[jasyn]

i rented jet ski's this weekend and this place is now trying to charge $600 for this little scratch. is he trying to pull a fast one on me? he's threatening me with the contract and court

 

[JayDawg]

It's only $600.00, take your chances in court! Depending on the age and amount of use on the ski, that could have already been weakened and damaged and when you were riding it, it could have come off assuming that you didn't hit something yourself and actually damage it.

 

[jasyn]

It's only $600.00, take your chances in court! Depending on the age and amount of use on the ski, that could have already been weakened and damaged and when you were riding it, it could have come off assuming that you didn't hit something yourself and actually damage it.

you bring up some good points and i thank you for that. :thumbsup: he was claiming that once it his the "black" mark that there are chances of leakage. is that true or not? to me it just looks like one layer of paint .. then i'm assuming the inside is fiberglass which in the automotive industry as far as i know does not cost $600 for something that small.

 

[JayDawg]

It's hard to say from just a picture but if he had to redo that little hole professionally, it could be kind of costly because you have to re fiberglass it, gel coat it, primer it, paint it, clear coat it and I think there is one another coat of something that they put on after that but in all honesty, that hole looks old and not fresh. Look at the discoloring around the edges of it. If it was new, the edges around the hold would be bright white. I put a very small hole in the hull of my stand up about 8 or 9 years ago so I know this from experience.

 

[jasyn]

It's hard to say from just a picture but if he had to redo that little hole professionally, it could be kind of costly because you have to re fiberglass it, gel coat it, primer it, paint it, clear coat it and I think there is one another coat of something that they put on after that but in all honesty, that hole looks old and not fresh. Look at the discoloring around the edges of it. If it was new, the edges around the hold would be bright white. I put a very small hole in the hull of my stand up about 8 or 9 years ago so I know this from experience.

thanks for all the helpful information you've provided me.:thumbsup:

 

[muddywater]

What???

You don't prime, paint, clear coat AND gel coat! It is one or the other. You either gel coat or you paint. If you paint, then you have to prime, and the clear coat is optional. If you gel coat, then you gel coat and that is it! The coating on most boats is gel coat because the gel coat is applied directly to the mold and then the fiberglass is laid over it and it pops out of the mold ready to go except for polishing. Gel coat was not intended to be an after-the-fact coating like paint, though it can be - it's just alot of work. The amount of sanding required for gel coat is crazy - I know because I just gel coated my boat console and it took me weeks of sanding starting with 400 grit and ending with 1800 grit before using 2000 grit aquabuff compound. Anyway, if your ski is gel coated rather than painted, something that small is a piece of cake to repair, but they probably would charge that much just because anything marine is a rip off. As far as for that little chip causing leaks, that is an outright lie. Gel coat is porous to start with. That is the reason that boats that are moored in water instead of trailered have to have a special bottom coating (some of the bottom coatings are also made to keep marine growth off). Just do a search on hull blisters and you will learn all about it. The gel coat is really just there for looks and to keep the ultraviolet rays from breaking down the fiberglass.

 

[JayDawg]

Thanks for the reply muddywater. I have never gel coated before so I have to admit that I was having to take a guess on how the process was done. I also wonder what ever came of this situation?

 

[muddywater]

Hope I didn't come off as an a55 (it is easy to with a written medium). I hear the process is a little different for SMC, and repairs are more difficult so who knows...

 

[sig556]

Anything Gel coat is expensive. Get a copy of the contract and read it over.