CONTINUOUSWAVE

My 1971 13-footer hit a large object and damaged the hull above the water line.





Give advice on making a repair to a Unibond hull.

You are looking at $5,000 to $10,000 in repairs at a shop who has experience with Boston Whaler construction.

If you add your location, we might be able to give you recommendations.

Thanks Phil. I am in St Augustine Fl.

Not sure if it’s worth fixing at that price. I appreciate your input. Sadly the boat was in pristine condition.

Repair to original condition would be very difficult and expensive. Even repair that restored the structural integrity of the bow at the sacrifice of all cosmetic appearance would be, in my mind, somewhat iffy.

One possible approach might be to find another hull of the same design, then make molds of the hull and liner in the areas of damage on your boat. The molds could then be used in joining the larger pieces of your boat back together. Or you might find a donor boat whose stern was severely damaged. The bow of the donor boat could be cut off and laminated onto your boat at a clean joint line made by cutting off the damage on your boat in the identical plane

If the boat were insured the policy might offer some compensation, but for a 52-year-old boat the payoff might be only for salvage value.

I think I will strip [the removable parts from the hull]. The wood is in perfect condition.The engine and the trailer are also in excellent condition.

I will trash [the hull] and find a another Boston Whaler boat with no engine or trailer.

In 50 years of boating, this was my first accident.

Before you put the boat in the trash, you might advertise the hull. Perhaps some ambitious young fellow would like to have it, and undertake a repair of some sort. Younger people seem to have unlimited time and energy to devote to restoration of old boats.