Short answer: Harbor Marine repairs gel coat and fiberglass on Flowery Branch boats: dock rash, rub-rail wear, chips, cracks and impact damage. Small fixes can sometimes be done at the dock, and bigger ones go to our nearby Buford shop.
Dock boats take the wear
Boats that live at Flowery Branch docks and marina slips spend months tied against pilings, fenders and dock edges. On a breezy afternoon, or when wakes roll into a cove, the hull moves and rubs. Over a season that adds up to scuffs along the rub rail, chafe at the waterline and chips at the bow. The changing lake level moves those contact points around, so wear can show up in new places each year.
What we repair
- Rub-rail and hull-side scuffs from fenders and dock edges.
- Chips at the bow and transom from docking and lifts.
- Stress cracks around cleats, rails and hardware.
- Gouges and impact damage, including the fiberglass underneath.
Small fixes at the dock, bigger ones in the shop
Some small chips and scuffs can be handled at your dock. Repairs that need grinding, fiberglass layup or a finish that has to cure out of the weather go to our shop at 6516 Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford, just south of Flowery Branch. If you do not want to move the boat yourself, ask about boat transport in Flowery Branch.
The repair, step by step
- Inspect the damage and the fiberglass under it.
- Clean and grind back to solid material.
- Fill, and add fiberglass if the damage goes deep.
- Fair the area to the hull's shape.
- Gel coat, color-matched as closely as possible, then sand and polish to blend.
Lifts, cradles and bunks
Boats on lifts at Flowery Branch docks pick up their own kind of wear. Cradles and bunks that have shifted, or carpet that has worn through, can leave marks or pressure points on the hull. Coming onto a lift at an angle in a crosswind can scrape the hull sides. If you see new marks along the bottom or sides, check the lift before it happens again. We can repair the hull once the cause is fixed.
Repair before the damage spreads
A chip or crack opens the gel coat to water. On a boat that sits in the water at a dock, water can reach the fiberglass underneath, and the edges of the damage can lift. Repairing small damage early keeps it small, and it costs far less than waiting until the area is soft or stained.
Photos that help us plan
If you can, send a few phone photos with your request: one close-up of the damage, one from a few feet back showing where it is on the hull, and one with a coin or hand in the frame for scale. For dock boats in Flowery Branch, a photo of how the boat sits at the dock helps us see what caused the damage.
Fixing the cause of the mark
If the damage keeps coming back in the same place, something at the dock or lift is causing it. We point it out so you can adjust fenders, bunks or lines before the repair is undone.
Keep it from coming back
Check fender height when the lake rises or drops, and add fenders where the boat rubs. A coat of wax or a ceramic coating in Flowery Branch helps the finish shrug off light contact.
Next door, see gel coat repair in Buford. For the whole lake, see gel coat repair on Lake Lanier, and up the shore, Gainesville. See all our Flowery Branch services, our main gel coat and fiberglass repair page, or contact us.