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View Full Version : Top Deck available anwhere or 18 Classic?



KMP
06-01-2016, 08:21 AM
Does anyone know of a top deck available for an 18 classic?

I had a little problem this weekend.

Capevettes
06-01-2016, 08:28 AM
Holy $hit!!! Sorry about your boat. What happened? Fuel leak?

KMP
06-01-2016, 08:36 AM
Holy $hit!!! Sorry about your boat. What happened? Fuel leak?

No fuel leak. Fire department is supposing lightning hitting the dock and setting the cover on fire, but they are investigating.

I had no battery in the boat, no power to the dock. We did have a heavy lightning storm at the time.

Ghost
06-01-2016, 09:29 AM
Wow, that's horrible--really sorry, man.

f_inscreenname
06-01-2016, 09:33 AM
We have lived in this house on 2/3 of an acre for almost 8 years. The property has been hit 4 times by lightening. So sorry for your loss.

CHACHI
06-01-2016, 09:59 AM
Sorry to see this.

Tragic.

Ken

Greg Guimond
06-01-2016, 12:14 PM
Yikes, glad no one was hurt. You may be far better off taking the insurance settlement and buying a mint 18. There are some very nice one's out there. I can't imagine the smell will ever leave the glass if you restore it.

Ghost
06-01-2016, 12:21 PM
Yikes, glad no one was hurt. You may be far better off taking the insurance settlement and buying a mint 18. There are some very nice one's out there. I can't imagine the smell will ever leave the glass if you restore it.

Had similar thoughts, and also wondered if there's a risk that the heat compromised the glass even where it's not burned/singed. I don't know, but I'd be particularly cautious about the hull to deck joint region of the hull, if trying to attach a new deck to it.

Morgan's Cloud
06-01-2016, 04:28 PM
OMG , that's a disaster . I do feel for you , especially considering it looks like it was a very nice boat . (gotta love that dark blue )

I hate to say it but I'd consider it a write-off . The cost to fix everything , even if you could find a good deck still doesn't take into account the chemical and structural changes to the glass in the hull . The heat produced in a fiberglass boat fire is intense and it's unlikely that there will be much in the hull from the helm station back that hasn't had the resin leave the glass and burn , and then the glass fabric itself is no good either .

As distraught as you must be I hope that it all works out in the end for you .

(I HATE lightning ! ... f_inscreenname I have a friend who's grandfather was struck by lightning 3 times in his life . He actually died from old age ! )

f_inscreenname
06-01-2016, 10:37 PM
(I HATE lightning ! ... f_inscreenname I have a friend who's grandfather was struck by lightning 3 times in his life . He actually died from old age ! )

Saw it happen 3 times and one other time I'm positive and then there is 2 other times it was suspected and that's my property. All my neighbors have either lost trees or electronics because of lightening. Even at the hood's boat ramp I was pulling my boat as a quick summer storm was coming. I was driving off and seconds later lightening dropped a tree across the ramp. We live on a north/south point with a river running east/west on one side and the bay on the other. IMHO Weather gets wound up coming down the river and the point sticking out acts like a lightening rod. Not to mention Bethlehem Steel was on the other side of the river for a 100 years and I'm sure the whole area has a layer of steel dust to add to the attraction.

Like said the Donzi is a loss. I'm sure there is some parts to be salvaged buts that's about all. So sad.

JParanee
06-02-2016, 02:44 AM
Sorry to see this

woobs
06-02-2016, 07:47 AM
What about putting a wooden deck on it?

Much would ride on the condition of the port side gunwale and the top of the transom, which are out of view in the picture. But, if the shape is still there the hull could be glass re-enforced and supported by futtocks and beams (just like a woody boat).

The lower hull was protected by the water and by the look of the peeling registration numbers the starboard side hasn't seen too much heat.

If you get the insurance for a new boat and have zero investment in this wreck to start... why not?

smokediver
06-02-2016, 09:39 PM
Donzi will make one for you. Sit down when you get the quote.

KMP
06-03-2016, 09:33 AM
The Fire Marshal investigator has narrowed it down to a lightning strike at the road which destroyed the transformer and followed through the electrical to the lift control box. The box caught fire and set the touchless cover on fire. As it burnt it set the boat cover I had on the boat to keep bug crap off. Over the engine it looks worse as much of the pealing you see is melted acrylic from the cover.

the liner and deck is mostly gone. The hull looks good with possible laying a sheet on each side of the cockpit. Engine just under fresh water. Hoses in the engine compartment even look good with some minor bubbles on 2 hoses. Helm and throttle shot. Seats are in heaven.

KMP
06-03-2016, 09:39 AM
This is what it looked like before Mother Nature.

Morgan's Cloud
06-03-2016, 10:20 AM
Yep , I thought it would have been a very pretty one .

osur866
06-03-2016, 11:09 AM
Dang sorry to see this, I really like the engine craddle, was that a tight fit in the 18?

steve

KMP
06-03-2016, 11:34 AM
That is an offshore race mount. Fit perfectly, but had to cut for the bigger oil pan.



Dang sorry to see this, I really like the engine craddle, was that a tight fit in the 18?

steve

osur866
06-03-2016, 11:38 AM
That is an offshore race mount. Fit perfectly, but had to cut for the bigger oil pan.

I like!!

mc donzi
06-04-2016, 06:42 AM
Is there enough left of the deck to at least use as a partial mold??

If so, take the insurance pay out,,, buy it back for pennies on the dollar... find a good glass guy or buy a deck from Donzi.

Judging from the pictures it's worth pursuing.

Ghost
06-04-2016, 09:00 AM
So sad, those before-pics are just gorgeous.

If there's some way to prove for certain all the hull glass is not compromised, I suppose maybe on getting a new deck. But I'd shop for a whole new replacement boat--buyer's market for used.

A bit of legwork on the market might significantly improve the insurance payout. Claims folks sometimes really appreciate when you do their hard work for them, making their lives easy. Gathering data and organizing it, including specifics about condition of your boat and others for sale, including nitty gritty down to things like age of fuel tanks, etc might pay off. Your boat looks like it was in GREAT shape. Feels like you can make the case for a substantial check for shopping used.

I'd be very concerned about the integrity of glass that saw high heat. I keep picturing hitting wave 1, and a new deck ripping the screws out of the hull, like opening a bag of dog food. I could be totally wrong, I don't claim to know.

OFFSHORE GINGER
06-04-2016, 09:10 AM
Overall .............how is the hull and is it going to be for sell .

Greg Guimond
06-04-2016, 01:58 PM
This is what it looked like before Mother Nature.

What state are you located in?

KMP
06-04-2016, 06:27 PM
What state are you located in?


Orlando, Florida

KMP
06-04-2016, 06:30 PM
Overall .............how is the hull and is it going to be for sell .


The he bottom is good and solid. (So is the boat hull):lookaroun:

I've had the boat almost 25 years now. Will probably keep it. Either watch for a deck or build a new one.

RickSE
06-06-2016, 12:05 PM
The new owner of our old 1996 18C had the boat get swamped at the shore line. The water was up to the dash. The retrieval guys did some gel damage to get it out and floating but nothing major. The insurance company ended up totaling the boat. He had it insured for $16K and the buy back was a little under $4K I believe. He bought it back, rebuilt the engine and fixed the gel damage.

Greg Guimond
06-06-2016, 12:20 PM
If you had agreed value insurance and the buy back is around what Rick describes, you could always turn it into an 18 Classic Center Console!

KMP
06-06-2016, 11:53 PM
If you had agreed value insurance and the buy back is around what Rick describes, you could always turn it into an 18 Classic Center Console!


Haha, actually thought of that. 18' center console with 500hp and imco steering. Just need some outriggers.

Greg Guimond
06-08-2016, 04:25 PM
Haha, actually thought of that. 18' center console with 500hp and imco steering. Just need some outriggers.

When we built the deck for my 16 from scratch I decided to weigh it in on a digital scale. Came in at 409lbs built a bit heavy. If you do decide to build a 18 deck I'm very sure you could cut that weight in half easily with bagging it. Plenty of folks down in Florida who have the skills to do that work reasonably.