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February - March 2018
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even in the winter as well as have
a effect on tires of the boat trailer
it’s on. Covering the boat entirely
keeps the boat protected from wind
damage, flying debris, hail/ice etc.
Is the boat stored in a “wanna
be” make shift garage, barn, under
old tress with big limbs, or under
anywhere where snow and ice load
can accumulate? Is the building
sturdy? Roof/limb collapse can
cause catastrophic boat damage.
We have have repaired a lot of
crushed gunwales, windshields, etc.
Winter’s freeze takes
a toll on a Mastercraft
leading to a resurrection
During a harsh and cold winter a
few years ago a 1997 Mastercraft
Prostar 205 LTI boat was stored
outside. In the early spring the owner
discovered the wake board tower
on it was damaged. The tower was
designed to slide down into a pipe.
The pipe filled with water and froze
causing the tower to crack. The old
tower needed to be removed and a
new one replaced. Due to the age
of the boat the original tower was no
longer available and the old tower
mounts would not line up with the
new ones. The old holes had to be
properly repaired and new holes
drilled.
As I examined the boat further I
discovered that parts of the boat
were painted. The boat was purchased from
the Mid-west and was used as a tow boat for a
water ski show team.
The previous owner had the deck and upper
hull painted red to match the other tow boats on
the team. Underneath all the red paint was the
original color of the gelcoat; Oyster white, black,
teal and grey.
In order to do the repair all the paint on the
deck needed to be removed. The rub rail and
insert had to be removed along with all the
hardware including bow railings, stern grab
handles and canvas snaps. I used Peel Away®
Marine Safety Strip Paint Remover to strip the
paint. Peel Away is designed to remove anti
fouling, epoxy barrier coat & other marine paints
& varnishes without damage to the fiberglass.
After all the paint was removed the old tower
holes were repaired with Mas epoxy resin and
fiberglass materials for strong reinforcement.
The numerous gashes and scratches that were
revealed were ground out, filled with fiberglass
fillers and sanded. The deck was sanded and
prepped for new Oyster white gelcoat. After
applying the gelcoat it was sanded, compounded
sealer glazed and waxed.
As the restoration progressed the owner
decided to restore below the rub rail as well. First
The repair in progress.
The previous owner had
the deck and upper hull
painted red.