Short answer: Harbor Marine repairs gel coat and fiberglass for Suwanee boat owners at our Buford shop: ramp scrapes, chips, cracks, trailer wear and strike damage. Call or text (770) 967-8495.
How Suwanee boats get scratched
On a trailer boat, much of the damage happens on land. Bunks that are worn or set wrong can wear through the gel coat along the bottom. Backing down a crowded ramp, loading in a crosswind and tight turns in the driveway all leave marks. Then there are the usual lake bumps: a dock piling, a sandbar, a friend's boat at the sandbar party.
Gel coat is a thin outer layer. Once it is chipped or worn through, water can reach the fiberglass below. Fixing damage early is simpler than waiting.
What we repair
- Chips, gouges and scrapes in the gel coat.
- Spider cracks and stress cracks.
- Wear along the keel and from trailer bunks.
- Fiberglass damage from a hard hit.
- Older repairs that no longer match.
How the repair is done
We grind out the damaged area to sound material and rebuild it with fiberglass where needed. Then we fill, shape and sand it to match the hull's curve, and finish with gel coat matched to your boat's color. Repair work needs a clean, controlled space and time to cure, so it happens at our shop at 6516 Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford.
Bring it in on the trailer
For Suwanee owners, getting the boat to us is usually simple: tow it to the Buford shop on its trailer. Before you come, send photos of the damage so we can tell you what the job will involve. If you cannot tow, ask about boat transport in Suwanee.
Check your trailer too
If the same spot on the bottom keeps getting worn, the trailer may be the cause. Worn bunk carpet, a bunk set at the wrong angle or a roller that does not turn can grind on the hull every trip. We will point it out if we see it, so you can fix the trailer before the repair wears again.
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:
- The size and depth of the damage.
- Whether fiberglass under the gel coat is damaged.
- How hard the color is to match.
- Where the damage is on the hull.
Garage door and driveway bumps
Not every scrape happens at the lake. Backing a boat into a garage or tight driveway can catch the bow eye, rub rail or swim platform on a post, mailbox or garage door frame. These are usually small repairs, but they are worth fixing before water gets in. Bring the boat in on its trailer and we will take a look.
Keel and bow wear
The keel and the bottom of the bow take the most abuse on a trailer boat. They hit the bow stop, drag on the bunks and touch the ramp or beach. Over time, the gel coat there wears thin or chips through. A keel guard can help protect it once it is repaired. We can talk about whether one makes sense for your boat.
Old repairs that stand out
Sometimes a repair done years ago has faded to a different shade, or the edges have started to crack. We can redo the area so it blends with the hull around it.
Related and nearby
If the damage came from a strike, have the drive checked through sterndrive repair in Suwanee. After the repair, detailing in Suwanee helps the whole hull look even.
Next door, we also cover gel coat repair in Sugar Hill and in Buford, where our shop is. Owners who keep a boat in the water can read about gel coat repair on Lake Lanier, and Forsyth neighbors can see Cumming. For everything we do in town, start at boat repair in Suwanee. The full service page walks through the process, or you can send us a note.