Short answer: Harbor Marine repairs gel coat and fiberglass for Gainesville boat owners at our Buford shop: dock rash, chips, cracks, lift wear and strike damage. Call or text (770) 967-8495.
Damage from docks, lifts and the lake
Boats on the north end of the lake pick up hull damage in a few ways. Private docks with tight approaches lead to bumps against pilings and dock corners. Wind blowing down a long arm can push a boat into the dock even with fenders out. Lifts with worn or poorly set bunks wear on the bottom each time the boat goes up. And in low-water years, stumps and rocks in the upper coves take their toll.
Gel coat is the thin, colored layer on the outside of the hull. Once it is chipped through, water can reach the fiberglass. Fixing damage early keeps it small.
What we repair
- Dock rash on the bow, sides and rub rail area.
- Chips, gouges and scrapes.
- Spider and stress cracks.
- Bottom wear from lift bunks.
- Fiberglass damage from strikes.
- Faded older repairs.
How the repair is done
We clean the area and grind away damaged gel coat and glass until we reach sound material. Where the fiberglass is cracked or soft, we rebuild it in layers. Then we fill, shape and sand the area to follow the hull's lines, and spray or brush gel coat tinted to match. Each step needs cure time and a controlled space, so the work happens at our shop at 6516 Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford.
When it goes deeper than gel coat
A light bump usually only hurts the gel coat. A hard hit can crack the fiberglass layers underneath. Signs include a spot that flexes when pressed, cracks that spread out from a point, or water weeping from the area. Those need the glass cut back and rebuilt before finishing. We will tell you which kind of repair your boat needs once we see it.
Fix the cause too
If the same spot keeps getting damaged, something at the dock or lift is causing it. It might be a fender that rides up in the wind, a line that lets the boat swing, or a lift bunk that needs new carpet. We point it out when we see it, so the repair is not undone in a month.
Getting the boat to the shop
Trailer boats can be towed south to the shop. Boats on lifts or at docks need to be hauled out first. If you would rather not do the move yourself, see boat transport in Gainesville. Before the trip, send photos of the damage so we can tell you what to expect.
Color matching on older hulls
Gel coat changes color in the sun over the years. We tint new gel coat to match the hull as it is now, not as it left the factory. On faded boats, a polish afterward helps the repair blend with the area around it.
What affects a gel coat job
Pricing is set when you call for a quote. These are the things that change the size of the job:
- Size and depth of the damage.
- Whether the fiberglass is damaged.
- How hard the color is to match.
- Where on the hull the damage is.
Wind on a long arm
On the north end, wind can funnel down a long, narrow arm and push straight into a dock. Fenders set for a calm day ride up or pop out, and the hull rubs the dock edge. Setting fenders lower, adding a fender board, or using spring lines to hold the boat off the dock all help prevent dock rash.
Related and nearby
If a strike caused the damage, have the drive checked through sterndrive repair in Gainesville. A detail in Gainesville afterward helps the hull look even.
Heading south toward our shop, we also offer gel coat repair in Flowery Branch and in Buford. Owners on the Forsyth shore can look at Cumming, and the lake-wide page covers gel coat repair on Lake Lanier. Everything we offer Hall County owners is on our Gainesville boat repair page. For how the work is done step by step, see the main service page, or get in touch.