2009 RXT hull damage help

[jisgett]

Hey guys, in my haste to get off the water when a pop up thunderstorm hit this weekend, the seadoo slid off the trailer in shallow water and got a pretty good ding to the hull. I have attached a picture and it is not that clear, but the bright white center of the gash is 1 inch long, the surrounding surface scratching adds another inch in length. In depth, it is probably around an eighth of an inch or less.

I have seen the gelcote website listed on another post, but my concerns are these: 1) even though this looks really minor, could the force of the hit have caused any significant unseen damage 2) is this a gelcote fix only, or do i need any fiberglass repair?

I will do whatever is necessary to get the ski back to pristine shape, do not wish to cut any corners, but always prefer to do it myself when able.



Thanks as always for the help. This forum is amazing.

Regards,

Jeff

 

[Michael211_2000]

It's difficult to tell the scale of the damaged area from your pic... but yeah you gotta fix this it can lead to the gelcoat peeeling off (water pressure can get underneith the gelcoat thru this damaged area and start seperating it and the fiberglass leading to large chunks peeling off). The fiberglass there is REALLY thick and strong so unlikely any actual fiberglass damage, but it has to be fixed to prevent delamination and loss of the bottom gelcoat.

Best to take it to a few boat repair shops and get some estimates on what they'd charge to fix it, and your local SeaDoo dealership as well.

And NEVER pull the watercraft out of the water without having the bow strap connected!!! Yeah I know hindsight is 20/20 but I would never have thought anybody would try pulling one out without having the bow strap securely attached 1st. :-(

- Michael

 

[KK40384]

Minor scracth from what i can see. If you just wanna seal up the fiberglass so it doesn't soak up water you can get back on the water in no time. won't be pretty but it'll get you riding again. Or if you have time take it to a fiberglass repair shop and they'll make it look like new. Mine looked way worse and after the repair I cant even tell where it was damaged.

 

[jisgett]

I seem to be able to find ways to do things people never think anyone would do....:banghead:

 

[androidapple23]

KK40384, I have some minor scraps on the side of my hull which look similar and also have an area on the bottom which is about 2 inches by 12 inches where I can see the fiberglass which is from pulling up on the beaches. They all have a shine to them, should I be concerned? Is the shine actually mean they are sealed? I do not see any water getting into the engine compartment after riding. If I were to seal, what would you recommend me using? Thank you!

 

[KK40384]

If you see fiberglass you need to seal it. It won't let water inside the hull but it will soak it up like a sponge and that makes a repair more complicated and costly.

 

[androidapple23]

What would you recommend sealing it with. If the exposed fiberglass is shiny, do you think that means it was already sealed perhaps by the previous owner. I am not sure if fiberglass is just shiny on its own or has a dull finished look. If fiberglass has a dull look and mine shines, I will have to assume that is has already been sealed. Thanks!

 

[KK40384]

Fiberglass is very dull and almost feels flaky to the touch. If yours is shiny I'd say it's probably sealed up. I brushed on some gel coat mixed with some black pigment to cover up one of my whoopsies. It was down by the sponson do I didn't care if it's not so pretty.

 

[npr2012]

I'm new to the board and was about to start my own thread, but OP's post describes my almost identical problem. The only difference between OP's damage and mine is that I have two or three such areas where the gelcote has been scraped away to expose the fiberglass (from someone else loading the ski on a trailer that did not properly fit it). I had initially intended to have the gelcote repaired (or do it myself) at the end of the season. But now I'm having reservations.

Two professionals (one of whom works at a Sea Doo dealership) advised that (1) the damage is *most likely* cosmetic only, and (2) that I could continue to use the ski - repairing the damage is purely optional. I am now thinking, based on the information I've read in this post and others, that I will need to have this repaired sooner rather than later.

My primary concern is whether there is any actual damage to the fiberglass. Most of the exposed areas look just like OP's photo, except maybe a bit larger. But one of them, located just to the port side of the keel, is small but seems slightly indented. The glass is not weak and there are no visible cracks, just a small groove.

Does anyone have an idea of what I'm dealing with cost-wise here? It doesn't have to look like new, but I would like it to look at least decent.

 

[KK40384]

I'm new to the board and was about to start my own thread, but OP's post describes my almost identical problem. The only difference between OP's damage and mine is that I have two or three such areas where the gelcote has been scraped away to expose the fiberglass (from someone else loading the ski on a trailer that did not properly fit it). I had initially intended to have the gelcote repaired (or do it myself) at the end of the season. But now I'm having reservations.

Two professionals (one of whom works at a Sea Doo dealership) advised that (1) the damage is *most likely* cosmetic only, and (2) that I could continue to use the ski - repairing the damage is purely optional. I am now thinking, based on the information I've read in this post and others, that I will need to have this repaired sooner rather than later.

My primary concern is whether there is any actual damage to the fiberglass. Most of the exposed areas look just like OP's photo, except maybe a bit larger. But one of them, located just to the port side of the keel, is small but seems slightly indented. The glass is not weak and there are no visible cracks, just a small groove.

Does anyone have an idea of what I'm dealing with cost-wise here? It doesn't have to look like new, but I would like it to look at least decent.

If you can see fiberglass DO NOT put it back in the water. It will act like a sponge and soak up water causing further costly damage to the hull. As far as cost goes it depends on the shop.

I had a mishap where someone ran mine into the trailer that put a scrape in kiel into the fiberglass. Repair bill there was just under $1800 all said and done but there was other areas that were touched up since it was an insurance claim.

 

[npr2012]

If you can see fiberglass DO NOT put it back in the water. It will act like a sponge and soak up water causing further costly damage to the hull. As far as cost goes it depends on the shop.

I had a mishap where someone ran mine into the trailer that put a scrape in kiel into the fiberglass. Repair bill there was just under $1800 all said and done but there was other areas that were touched up since it was an insurance claim.

This is a source of some confusion for me. Not to doubt you - what you're saying seems logical - but posters in other threads have said things to the effect of, "You should probably repair it but go ahead and take it out this weekend - won't hurt anything." Any idea why there's a lack of consensus on this? Personally, I'm over-cautious, so I'll be having it repaired first. Just curious.

Also, could you describe the damage a bit more concerning the $1800 repair you had to make? Was the fiberglass itself damaged? How can you tell? How large of an area of fiberglass/gelcote had to be repaired/replaced? Thanks!

 

[androidapple23]

On the bottom of my hull I can see the brown colored substance that is right below the white gelcoat. This is a side picture from the engine compartment just to show what I see. Is the brown color actual fiberglass? If this is showing on the bottom of the hull should I not put it in the water. Like I said before, it has a shine to it as you can see in the picture. Thanks

 

[KK40384]

Some people don't realize that fibeglass actually absorbs water. That's why they say to not worry about it and "just take it out this weekend". Just call a local body shop or boat shop and see what they say. I'm by no means a fibergalss expert.

As far as my damage went, yes the fiberglass was damaged and needed to be repaired. most of the front of the hull had to be have the gelcoat stripped in order to do this kind of repair (or so I was tod by the shop).

 

[androidapple23]

KK40384, in the picture I attached, is the brown material fiberglass or actually part of the gelcoat? I know the very thing white portion is fiberglass but am not sure of the thicker brown portion. You may not know but just looking for advise as the brown portion in the picture is actually showing on the bottom of my haul. Thanks for any response!

 

[KK40384]

In that picture I see no damage to anything. What part is that picture of?

 

[androidapple23]

The previous picture I posted was just to identify if the brown color was part of the gelcoat, a sealer or actually part of the fiberglass. I know the white portion of the picture is fiberglass so I wasnt sure if the brown color portion was also fiberglass or a protection to the fiberglass. Just trying to determine if Im safe to be in the water.

I have attached a new picture of the bottom of the ski which you can see where the brown color is exposed again from beaching. It is shiny and very smooth. In your option, is this soaking up water or is this a sealer over the fiberglass? Thanks again!

 

[KK40384]

I wouldn't get that anywhere near water if it was mine.

 

[androidapple23]

So do you think its soaking up water even if it feels and looks like a coating is over the fiberglass? I am not experienced with gelcoating, do you suggest any other options? Paint, some sort of sealer? Any quick fix options since it is the bottom?

 

[KK40384]

Only quick fix is to buy some gel coat and brush it on. Won't look pretty but it will do a good job sealing it. As far as whether it's soaking up water there's no way to tell from that pic. It looks to be sealed but that's not a chance I'm willing to take on such a large area if it's mine.

 

[androidapple23]

I agree, thanks for the response.

 

[100guard]

With this gelcote, I am always confused.

If you have a ding or a scrape., do you use marine filler first OR fibreglass? and THEN finish with gelcote on top?

Which if either is better as a filler for deep scrapes? the filler or fibreglass?

 

[KK40384]

With this gelcote, I am always confused.

If you have a ding or a scrape., do you use marine filler first OR fibreglass? and THEN finish with gelcote on top?

Which if either is better as a filler for deep scrapes? the filler or fibreglass?

On a scrape that was deep enough to show fiberglass, I just filled it in with gel coat and then sanded it back down to match the rest, and polished it. Can't really tell where the damage was. Once you get into the fiberglass and actually damage that I'm not sure what to do. When that happened I went to a repair shop.