So Friday, after commenting on here that I was stomping in by 5.....my weekend started off BAD, but at least after I had two GREAT sets in. The wind was up, so we ended up finding some glass in a cove that we normally don't ride in, but have plenty of times before. I was on the line, and one of my buddies was driving, exactly where I asked him to in the center. We hit something that we NEVER saw.....it almost stopped the boat! I have weird damage.....my front fins are bent to the left, my shaft mount is bent way left, rudder bent back, and prop is slightly bent forward. It's like we caught a log just under the surface, and it wedged itself between the rudder and prop after we hit. <BR>The rudder flexed the hull and cracked the fiberglass and gel-coat, and my V-drive was making a loud whine and popping noise on the way back to the dock....I guess from the shaft angle having things in a bind. <BR> <BR>I'll be posting pics of the damage later.....but I am SICK!!!!! I've got a claim going with my insurance, and I've saw on here people having similar damage and it costing anywhere from $1900 to $2500. My thing is the down time and I am concerned about the V-drive and hull. <BR> <BR>Hoping maybe you guys could share some good-bad stories with this scenario. This is my first time tearing up a V -drive boat. <BR> <BR>Trying to stay positive.....me and the boys broke out the ATV and the wakeskates and hit the pasture pond all day Sunday. I even got the running start off the bank down! Stoked with that! <BR> <BR>We're also planning a weekend trip to OWC while the rig is down. It sucks, but I'm not letting it ruin the rest of summer!

It sucks, but there's nothing that you can do now besides submit the claim and let your insurance fix it. I tore out the meat and potatoes of my boat earlier this year and I can't even tell it happened. This isn't the first boat your dealer is going to fix with this sort of damage. I was back up and running in a matter of days.

sucks to hear stuff like that man. I am sure she will be back together in no time though, keep your head up!

Mine was crappy too. <BR>Lost a wheel bearing causing me to ruin a hub and spindel in the middle of nowhere. Ended up camping in the park in some little town, with a big tow bill, alot of work, and a wasted half of the day fixing it. Once we got to the lake we were going the water was rough and nasty. Then one of my friends fell and cut his foot bad. Finally we went to watch Trigger Gunn set a world record by jumping 300 ft. and he wrecked( I am sure his weekend sucked more). Despite all of that I had a good time though.

Bummer. I had it happen last August. Although my damage was in the $8k range. <BR> <BR><a href="http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h84/Styk33/f5c2d894.jpg" target="_blank">http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h84/Styk33/f5c2d894.jpg</a> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by Styk33 on July 25, 2006)

Brutal...

Oh man...sorry to hear about that.

A friend destroyed the bottom of his centurion 2 years ago, broken rudder, torn up fiberglass, prop damage, shaft damage - 8K range. Good news he said it ran better than ever after the repair and the gel coat turned out so good you could hardly believe the amount of damage the boat sustained. Good luck it will get better.

James....my damage is similar but not quite as bad as your deal.....but THANK God for insurance if it's an 8K pop!! I have no hull damage from contact, but where the rudder bent back, it flexed around the mount and cracked the bottom pretty good. I actually think I can have the prop fixed and keep it as a spare. <BR> <BR>I hear this happens a lot. The dealer I will be taking it to said they fix these almost weekly around here. Lakes are low, and the chain we're on is constantly being moved by Duke Power, so...never know what lies beneath! <BR> <BR>I'll get the pics up soon, and keep you posted on the totals and repair.

wow, based on the damage you describe, I'm suprised you were able to get back to the dock w'out being towed.

Pics of the damage. <BR>Fins slightly bent left. <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/350050.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR>Rudder and hull. <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/350051.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/350052.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/350053.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR>Prop shaft. <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/350054.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR>Not as bad as I've seen, but bad enough! <BR> <BR>Am I in the 3K or 8K range??? <BR> <BR>DC

If it wasn't for that crack in the fiberglass coming from the corner of the rudder fitting I would say it would be a lot less. I wouldn't sweat the slight bend of the fins, prop doesn't look bad at all (surprizing), new shaft and rudder, a little gel coat repair where the prop hit the bottom of the hull. <BR> <BR>That crack, however, could be major.

I would def. have a structural glass guy have a look - that crack looks like more than just surface stuff and should be built up and repaired from the inside...

I'm surprised the rudder didn't just shear off. I've had a freinds boat had it happen.....twice. the rudder shears off and all the damage done was fixed by just replacing the rudder.

In the second to last pic, it looks like the rudder flexed the hull enough to put a dent in the bottom just aft and above the rudder blade itself - ouch

Yeah...I'm really stressing the hull deal more. Whatever we hit almost stopped the boat dead in the water...that's why I don't understand how the prop got off so light! <BR>I've heard of a bottom hull having to be "heat pressed", re-inforced inside and then gel-coated outside. Is there such a process???

also surprised rudder didn't shear. I thought props were designed like that..? personally bought and installed a prop that did shear on my bro's CC 2001. sheared flush with the hull - no hull damage, besides the nick it put in to the glass when it came off