Getting aluminum boat straightened

[jbcurt00]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Here is a picture of the main damage to my Grumman Pro Fisherman. The picture is shot from bow looking back along the port side. You can see the bow to give some reference to size. I see you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it. This is my first picture on this forum. The wood you see is an arrangement I added to the bow to mount an electric trolling motor.

On the Discovery Voyager I found an old thread on iboats that traces that brand to a "spin off" from Grumman, emplyees leaving to start their own company. They went out of business in the late 1990s I think.

Here's the Craigslist link: 1995 14ft Discovery Voyager fishing boat with New 9.9 Yamaha in the pictures this looks like a great deep boat suitable for use on large lakes, I don't mean the Great Lakes, but lakes a couple of miles wide that have some problems with sudden high winds - we have couple of those in central NJ. I'd consider this boat a step up, 10 years newer and deeper hull... and a near new outboard, it looks like a 2 cycle, but I'll ask on that too.

I appreciate all inputs very much.

It's still here ^^^....

Good luck which ever way you decide to proceed.....

The tongue weight can be adjusted, but if the boat is hard to load & unload at the ramp, it sounds heavier then it should be.

The metal recycling place near me will let me drive my trailers & boats on trailers across their scale for free. Gives me the trailer weight, the weight of both, and then I can find the boats weight. I just have to be willing to wait if they have any customer traffic. Let's me estimate if the boat has water logged foam or water trapped below decks, when the weight is compared to the factory specs.

Then you can use a home weight scale to set the trailer jack on & adjust the boat fore & aft to increase/decrease tongue weight. Adjust the winch post after getting a better tongue weight. The axle may have adjustments too. I think you want to try & have 10% of the trailered total in tongue weight.

 

[KennethfromGA]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

This might be totally irrelevant here but I know that when you bend an aluminum rim there is NO un-bending it. The metal cracks well before it's returned to it's original shape. I wouldn't try to dissuade you from banging on it yourself but I wouldn't pay someone else to attempt straightening.

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

That type of knowledge/know-how is likely what made the fabricator say he'd have to replace the gunwale section.. maybe no the whole thing..guess a patch section would be welded in.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

I don't believe there are any creases.

In body shop lingo, these are creases...

And yes, we do use a variety of Hydraulic rams on both the frame rack, and in a portable version, known as a Port-a-Power

Unless you have a way to securely anchor the hull in such a way as to prevent any further damage to it when applying the use of hydraulics and know the proper way to anneal/temper the aluminum, so that when you push/pull it back into shape, it doesn't crack/spring back and/or hold its shape...then I would guess that most body shops would shy away from such a task...mainly due to the risk involved of creating more damage than what is already there and then trying to charge you for the technicians time, if they destroy your boat...

Like I said previously, unless you can find a good aluminum fabricator, or are willing to try this repair on your own, you will be hard pressed to find a shop willing to take the risk...although, in these tough economic times, you never know who is willing to do what...

PS- I live in the Gunshine State...I wouldn't know how to react if forced to be unarmed...:mad2::laser:

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

This might be totally irrelevant here but I know that when you bend an aluminum rim there is NO un-bending it. The metal cracks well before it's returned to it's original shape. I wouldn't try to dissuade you from banging on it yourself but I wouldn't pay someone else to attempt straightening.

We use rim repair shops all the time to have aluminum, alloy, etc. rims straightened, trued and rebalanced...compared to the cost of a new one, it is usually less than half and just as safe/good...

Here is just one example...this one was not only bent, but had a chunk missing...

BEFORE

AFTER

And a couple more examples...

If you live near a large metropolitan area, just google aluminum rim repair and I'm sure you'll find at least a couple...there are at least 10 within 20 miles of our shop and some are even mobile...

 

[KennethfromGA]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

We use rim repair shops all the time to have aluminum, alloy, etc. rims straightened, trued and rebalanced...compared to the cost of a new one, it is usually less than half and just as safe/good...

Here is just one example...this one was not only bent, but had a chunk missing...

BEFORE

AFTER

And a couple more examples...

If you live near a large metropolitan area, just google aluminum rim repair and I'm sure you'll find at least a couple...there are at least 10 within 20 miles of our shop and some are even mobile...

Cool GT, I was going off what I've seen and had been told in trucking. Guys can bang out dents in steel rims but not in alcoa's. I guess anything is possible if you know what your your doing. huh

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Thanks, good information - I am a DIY almost anything, even have done some spray paint rework on a 1964 Olds, yea that was a long time ago... and it looked pretty good too, but didn't need any body work the factory paint was just failing. I have no experience doing body work and it looks like more of an "art" than I am capable of. I'm a pretty good carpenter, even cabinet maker, does that help?

On the Gunshine state, was that in reference to my earlier remark about it not being legal to carry a concealed weapon in NJ? I'm originally form Colorado, and besides Marijuana now being legal, concealed weapons have been legal since the OK Coral days. On checking I was surprised to learn many, most?, states allow concealed weapons if one takes an approved course. I'm sure the current administration in Washington will work on overturning those states' rights issues. In any case, I do not intend to carry thousands of dollars in cash in my pocket to pay for a used boat - the other half of my deliberations on repair of my existing boat. I'm thinking a good counter offer is to go to a local branch of the bank I use and have them notarize a contract of sale and then pay them in the bank with cash, their preferred medium of exchange.. I think. I'll talk with someone in my bank tomorrow too.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Thanks, good information-...I'm a pretty good carpenter, even cabinet maker, does that help?

On the Gunshine state, was that in reference to my earlier remark about it not being legal to carry a concealed weapon in NJ?

You're welcome,sir...
Yes, I think with a bit of determination and some patience, you should, at the very least, be able to give it a good try at straightening that damage...like I said before, you seem to have Plan B in the works, anyway...wouldn't hurt anything to try...

And, yes...that was in reference to New Jersey's Draconian Gun Laws...:twitch:...

BTW, even though, the last time I checked, 42, or more, States had shall issue, right to carry or even no permit required...there are some counties, municipalities, cities and locales within those States that have Anti-Gun Laws on the books, even in Colorado...

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

I still have the damaged Grumman, still have hours of chain saw work to do on the down White Pines, but today I purchased the Discovery boat package for $2,900. The owner "threw" in a Lowerance x67C color fish finder, about a $300 finder, and better than anything I have in my old boat. Unfortunately, the finder would not turn on, and I think it is a problem with the dc power feed. The fuse was rather oxidized and cleaning it and the easy to reach contact didn't fix the problem. The owner said he had worked and so I said, please look for the user manual so I can have more technical information. I purchased the package regardless of the fish finder problem.

So, a brief look on the web didn't disclose anyway to download the owner manual for the x67C, better yet to find support for parts and detailed electrical schematic. The unit is also missing an "elbow" (my terminology) that provides the physical contact and position adjustment between the finder display/control unit and the mounting bracket/ball mounted on a shelf near the rear of the boat.

I'd appreciate any help on getting more infor on the fish finder...maybe iboats has a forum for such subjects, I haven't done a search yet.

I post in part to let "you" know I purchased a used boat package replacement. I will still look at repairing my Grumman, or getting a "totaled" and a buyout by my insurance company. I welcome too any advice on how one gets a value for a loss such as mine. My baseline is I paid almost $3000 for a used replacement, so even given my Grumman is older my insurance agent should consider my loss to be in the neighborhood of $3K. I also lost a yard tractor but I'd be happy to junk the two items if I could get $2K from my insurance company, I have a $1K deductible.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Here's where you can get your x67c manual in PDF.

LOWRANCE X67C MANUAL Pdf Download.

They've just recently quit production of the x67 and replaced it with the Elite 4, but parts should still be plentiful.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Jig's got you covered for a manual, but yes, trolling motor discussions are here: Electrical, Electronics, Audio and Trolling Motors. I didn't read thru the manual, but often the parts diagrams are in the manual, w/ a phone # to order parts. Google may find a lower cost part provider, but check shipping. Often the discount part has high shipping, and some also add handling & processing

Congrats on the new Discovery! Hope she serves you well, best of luck getting the Grumman & tractor sorted w/ the insurance company.

Post pix of the new rig?

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Thanks, here's the craigslist advertisement, the seller did a good job with the pictures... the boat over 15 years old (still newer than my damaged Grumman) but the carpeting and plywood underneath are still good - the Yamaha looks brand new, hardly a scratch. I had posted the craigslist before, but show again here: 1995 14ft Discovery Voyager fishing boat with New 9.9 Yamaha

The owner manual is what I was looking for but given I have a technical problem with the unit I really need the full schematic of at least the external wiring, ever which pins the 12VDC comes in on would help. I think the problem is a power problem, electronics these days are so reliable they usually last for years.

I have see the x67C offered in a portable ice fishing configuration..the unit offers a ping display (I can't remember what that's called, my first sonar was that type, a circular clock-like display with radial bars indicating reflections... I think that may be good for fishing through ice...don't know why. When the ice forms, I stay away from the lakes and rivers.

I posed the manual call for help stuck on the idea I had tried and not found one, that is in fact the case for the 9.9 HP Yamaha 1995 or thereabouts.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Look here for the Yamaha, it's a combined manual 1990-1995 & 2hp & up:
EBSCO Publishing Service Selection Page
Username: marshall
Password: public

after logon:

Select small engine repair

Select Marine/Boat motor

Scroll down & select manufacturer

Specific for your year & motor would be better, but in a pinch the combined is better then nothing

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Here is an example of what I was looking for as a owner's manual. This is for a 1998, the resource doesn't go back any further.
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/service/manuals/1998/lit-18626-02-87_644.pdf I'll guess there are many similarities between the 1993 an d1998 Yamaha engines in a given size.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

ebay:
1995 Yamaha 9.9 manual | eBay

 

[Jerry_NJ]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Thanks, good old ebay. I have to get a Paypal account so I can trade on ebay. The DVD offer looks very attractive financially and in general I read paper manuals in the house, even at my computer desk most of the time anyway.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Jerry if you buy one buy the real factory service manual. The detail level in the generic ones that cover a range of years may not be enough for what you need. BTDT.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Getting aluminum boat straightened

Jerry if you buy one buy the real factory service manual. The detail level in the generic ones that cover a range of years may not be enough for what you need. BTDT.

Agreed, but given the choice between none & a combined manual, combined would be better. And having it now for little $ & no wait for shipping, wouldn't be bad either. Then keep trolling for the specific manual....IMHO...