Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the big game of the season: one wakeboat, one dock, and a rivalry for the ages. Grab a snack, because the replay is going to be rough.
What Happened
And it is a gorgeous afternoon at the lake, folks! Our boat is approaching the dock at a speed best described as optimistic. The captain is cool, calm, and about to be wrong. The dock cleat, a known troublemaker, makes its move!
Contact! Not once. Not twice. THREE times! The crowd (two ducks) goes silent. When asked for comment, the captain said, “The dock moved.” The dock has declined to respond.
The Challenge
Three round divots cut through the gelcoat and into the laminate underneath, and they sat right where the gray panel meets the bright orange stripe. That meant matching two colors, not one, and holding a razor-crisp line between them.
Gelcoat also fades with sun and water, so the new orange could not just be factory orange. It had to be this boat’s orange, as it looks today.
The Fix
Step 1: Mark the damage. Each divot was taped off and labeled so the repair stayed small and precise.
Step 2: Open up the damage. We ground each spot back to solid, sound laminate and beveled the edges for a strong bond.
Step 3: Rebuild. Fiberglass and resin filled each hole layer by layer, then cured fully before we touched it again.
Step 4: Fair and sand. Filler and fine sanding blended the repairs into the curve of the hull sides.
Step 5: Color match. Test sprays were compared in daylight until the gray and the orange both matched the aged finish.
Step 6: Spray, polish, done. Color went on in thin coats, the stripe line was held sharp, and the whole area was wet-sanded and buffed to match the factory gloss.
Before and After
The Result
The stern looks like it has never met a dock in its life. The stripe is straight, the colors match, and the three divots have vanished.
The captain has promised to approach docks at a speed best described as sensible. We will believe it when we see it.
I went to show my buddy where the dings used to be and I could not find them. Now he thinks I made the whole story up.
Sample customer comment (fictional, written for this design preview)
By the Numbers (Example Figures)
Hours of sanding: 6 (sample)
Turnaround: 5 shop days (sample)
Divots remaining: 0 (sample)
Ducks impressed: 2 (sample)
These figures are sample numbers for layout purposes only.
Got a cracked, chewed-up, or just plain embarrassed piece of fiberglass? Call Fogle’s Fiberglass at 812-615-9046 or email foglesfiberglass@gmail.com and tell us what happened. We promise not to laugh (much).
Sample story for design preview only.