Critters ate some of my boat seat - repair suggestions please

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

During winter storage some critters, presumably squirrels, ate some of my main boat seat. The pictures show the damage to the upholstery and material, what is not shown is some wood damage under the seat. The seat also sits over part of the engine compartment access and is raised when the engine hatch is opened. Behind the seat is a grab bar used when on the swim platform. Did someone tell them that there were NUTS on board the Sea Que?

This is a 1994 Four Winn's 238 Vista Cruiser and the factory does not have replacement parts. The marina believes that the whole seat needs to be replaced rather than trying to patch the seat and match the upholstery. They have been trying to get estimates from a subcontractor for a month now with no results.

What to do? Ask the forum for ideas. What do you suggest? Who repairs/replaces things like this? I would like to maintain the color scheme or at least keep complimentary colors.



Thanks in advance for considering solutions to this problem.

[2Blackdogs]

That's got red squirrel written all over it and that's one tough fix. I'd look for an accessory to add.

Pick a place where a slightly oversized section of the same materials can be removed, then hidden, by the accessory. (Examples, a small cooler, electronics box, fender/PFD cabinet). Then "transplant" the removed section, add some trim, and epoxy it in place over the damage.

That's what I would do if insurance won't cover repairs done by an automotive trim shop.

Edit: Weren't there always nuts aboard the SeaQue?

[robmac]

any automotive trim shop could do the repair.you can save alot of time and money bringing them the cusion not the entire boat

[tis]

Oh, you must have been sick when you saw that!

[SAMIAM]

Feel bad for ya',Skipper.Same thing happened to me a couple of years ago.Critter ate a hole in my bimini top......marina said "Sorry,s*%* happens". I was thinking that a marina should be responsible for keeping rodents out.This year,I'm going to heated storage inside.
Tom's Tops and Trims in laconia is fast and reasonable.

[kjbathe]

My stomach tumbled when I looked at the photo -- no critter should treat a boat like that!

Was this damage done outside under shrink wrap, or under covered storage? Just curious as -- even though it's slightly off topic -- I was wondering what preventive measures folks might take (e.g. "squirrel" moth balls???)

[Kamper]

I cant remember where I got it but there is a vinyl repair glue available. If you cant get it at a boat store try Cabela's catalog (most likely place for me!). Then an auto parts store.

You need to find matching material and glue it over the holes. Use a metal spoon and feather the edges for a non-snag finish. This will not look as good as a professional repair. I repaired some snags on flat spots and I could see it easy enough.

It held up fine for me until I got around to re-upholstering those seats (still not professional apearance, lol). I dont think my seats saw as much use as your are likely to get so it may wear after a while. It will give you some time to get it done right if you want to, while sealing the damaged area from the elements and is more attractive than duck tape.

Good luck!

[rander7823]

to buy a new boat. Just tell the Mrs. it will cost too much to repair and they squirrel smell will never leave......

I had mice get into the vents in my car and build a nest.... a few hundred dollars worth of repairs later it was fixed. They told me to put Bounce dryer sheets in the engine compartment. Apparently rodents don't like the smell of them and it keeps them away. Just need to replace them every so often. This might work for these critters as well.

[SAMIAM]

Also,moth crystals work....but then your boat stinks.

[brk-lnt]

Sorry to see that damage to your boat.

Best course of repair is going to be to pull the seat out and have it recovered.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

The marina still has not come up with a suggestion or estimate.

Thanks forumers (is that a word?) for the comments, sentiments and advice so far. I think we (marina) will have to pull the seat and bring it "somewhere". But where, and how to get estimates. It's not that easy to remove this seat and tote around. It is a wrap around seat and not just a cushion - the upholstery is stitched continuously on this big "J" shaped seat or bench. I'll also talk to the place SAMIAM mentioned.

More suggestions plus names of places that might come out to give an estimate or that we could bring (or send) the seat to for repair (including a wooden portion under the seat and the stuffing) would be appreciated. I'm not sure but I believe that the insurance would cover the repair. I wanted some estimates before I asked about the insurance.

kj: The boat winters in rack storage with the mooring cover in place. The rack is under a roof and has a protective material somewhat covering the open end. It is not closed in tight like indoor storage would be. I'm told that several boats in that rack area had similar or worse damage this year. One boat with a booted bimini found their bimini "eaten" but the boot was not chewed.

With another 4 years of college tuition ahead (not to mention gas prices) I'm not sure I can convince my wife that it is time for a new and improved boat (although it is a good idea).

Moth balls and Bounce sheets next year fer sure. Not much "hidden" color matching upholstery to transplant but we'll look harder.

Originally Posted by 2blackdogs

Edit: Weren't there always nuts aboard the SeaQue?

Hey 2bd, how dare you insinuate that we are HOMELESS and have no where else to go. We're not ALWAYS on the boat sir (or madam... are you a madam? ).

Here's a pic of the back of the seat. Part of the mount for the grab rail is in the upper right area. The upholstery is stitched all the way around from the front the sides and back. I don't think the upholstery removes easily like a slip cover.
I didn't take these pix, they were sent to me via e-mail. Thanks again for the responses so far.

[Sandy Beach]

Originally Posted by Skipper of the Sea Que

The marina still has not come up with a suggestion or estimate.

Did you get your problem solved Skipper? I recently got upholstery damage on my boat that is too big to patch. I'm interested in what happened to you and your seat problem. I'm not sure what to do.

Do those vinyl repair kits advertised on TV work as they say and can they handle a large area?

The damage to your boat is awful but it looks like more of a nuisance than a serious difficulty. Mine also looks worse than it is. Don't let anyone drag anything with sharp corners across your seats .

Please share your experience. You must have done some research by now.

[Skipper of the Sea Que]

Originally Posted by Sandy Beach

Did you get your problem solved Skipper? {snip}
Do those vinyl repair kits advertised on TV work as they say and can they handle a large area? {snip}
Please share your experience. You must have done some research by now.

The seat is not repaired. The marina brought the seat to Tom's about the same time SAMIAM suggested them (nice folks). They said no problem repairing the upholstery, BUT... The seat back wood was in very bad shape and needed replacement first. No new/used seat could be found. The project stalled looking for a place that could custom build a replacement. It's a "J" shaped bench seat back and requires wood bending to make the 2 curves. And it was backed with fiberglass.

Finally my wife asked her brother to come up from Newport RI area and check it out. He looked and laughed - said that he would take care of it. He has amazing fabrication skills - curves in the wood - fiberglass - no problem. He took the seat to his home workshop Monday night.

Maybe I'll get out on the boat before the end of the month. I don't feel that I can boat safely without that seat. In a way this was a good thing - it got the wood under the upholstery fully inspected - It is a fundamental part of the boat transom area. If the seat back gave out with a few people sitting there they surely would dumped over the stern and into the water.

BTW: My insurance carrier EXCLUDES damage by critters. Some do, mine doesn't. Wonder what would happen if I collided with a swimming moose with resulting damage... Hmmm

[Seeker]

Whatever you do next winter DON'T use mothballs. Yes, they work. Yes, the stink stays around forever. DO use your Bounce sheets and hang some mildew bags in the boat. They seem to keep away critters and people.

We will need pictures of the finished product when it's finished.

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

I've used Bounce (or generic sheets) for years now and I've never had a problem. I'll use at least a box of 40 sheets just on the boat and another box of 40 in a Thunderbird we store for the winter. Unfortunately, I did have one bad year with the T-Bird but that was before I had heard about using dryer sheets; since then, no problems.

Seeker, I have to ask, what's a mildew bag? Sounds like something I should be using (or at least considering) but I've never heard of them. What is it?

[TriDad]

Read the warning label on the box of MOTH balls carefully. The primary ingredient in moth balls; Naphthalene and para-dichlorobenzene, are both potential human carcinogens.

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by Wolfeboro_Baja

I've used Bounce (or generic sheets) for years now and I've never had a problem. I'll use at least a box of 40 sheets just on the boat and another box of 40 in a Thunderbird we store for the winter. Unfortunately, I did have one bad year with the T-Bird but that was before I had heard about using dryer sheets; since then, no problems.

Seeker, I have to ask, what's a mildew bag? Sounds like something I should be using (or at least considering) but I've never heard of them. What is it?

Mildew bags are available at most marinas. Some are just bags and some have the bag inside a perforated box. Hang inside the covered boat in the winter to prevent mildew and musty odors from hull and fabrics. Check instructions to see how many cubic feet each bag covers, usually 400cu ft. Just Google mildew bag.