# Hamby's Beaching Bumper coming apart



## Amarillo Palmira (Jan 2, 2010)

I've got a 2007 Stratos 294 bass boat that had a Hamby's Beaching Bumper (a urethane keel guard) installed at the factory. For no apparent reason, the keel guard tore and I lost the lower 18-24" inches of it. The bumper is 6' long and 6" wide. What I'm left with is some ugly looking epoxy residue after I got underneath the boat and cut the torn pieces off. I managed to get some of the epoxy off with a scraper and a heat gun, but it just irritates me to look at it. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose another piece of it soon (the two foot loss was one foot at a time) and may as well get rid of it all together. What I'm weighing are my options:
1. Remove the Hamby's and find someone to replace it with another Hamby's (Hamby's will send me a free replacement unit), but I have to remove the old one, find someone to put on a new one, and pay the labor. 
2. Replace it with a do it yourself keel guard -- but the only ones I've seen are 5" wide instead of 6" wide and there may be some old epoxy showing. Also, the manufacturers tell me I'm going to have to remove the old epoxy by sanding so the new guard will adhere properly.
3. Find someone to either spray a keel guard on with Line X or Rhino Lining. The only place I know that will do the Line X as a keel guard is down in Sarasota. I don't think anyone locally knows how, or is equipped on how to do it.
4. Have a professional sand the epoxy off and fix the gel coat
5. Ignore it

Suggestions? THANKS! Amarillo


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## Kick Some Bass (Apr 29, 2010)

I'd opt for option 4 or 5. If you are really mad maybe Hamby would pay to have it done. Sounds like a bad job from the gitty up. 

KsB


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## Amarillo Palmira (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks, I think I could have that done locally. Hambys said they would send two replacement units. One for the boat and one to give to whoever put it on to defray part of the labor. I called several places and they are so hard to put on, that many installers have quit, well, installing them and that is why its pretty much a factory install only.


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## Amarillo Palmira (Jan 2, 2010)

I got up under the hull and scraped a bunch of the epoxy off by hitting it with a heat gun first. Doesn't look too bad unless you were to crawl up under the hull and stare at it. Anyway, I think I will just leave it alone unless more of the bumper comes off.


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## Amarillo Palmira (Jan 2, 2010)

More of it just came off, so I ended up taking the whole thing off with a heat gun and a putty knife. A nice hunk of gel coat came off with it. I've scraped a bunch of the epoxy and urethane off. I'm trying to figure out how to replace it with a megaware keel guard. Just have to figure out how to get rid of the remaining epoxy and urethane so the Megaware will stick to the hull. I'm thinking I'm going to need to sand it, but not sure of the grit or how to do it.


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## knowphish (Apr 26, 2010)

Patch that gelcoat with Marine Tex and install a Keelguard. I really like the Keelguard w/ their warranty the best!:thumbup: I know it's only 5" wide, but no one will notice 1/2" on either side of it.


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## nojerseydevil (Jan 23, 2009)

2X on the Marine Tex. I used it on my boat. Only bad thing about it is I used white and the spot I used it on is dingy white.

NJD


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## Amarillo Palmira (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks. That is what I plan to do. Just have to figure out how to prep the hull to be sure the Megaware adheres correctly. I still have some epoxy and urethane to get off. I got a gel coat repair kit from BPS. Not sure what brand it is, though.


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