Clear coat repair. Is this for real.

[Laz]

My boat will be going into the water in about two weeks. At the end of last season I asked the marina to wax the hull. My understanding is it is worthwhile to wax the sun exposed part of the hull at least once per year. So, the guy from the marina called and told me that there is severe scuffing on the hull which needs to be repaired. He wants $700 to do something that involves grinding or sanding the whole hull and refinishing it somehow.

What do think he is talking about? My wife makes fun of me because I obsess over the boat and will say yes to anything that will keep it in mint condition.

But, maybe I'm being taken for a bit of a ride. Anyone?

[DOCDRS]

Maybe you shjould take a look at the bottom yourself and take some pics to show us

[Razzman]

Well obviously the first thing needed is for you to go see for yourself. Do you beach the boat? Dock without fenders? Where was the boat stored? Any answer is going to require more information and without pics to see it's impossible to diagnose. I would say however that any scuffing serious enough to require gel repair is not scuffing but gouging as the gel is pretty thick.

[Laz]

Hi. My boats is more than an hour away and I'm leaving for a week, so I don't have much of an opportunity to look at it myself.

There are few scratches to the gellcoat, especially at the back where put our skis on, but that's about it. I don't recall an specific problem.

I'm getting a bit suspicious. I emailed the marina for clarification. I'll keep you posted.

[kaneboats]

Get some rubbing compound and some polishing compound and do it yourself. Just rub till it all shines. Then wax. Presto! Buy beer with the money you saved.

[brain_rinse]

It's a 2007 so I can't imagine the gelcoat being THAT bad. Especially since you say you obsess over keeping it in mint condition. I'd politely pass for now and say "maybe at the end of this season" and then get a second opinion.

[viking]

The only place my Hull is really showing wear is in the front bottom where she meets the bunks on the trailer. You can really see the wear and tear in that area. No way to wax it or buff as it's either in the water or on the trailer? I don't see any way around that?
I'd definitely take a look at what they are looking at?

[kaneboats]

No way? All you have to do is make an "artificial bunk out of a 2"x6" (covered with carpet or cloth or something) and run it next to the real one. Use your floor jack to lift the boat a few inches off the trailer using this bunk-- be careful and be sure to take any tie-downs off. I used to do this with my little runabouts to clean the algae off of the white hulls.

[ian ashton]

My boat has spent 14 of the last 24 months in the water and I have NO gel coat issues. I do however give it several vinegar baths and coats of wax (probably twice a month above the water, and every other month top to bottom.

You will never get straner looks from your neighbors than the looks you get while washing/scrubbing/waxing the bottom of your boat for hours on end, lol.

[viking]

My boat has spent 14 of the last 24 months in the water and I have NO gel coat issues. I do however give it several vinegar baths and coats of wax (probably twice a month above the water, and every other month top to bottom.

You will never get straner looks from your neighbors than the looks you get while washing/scrubbing/waxing the bottom of your boat for hours on end, lol.

How do you do the bottom of ur hull? Same way as Kane suggested?
Thanx!

[ian ashton]

Truth be told, I have yet to wax where the boat hits the bunks. My boat has probably only been on and off the trailer 10 times total, so I don't really have any wear there.

[Suprahunter]

Here's a trick I learned after the ramp I use stopped all power loading. I put the trailer in very deep and float my boat to within 2-3 feet of the front stop.
I winch it from there as I pull out of the water the boat will self center and drop straight down on the bunks. When I was power loading the bunk carpet only lasted 2 years now I get 10 years plus. Also no scratches on the hull.

[mmandley]

I tried the float on the trailer deal and let it center its self a couple times last summer. The issue i had with the 08 LSV hull is there are ridges that are very narrow, only a few inches from the rear bunks and if the boat isnt centered before the rear bunk hit then it rides up on eighter the left or right bunk and the boat will then slam down and it slides off the one bunk onto the other.

I do dunk my trailer into the water to wet my bunks completly.

I watched Stretch load his boat your way and it worked very well for him but hit hull is smooth on both sides and doesnt have these two ridges.

[Suprahunter]

Laz
To protect the transom from skis and boards I use a transom pad. I bought this one on the Malibu forum. It straps between the two D rings and forms a barrier between the gel and skier. My wife made one for my other boat using vinyl and 1/2" carpet pad they work great and you dont have to permanently stick anything to the transom.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/suprahunter/gooddayonthebeach7-15-08011.jpg

[Razzman]

Here's a trick I learned after the ramp I use stopped all power loading. I put the trailer in very deep and float my boat to within 2-3 feet of the front stop.
I winch it from there as I pull out of the water the boat will self center and drop straight down on the bunks. When I was power loading the bunk carpet only lasted 2 years now I get 10 years plus. Also no scratches on the hull.

I've done it this way for years, i never power load. The reason? There's always suspended sand in the shallow water around the ramp and consequently your bunk carpet gets full of ingrained sand. Power loading is just like running sand paper across the hull to a certain degree. I have a buddy who takes his boat out almost everytime we do and he power loads, the bottom of his hull is dull and visibly scratched up pretty good

It also (as said) wears the bunk carpet out quick. My last boat the original bunk carpet lasted 11 years. If your lake has a hose bib near the ramp or cleanup area then once a year take a hose with a pressure nozzle with you and after launching hose the bunks of real good with high pressure, it really helps.

[JesseC]

I load and unload my boat every weekend in the summer and do not have any scratches and have never power loaded the boat. My method is I deep load the boat on the trailer and get my wife to drive the truck. I kneel down on the swim platform and as she slowly pulls the boat out I make sere that everything is centered by guiding the boat by pushing and pulling on the guide poles. I just make sure that there is about a 1.5" gap between the boat and tire fender and I know she is centered. It would hurt my feelings to power load her, it is just too rough on the trailer and the boat.

[Razzman]

I load and unload my boat every weekend in the summer and do not have any scratches and have never power loaded the boat. My method is I deep load the boat on the trailer and get my wife to drive the truck. I kneel down on the swim platform and as she slowly pulls the boat out I make sere that everything is centered by guiding the boat by pushing and pulling on the guide poles. I just make sure that there is about a 1.5" gap between the boat and tire fender and I know she is centered. It would hurt my feelings to power load her, it is just too rough on the trailer and the boat.

Pretty much the same way for us. I just sit on the sundeck and hold one guide pole. I know from experience roughly where it needs to be and it centers itself everytime. In fact i only had to re-float once when we first got it.

[viking]

Really nobody sees the bottom of the boat - especially when its in the water. I'm just an anal annie when it comes to my stuff and hate to see any discoloration and wear.

I power load often and can buff and wax anywear that you can reach while trailered. But I don't have access to anything that allows me to lift her up off the trailer like Sled. Wish I did though and I'd give her a good wax :)

[Sled491]

To be honest I have mine lifted like that once a year to get the hull done. Costs me 200.00 each time. To me it just seems worth it?

[viking]

I might need to figure something out then!
Here's what my hull looks like and I just resigned myself to the fact it was going to happen. I might have to search out a shop that can help me lift my boat off the trailer? I might replace my bunk carpet at the same time??

[Sled491]

I think in the sceme of things that's not that bad.