Is this fixable and what should it cost

General boating discussion
kmorin
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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#26

Post by kmorin »

Chtucker, this suggestion is kind of tongue in cheek but if I had that skiff to repair I'd sure consider this idea?

If the gunwale extrusion is that soft, where one boat can crush it in a gentle swell by riding down on the smaller hull- that implies this is not a 6061-T6 alloy that is hard and stiff. It implies this is a pretty soft material, whether that is alloy or heat treatment, it still implies to me a potential cure for lots less money.

I' check to see how the gunwale extrusion is sealed at the ends. If they're all one piece along the side and have caps or plugs then this could work. I'd put these in myself if I were not scamming an insurance company and my boating friend.

I'd weld a tapped block on the extrusion aft, inside the splash well, and put in pressurized air to see if I could reform the dent? The extrusion looks soft and should reform with a hundred or so psi? If not?- put a nitrogen bottle on it and a 6K regulator and 'reform' that puppy! at much less than a full nitrogen bottle's 2500PSI I think the extrusion will probably fill out, much like it was originally?

Only half kidding, the paint and polish on this skiff would take a bit if the welds implied were to interfere with that finish. So I'd cut out the problem area, and TIG in the replacement, then polish off the welds so they weren't visible. Hey! for 12K$ I'd consider flying to the Puget Sound; cutting out the extrusion; welding in the new piece and buffing it out!

I can't tell from the angle of the photos if the piece is in a straight or bent/curved/rolled location along the sheer? If that were the case (curved) some of work would be rolling the extrusion to that shape if wasn't already rolled by the supplier/builder. But if the replacement were supplied preformed in Plan View? then cutting the piece out and matching that length from the new stock seems like it could be done pretty simply? I can't see the exact section of the boat so my remarks may not be useful if the console is welded to this extrusion?

seems like your friend- isn't one? I'd call him an associate.

cheers,
Kevin Morin
Kenai, AK
kmorin
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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#27

Post by Chtucker »

I don't think the extrusion will hold air. The plastic cleats would probably pop out.

I asked him to deal with the insurance company and to get a second estimate...

We will see what happens
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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#28

Post by welder »

Looks like one could cut out the bent section, sleeve the the two ends, T.I.G. it back up and polish it out . Maybe a 4 or 5 hour job.

Wish Kevin M. lived closer.
What would Welder Bob do?
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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#29

Post by SolarKid »

Just out of curiosity, who is your boat insurance company?
Chtucker
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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#30

Post by Chtucker »

It is a proper yacht insurance company that is well respected brokered by an agency that exclusively sells marine insurance.


I think they did the right thing to decline the claim. The cost estimate was excessive to say the least.


Therefore, I don't feel the name is important right now. It is not BoatUS or any other common auto/Homeowners type company.
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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#31

Post by jrogers »

Yea, I think your best stance is 'Sorry, it is in the hands of the insurance company, nothing I can do' and let them deal with him. As for the cost, it can be really hard to match paint and blend in on something like that. To make it like new where there is no complaining wife at the repair company shop, I bet the are planning on painting the whole side of the boat. If the owner really wants it perfect, he should sell that boat for fair market value, and buy a new or like new one and put all of his stuff on it. It would be much more cost effective.
Jim

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Re: Is this fixable and what should it cost

#32

Post by Karl in NY »

Chtucker wrote: Total repair cost was estimated at $11,790 with sale tax. New boat is probably $15k INCLUDING THE MOTOR.
With those repair costs, vs. replacement cost, the boat is a "total", and many states would issue a "branded" or "salvage" title, making the boat difficult to resell in the future. Unless a second estimate is considerably less, I doubt that the insurance company would authorize repair. But, the boat/motor obviously have considerable salvage value as the damage seems to be mostly cosmetic.

If your insurance company is the one that totals it, you may have first-refusal rights on buying the boat for salvage value, or, not...the other party may have that option.

Considering that it was a rafting incident, I would assume that insurance will argue "contributory negligence" with partial blame to the damaged party.

For the right salvage value, it could be a real bargain.

The delays in reporting the accident and getting estimates hurt both of your positions regarding an insurance claim.
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