's an easy fix. A small amount of resin and some type of filler (maybe micro balloon) will fix it. No need to GelCoat, that's just to help release the boat from the mold, and from a factory perspective, it's a just lazy man's paint job. Get some sandpaper, some acetone, resin and filler -- and you're good to go. Sand the area for good adhesions, clean with acetone, add the filler to the resin, and spread it on using a spatula. Let it dry and sand to a finish. A little paint and you’re ready to go. My guess about the time to drink 2 beers.

[saltare inverts]

OUI I may be wrong but gel coat is a type of paint that is much more resistant to dings and scratches than normal paint. It is also formulated to adhere well to fiberglass. It is sprayed on and mixed with hardener at the gun to gel together. Much different then just putting paint over the fiberglass.

[Mani]

Fiberglass is also full of pores, and therefore not water proof. Gelcoat keeps your boat above the waterline.

[TayTay]

I think I have come to the final decision to go through insurance. Granted it is $500 but for that I will get a professional, documented job (good for resale), and also will get my alignment checked and make sure all of that is in order. I eventually want to upgrade to a newer bigger boat so I would rather pay now, have it done right, and have the paperwork for it all.

[docdrs]

Whooooaaa Wait , I see 3 maybe 4 spots and they want 1300!!!!. That is rediculous. Get another quote. did you get the crap out of your strut? does the prop spin freely or does it appear like the shaft is bent? is the prop bent or dinged? Take it out and see if there is vibration....... I agree , it looks pretty much cosmetic and the repair shouldn't be much more than 500. the strut is pretty strong. And you shut it down after you realized what happened. What will it do to your rates? Its apr and they know you want it now.......just .02

[scotthons]

If the insurance sends a field adjuster to inspect the boat then he will probably know that the other damage is not related. If the insurance is only asking for a quote then you may see if the fiberglass guy will include the other damage and give his opinion that it is related. That is a little shady, but up to you. I doubt it will have much of a bearing on your premium, although it will probably be an at fault accident. I wonder if there is anyway you can convince the claims guy that you hit a moving object and maybe it would be covered under your comprehensive deductible and therefore not being an at fault claim.

[2002 LAUNCH SS OWNER]

Sooo...... I don't know if anybody read my post about going out on Saturday and having a little mishap, well here's the illustrated story.

A friend was trying to get up on the wakeboard, well she is not very good and couldn't stay up. Needless to say her last fall the rope whip lashed her in the knee. I turned around and went to pick her up. When I got there, the angle I took put me kind of close to the shore so I told, once you are on the back of the boat, I'm gonna idle away from the shore a little bit. Well, I was back up and I heard someone say uh stop, then an immediate thud thud thud. I thought somehow the wakeboard went under the boat so I threw it in drive to try get away from it, hearing more thud thud thud I stopped and killed the engine. When I turned around they said I had run over the rope...and handle come to find out.

Well the water is 48 degrees right now. Luckily this time if year I wakeboard in my 7.5mm diving wetsuit with a hood for lack of anything else. I donned my wetsuit and wet diving with a rope around my waist in case I there was an issue, they could pull me out. It was that cold you cant hold your breath for very long so it probably took me 15 trips under the boat to finally get the thing untangle. By then I literally couldn't feel my feet and my hands were getting pretty stiff.

Soooo, we checked the boat when we pulled out and there was a little rubber from the handle wedged in the prop shaft and the strut. Today I noticed the real damage. Apparently those handles are made of aluminum or something and it really dinged the bottom of my boat up. It looks like what happened is the prop hit the middle of the handle, as you can tell by the gouge, then spun it around hitting the bottom of the boat, hence the thud thud thud I heard. Here are some pictures....

The Handle Set Up

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07356.jpg

The Rope

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07357.jpg

The gouge in the Handle

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07358.jpg

The part that I think F-ed my boat up

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/TaylorAR/Boat/DSC07359.jpg

Thank God rope was not in someones hands or wrapped around thier leg when prop decided to wrap up your rope for you,it is a bummer your hull
got some damage but be happy no one was hurt.

A few years ago my friends son got dragged out of the boat by runaway tube,
rope wrapped around his leg and tube came off of back of boat like a parachute and he had third degree rope burn on the back of his knee,he was
7 or 8 years old.

Two weeks ago I nearly sunk my boat by not having main circuit breaker button above ignition key engaged so my boat was moored at my dock
without a automatic bilge pump!!!

I had replaced bent strut and prop shaft last summer while on holidays and
could not figure out why I seemed to be taking on more water in bilge then normal** Well I found my leak there was a 2 inch crack on seam of exhaust
Muffler.

I have beefed up fiberglass around 45 degree elbow and front cap seam of both mufflers,but then I cracked rear 3 inch outlet on one muffler by overtightening hose clamps.

Upon inspection of cracked outlet I realized outlet pipe was not glassed uniformly 2/3 the circle was 1/4 inch thick and remaining 1/3 was less then
1/8 of a inch. ( NO WONDER IT CRACKED)

So I am glad I found my leak, but I am not happy with the Qaulity of Ultra
Marine Mufflers used by Supra and have decided to replace them with exact
replica mufflers built my Centek products from Thomasville Georgia, they
used to be called Veratone Mufflers have been around for years and I think make a better product then Ultra Marine Mufflers.

My local Supra dealer up hear assures me that these mufflers have been no problem for years, but I have had a crack in seam for no good reason
and another failure because of 3 inch outlet not being uniformly glassed

Please reply to this thread if you have had any problems with these factory mufflers, If you have had problems and want to upgrade to Centek Marine Mufflers, they have a cad drawing of my stock mufflers and are currently building me replacements. I should have them in 4 weeks time and will let you know how everything worked out.

Well enough whinning 4 now lets go boating, (have fun& be safe)
Dave

[OUI]

Saltare Inverts, Gel Coat is a primary coat in the mold. It's function is as a release agent when pulling the cured haul/deck from the mold. Manufactures decided at some point to had color so they wouldn't have to paint.

Mani, fiberglass cloth has pores, resin does not. Gel Coat has nothing to do with keeping water out. All you need to do is fill the holes with a mixture of resin and a filler like Micro Balloons and you're good to go. If you want to paint after the repair use any type of enamel and you're good to go.

It is a simple repair that can be done in 2 hours, If you live anywhere near Minneapolis, I'd be happy to help.

[TayTay]

Here are the results of the mishap...

http://supraboats.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=6967