Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list. etc

[chaparral2300]

Attached is some photos of boat that was backed into by UPS, while sitting in parking lot on jacks, my question's are focused on the seperate gel color's.

Color's of gel, how to seperate and repair.

how far out from damage do I need to go

what sort's of materials will be needed

and matching of the color's.

any sort of help on the subject would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Welcome to iBoats!
Sorry to hear/see your problems!

What Year, MFG Boat is this. Matching Gel is an ART!!! Very difficult to do. We have some "Experts" here on the forum that can guide you but it's still very difficult due to the fact that the gel has faded and oxidized over the years. But they will want to start with the Make, Model and year of the boat first.

 

[Silly Seville]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

I'm assuming that UPS is paying for the repair...so why not turn it over to the pro's and avoid the headache?

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Ups did indeed back into the boat, it was one day prior to me purchasing the boat, i had been in negotiation's will previous owner and while he was out of town UPS come into his parking lot, wasnt even making a delivery to his facility, backed into the boat, and actually left. The only reason any one knew it was UPS is because it was all caught on camera, all the while the UPS driver didnt know he had been caught. For those that are familiar with ups, there driver's have to report anything and everything that happens while on route, needless to say, i am sure that driver lost his job. Previous owner knocked a little off the price, im sure he collected some insurance compensation but still proceeded to sell the boat. So now I have it, he claims it's an easy fix.

boat is a 1991 chaparral 2300sx sport closed bow. I bought it without any rigging, or power. just complete brand new interior and excellent condition cuddy. It's all cosmetic.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

You should take the boat back to the seller, although fiberglass might be considered easy work to some, most DIY 1st timer's don't really agree.

The damage in you pix may in fact only be 50% or LESS of the area that needs to be worked. Like a car bumper, when 1 part moves in a crash, other parts, hidden from view can also be damaged. Interior bulkheads, a 1991 Chapparel likely has flotation foam in that back stern corner. For a repair of this size, I'd want access to both the inside & outside of both halves of the hull. A pro might easily work the upper & lower hulls all at once, but as a rookie DIY fiberglass guy, I'd want them seperated.

Damaged, and stripped of all the motor & rigging, I hope it was inexpensive, very inexpensive......

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Yeah, for a DIY'er Rookie, I would NOT call that an easy fix. You could easily be into that for $500 or more before you're done. If you "hire" it done it'll be a LOT more.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

At first I was just going to have you search for one of Yacht DR's posts on repairing and re-spraying stripes, it works well. But after looking at the pics the cosmetics on the stripes are the least of your worries. I'm not saying it can't be repaired, it's just that gel coat can hide a great deal of damage in a laminate, and the fractured glass could involve a much larger area than what can be seen at this stage. Then you need to inspect for the normal defects in a boat this old, like rotten wood in the stringers and transom.

When a boat has been stripped of all the pricy parts it can cost a great deal to get it back on the water, and more often than not, much more than it's worth in the end.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

"Back corner" ?? .... This is the stem. Both the hull and the deck structure are damaged. Though quite 'doable' this is not the easiest repair, and certainly not the most desirable to start learning on. Matching the gelcoat color is low on the list of considerations here.

 

[Brian 26]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

If you don't mind me asking how much did the sell take off for the damage and how much did you pay for the boat?

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

I checked the boat exstensivly with a moisture meter around several area's of transom, as well as the couple stringer's i can access by removing panels, they not only look good but there dry, I knew to check these area's because I have an identical chaparral open bow boat that I have the entire floor removed down to bare shell, so as far as secondary damage un related to the defect in the above pictures im not worried about at all. That all checked out.

far as price of boat, i got the entire hull, no motor, no drive, no transom assembly. everything besides those items are present and in very good condition, brand new interior, brand new cuddy interior etc. new carpeting, which i pealed back to inspect. prior to purchase, transom was an easier inspection since it was without rigging,

price of boat was originally six hundred. with the damage the seller removed an additional hundred dollars telling me it was a simple repair. The damage you see in these photos is the only damage on entire boat. I already have materials on hand from doing my floor on my other boat, so basically looking for someone's opinion on what needs to be done. I personally dont think the two halfs need serperated I am not looking to bring it back to show room condition, just something presentable, usable and water tight at this point.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

by the way, the area of the boat that is in the pictures is the very most forward part of the bow, it is at the very front of boat, so secondary damage to back corner of boat I don't neccessarly understand, but willing to listen if someone can explain how that damage would happen to rear of boat if hit in front. Thanks let me know.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Wow!!! This just goes to show you how pics can be deceiving!!!
I think I was like the others and did not realize I was looking at the peak of the Bow!!! I have a few questions. 1.) Does it appear that the glass was buckled, dented, or fractured? 2.) Is it just as you say "Cosmetically" gouged and scratched off Gelcoat in a major way. 3.) When you sight down the edge of the boat does it appear "Fair" and true or is it distorted in any way?

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Sighting down the boat there is 0 (lets see the best way to describe) deflection in the material. I think that is correct, its straight and true. The truck backed into the nose of the boat, gouging the fiberglass as seen in pictures, where the lip of the upper half rolls over the shell of the lower, seeing as how its fairly thin there it seems flemsy a bit, but other then that its really just deep gouging, even the upper shell has kept its shape, just been thinned out a bit by the impact. I looked inside, there is no thru hull damage, I knew it would be a little fiberglass work involved but didn't see it being a huge under taking. Outside of matching the gel but even there if it's relativly close I am ok. after all it's a 1991 and it is here only to replace us not having a boat until I can properly rebuild the other one. We lost all last season so i figured buying a boat that was de rigged, I could simply throw my rigging in an get out on the water this year. OR SO GOES THE PLAN ANYHOW.



Thanks again.

Oh, I was certain to add the navigation light into the picture so it would give a location (in a sense) of were the damage was. That was my thought.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Sighting down the boat there is 0 (lets see the best way to describe)distortion in the material. I think that is correct, its straight and true. The truck backed into the nose of the boat, gouging the fiberglass as seen in pictures, where the lip of the upper half rolls over the shell of the lower, seeing as how its fairly thin there it seems flemsy a bit, but other then that its really just deep gouging, even the upper shell has kept its shape, just been thinned out a bit by the impact. I looked inside, there is no thru hull damage, I knew it would be a little fiberglass work involved but didn't see it being a huge under taking. Outside of matching the gel but even there if it's relativly close I am ok. after all it's a 1991 and it is here only to replace us not having a boat until I can properly rebuild the other one. We lost all last season so i figured buying a boat that was de rigged, I could simply throw my rigging in an get out on the water this year. OR SO GOES THE PLAN ANYHOW.


Thanks again.

Oh, I was certain to add the navigation light into the picture so it would give a location (in a sense) of were the damage was. That was my thought.

 

[chaparral2300]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

well somehow in trying to edit my post, i ended up re posting, so my apologies for this one. Thanks and hope to hear from ya.

Also pay close attention to the trim, the black trim. I am looking to replace a portion of that, can that be done, or do I have to purchase an entire kit to replace what is damaged. To be honest, there is very little damage outside of cosmetic that I can see here, no denting in fiberglass, no cracks, fractures, or distortion. Just these deep scratches.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Sounds like you have checked inside already for fiberglass cracking. i think it would have been easier to realize that it was teh bow if there was a picture from farther away included. After you pointed out it was the bow I realized the left hand railing turns at the edge of the picture and saw the bow light. Most of the time damage from a vehicle is done to the back corners due to it beng on the trailer. i realize this one wasn't but normality put that into the frame of all our minds and allowed us to overlook the signs that this was the bow.

I would make sure there is no light coming through the fiberglass from the inside and mo fractures seen. There looks to be a lot of fracture fiberglass in the pictures though from the fuzzy white strands. That should all be taken down to good glass and a few layers of new fiberglass laid in overlapping fashion. Normally you would remove the cap from the boat to do this properly by repairing the top and bottom sections separately and then reattaching. In your situation I think it would be safe to repair together but realize you will be bonding the two together at that point.

After all the fiberglass is sure to be solid then you can work on the gel and since you not trying to make this your permanent rig I would get it close enough and call it done. In fact I personally would probably fiberglass it level and paint it instead since that would be less expensive and easier and quicker than gelcoating it.

Regarding the rub rail you can by it in a per foot length so replacing just that section is possible just realize it will have the cut line in it. If it has a rubber insert I would recommend overlapping the rubber and not putting the rubber insert cut line and the backing cut line at the same place.

Hopefully that all makes sense.

 

[gm280]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Looking again at the pictures I can now see it is the bow of the boat. But I too first thought it was the back left corner (stern). I see you stated that the PO took a hundred off the selling price. Well I can tell you that the rub rail and insert alone is going to cost you many times that figure...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

Duct tape......
Nooooo! just kidding...
From the looks of it seems mostly cosmetic...I think with a good repair in that area, you should have no worries about ripping the bow off when winching the boat up on the trailer...
Matching the gel coat, that may be a bit more difficult, but not impossible, if you are willing to spend the time on it...
The best approach is to dish out the damaged area about a foot all around...I would work on the upper [cap] section separately from the bottom [hull] section...
If in the procees of grinding away the bad stuff and dishing it out you create a void in the center of the fiberglass, you will have to use an old "hole in the drywall trick"...create a backing for the hole out of cardboard with a string to pull it as tight as possible to the backside of the crack...this is assuming you do NOT have access to the area being repaired from the inside...this support will become part of the boat after the repair...
Then begin by applying several layers of CSM and 1708, as illustrated below...



Once you get close to the finished surface height, you make a filling/fairing paste out of the resin, or you can finish filling the area with color matched gel coat...

Then repeat on the lower damaged area...

The materials you will need amount to about a gallon of polyester resin with catalyst, a couple of square feet of 1.5 oz. CSM [chopped strand mat], maybe a yard of 1708 biaxial cloth, a pint or so of cabosil/aerosil, and a couple of handfuls of milled fibers...some 40-60 grit sandpaper, an inexpensive 4" angle grinder from Harbor Freight and a couple of 24-36 grit sanding discs for it...a couple of sheets of 80 grit and 120 grit sandpaper, a couple of chip brushes, some acetone, a couple of one quart mixing buckets, respirator, solvent resistant latex type gloves, goggles, some baby powder to keep your skin from itching and a few other odds and ends...

Once you are done with the repairs, then you can get a short section of rub rail plus insert, to finish it off...or if your pockets are deep enough, you could replace the entire rub rail...

BTW, I just want to say, this repair is in no way a substitute for the very real possibility that the rest of the boat may be in need of a full restoration, which if it is, I wouldn't worry about this repair until well after I began the restoration...

Let us know how it goes, and if you have any other questions, feel free...
Best of luck and have fun!

PS- there is a little more to it, but that's the basics...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

First you should edit both of your posts and remove your phone#. Not good to post on the open forum. 2nd Based on Pics and your secondary information which is all I can go by, the info GT1000000 has given you good info on the repair. If you use some wedges you should be able to keep form gluing the top cap to the hull. As I stated previously since the boat is 20+ yrs old, matching the gelcoat color will be difficult at best. You may get close but even that will be difficult. Spray paint might be a better alternative, especially for the blue. If you're frugal and take care you might be able to effect the repairs for less than $200 as long as they are only cosmetic as you've described.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Need help with fixing this, UPS backed into boat, need details and material list.

My opinion hasn't changed much...well a little.

Glass will distort, then crack and fracture, but frequently return to its original shape, so not seeing much distortion will be normal. From the looks of the crack, both up the deck and the smaller one going down the hull, there was a good deal of stress and movement from the impact, so I would expect to see some fracturing radiating out from that area, this is what the gel coat hides. You may be able to see tiny cracks spreading outward from the damage, the repair needs to go out further than the longest crack. Sometimes fresh cracks can be hard to see, so use a grease pen or Sharpy, then wipe it off, this makes the cracks stand out.

You won't need a huge amount of materials, but there will be quite a bite of grinding, glassing, filling, sanding and shaping to get it solid again.