Prather Fun cruiser
I have a Prather fun cruiser that I bought a few years ago which now has a cracked hull. The damage is on the very front.. It still floats, but I'm told that the cost to repair it is almost the same as buying a new one..
Does anyone have, or know where to buy a replacement? Heck, I don't even know if they make the Fun Cruiser anymore... |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
Hi 997P,
Could you show us some pics of the damage? Unless the boat has gotten a 'bulldog nose' , with severe damage (AKA shortening the boat several inches), I doubt if the repair should be so costly. There's a lot of knowledge on this subject, so if you provide the pictured, we should be able to provide solutions. Regards, Jan. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
some cracks are eazy to repair,if you go to your local car parts store you can get a repair kit for glass that will take you through all of the steps to do a profesonal job
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RE: Prather Fun cruiser
I second Sound-Guy...not that bad. Just be patient. It sure helps familiarize yourself with your boat and running surface.
I was plunking around the net a few nights ago and some one did by the molds and bits from Prather...I think it was Hyperproducts maybe? They offer hulls, etc. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
Here's a pic...unfortunately, it's more than just a few cracks... I forgot to mention part of the bow is missing...lol
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...8/P1010640.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...8/P1010641.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...8/P1010642.jpg |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
I should add I was/am quite familar with it... I had mainly run it out in the lake and many times right along side my big boat.
This happened when my dad (who wanted to try it) made a left turn which was way to wide for it to handle, and it kissed my seawall... I'd really like to get it going again, but I'm afraid she needs a new hull. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
It looks worse than it really is, it's just marginally worse than the damage on my boats after a unfortunate race day...
What bothers me, is the fact that the gelcoat has seperated from the laminate underneath, that indicates poor workmanship. (the gelcoat has been sitting in the mo(u)ld too long and the next layer of polyester(?) and glass hasn't really bonded with it). I agree it's more than a few crack, but nothing that can't be repaired. Regards, Jan. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
So, the question I then have is: Where do I take it to have fiberglass repaired? A body shop? Does anyone on here do fiberglass work?
I'd certainly be willing to give them my business... Would I have to remove the engine and drive shaft? (Assuming that's a yes...) |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
That's a tough one for me to answer, as I'm not familiar with what is available locally...
You have a lot of water nearby, so a boat repairshop, or a car body shop would be a place to start. If it was my hull, I'd do it myself, but these things need a bit of experience in working with glass/resin, to make it look as if nothing has happened. Don't you want to give it a try yourself? You'll learn as you go along. Strip the hull completely, remove the loose parts of the glass and gelcoat and repair the cracked joint from the inside first. After it has set, shape a block of foam to fit in the nose and sand the boat back into shape. Reduce the foam by a fraction, so the outside layer will blend nicely onto the existing fiberglass. Cover the newly formed nose with epoxy (not polyester!) and glasscloth, use thin material and apply two layers, to get a firm surface, let it cure for a couple of days in a warm environment. Now comes the fun part: After that, remove the foam mechanically, pour some Acetone into the hull to dissolve the remainder of the foam, clean it out thouroughly and let it air out. You now have a complete hull with a very thin nose section. Add glasscloth and epoxy from the inside, building up the nose to the desired thickness, using strips of glasscloth and long brushes to tap the cloth into place. This is a nasty business, but if I can manage it in a small 25"nose, the much roomier FunCruiser should not pose much of a challenge. Use a lightsource outside the hull (which will shine through) to guide you with placing the glasscloth and resin in place. Once you're happy with the thickness of the nose, sand the outside and respray. Make sure too wear protection and a respiration mask, as the epoxy may cause longterm allergic reactions. Vent the fumes. Let me know what you think. Regards, Jan. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
ORIGINAL: pompebled That's a tough one for me to answer, as I'm not familiar with what is available locally... You have a lot of water nearby, so a boat repairshop, or a car body shop would be a place to start. If it was my hull, I'd do it myself, but these things need a bit of experience in working with glass/resin, to make it look as if nothing has happened. Don't you want to give it a try yourself? You'll learn as you go along. Strip the hull completely, remove the loose parts of the glass and gelcoat and repair the cracked joint from the inside first. After it has set, shape a block of foam to fit in the nose and sand the boat back into shape. Reduce the foam by a fraction, so the outside layer will blend nicely onto the existing fiberglass. Cover the newly formed nose with epoxy (not polyester!) and glasscloth, use thin material and apply two layers, to get a firm surface, let it cure for a couple of days in a warm environment. Now comes the fun part: After that, remove the foam mechanically, pour some Acetone into the hull to dissolve the remainder of the foam, clean it out thouroughly and let it air out. You now have a complete hull with a very thin nose section. Add glasscloth and epoxy from the inside, building up the nose to the desired thickness, using strips of glasscloth and long brushes to tap the cloth into place. This is a nasty business, but if I can manage it in a small 25"nose, the much roomier FunCruiser should not pose much of a challenge. Use a lightsource outside the hull (which will shine through) to guide you with placing the glasscloth and resin in place. Once you're happy with the thickness of the nose, sand the outside and respray. Make sure too wear protection and a respiration mask, as the epoxy may cause longterm allergic reactions. Vent the fumes. Let me know what you think. Regards, Jan. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
That's a matter of priorities, with a hobby like ours, who needs friends/family....?
Just kiddin', see what a repairshop can do for you. Better would be a fellow boater with fiberglassing experience living near you, perhaps there's a forummember that wants to take on the challenge. Regards, Jan. |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
In my expereince...if you take it to a car guy make sure he/she has experience in fiberglass...Corvette?
I would go to a Marine FG Repair place...if it is cold they will be hungry for work in the off-season like our guys are here. I am in the boat business... |
RE: Prather Fun cruiser
ORIGINAL: FlogginHarvey In my expereince...if you take it to a car guy make sure he/she has experience in fiberglass or other laminates...Corvette? I would go to a Marine FG Repair place...if it is cold they will be hungry for work in the off-season like our guys are here. I am in the boat business... |
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