Drilled a hole in the hull of my new boat!-Need Help

[MinnesotaNautique]

I had a friend mounting an amp ( I was too scared to drill) and he drilled all the way through the hull (boat is 10 months old)! The hole is slightly smaller than a pencil eraser, and its right at the water line. I would appreciate any suggestions to remedy this situation. I've called local fiberglass/gelcoat repair shops with estimates around $500 (seems high)...is this something I should definately have a shop do, or can it be a do-it-youself project? Thanks in advance for any input.

[thevogt]

Try these links-

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/fiber.htm
http://aquaskier.com/articles/gel_coat_repair.htm

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Hope this helps.

Gary

[Grant_West]

Dam. Im sorry to hear about that. That sucks. That is a installers worst nightmare. If i did that to someones boat I cant tell you how bad I would feel. I could see how somthing like that can or would happen if you had never installed in a boat before. When ever I have to drill in a boat I always check like 3 times to make sure this never happens. It sounds like the hole is small enough that it can be fixed easy and be repaired so that you would never know it was damaged post a photo of it.

[ag4ever]

I had a chip in my gel coat that was caused by a roller on the loaner trailer when I first got my boat. I took it to the dealer, and they fixed it to the point you would never know it was there. I had my check book out and asked how much it was, and they said nothin'. I can't imagine it would be $500, but I can imagine it is well over $100. I seriously doubt it will ever cause any other problem once it is fixed properly.

I hope you get it fixed good and soon. There is nothing that make you feel worse than seeing any stray hole in your boat.

[Wakeslave]

A liitle masking tape on the drill bit will keep that from happening. I have seen it happen before..and I always make sure I have the bit taped off before. I realize that don't help much now..but mabey for next time. 500.00 sounds awful pricey for a hole that size. You should be able to fix it yourself with the links provided above. Good Luck !!

[MinnesotaNautique]

Fellas,

Thank you for all the suggestions/insight. I ended up fixing it myself using the links that "thevogt" provided. Thanks again...

[thevogt]

Glad I could help. Hopefully, that's why we all visit and contribute from time to time. Have a great day on the water.

Gary