My enemy is a varmint

[synackattack]

So I went to check on my boat today at the storage place and somehow a raccoon got under my cover. The little a-hole tore up some of my seadek and punched a few holes in several of my seats.

Just wondering how screwed I am as far as getting the vinyl replaced. Anyone have any ideas based on the video attached.

I have insurance but I am guessing it would fall under comprehensive and looks like I have an $1875 deductible. I'm hoping its less than that to get this fixed.

 

[Julian]

I think I'd try a kit like this if I were you:

https://www.amazon.com/ReStor-Leath...182231&sr=8-5&keywords=white+vinyl+repair+kit

Doesn't look like any are very big. Or perhaps for the big ones, have a pro handle them while you do the small ones.

But find the coon first....and take it out!

 

[synackattack]

I think I'd try a kit like this if I were you:

https://www.amazon.com/ReStor-Leath...182231&sr=8-5&keywords=white+vinyl+repair+kit

Doesn't look like any are very big. Or perhaps for the big ones, have a pro handle them while you do the small ones.

But find the coon first....and take it out!

Good idea. No harm in trying to repair it. All of the issues in the seats are small punctures, so hopefully it will work.

I've been trying to figure out how it got in, but I'm not sure its possible based on how the cover completely covers the gunnels and it was cinched down pretty tight. I believe it got in next to the wakeboard tower. There's a small gap that it could have squirmed in to.

I plan on contacting the storage place tomorrow, hopefully they'll try to trap it and get it out of there.

 

[swatski]

So I went to check on my boat today at the storage place and somehow a raccoon got under my cover. The little a-hole tore up some of my seadek and punched a few holes in several of my seats.

Just wondering how screwed I am as far as getting the vinyl replaced. Anyone have any ideas based on the video attached.

I have insurance but I am guessing it would fall under comprehensive and looks like I have an $1875 deductible. I'm hoping its less than that to get this fixed.

DAAAAAMN. That really sucks. It hurts to even look at it...
It could be worse though. Looks like the damage is contained to vinyl, not the supporting foam.

IMO trying any DIY kits would be a serious mistake. This is probably repairable but - if you are not a pro there is zero chance of you getting it fixed such that it would look good.

New upholstery for all the cushions you have damaged would be in the 5-10k range... I would look for a professional vinyl/leather repair guy in your area.

Keep us posted.

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[Gym]

Does your storage facility have any liability or insurance to cover this? I would check with some of your neighbors there to see if any have had similar problems.

 

[Liveto99]

You can use a have a Haveaheart trap to get him so he does not do This to anything else in the storage place.
When you are on your way to the country to release him don’t drop the trap in water, or he might drown. Just saying...

 

[mdchachi]

I feel your pain. I also had a raccoon incident several years ago. Dog food in the garage attracted him and I unknowingly closed the garage door while he was in there. Had upholstery damage similar to yours. I didn't end up doing anything about it since the boat was 14 years old and I sold it as is a couple years later. If that happened to my new boat I would be traumatized for sure.

 

[PJ73]

That sucks. My immediate reaction...

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I’m pissed off for you. Damn that sucks. Hopefully some insurance will help with replacement verses repair of the vinyl.

 

[Mainah]

Ouch, that sucks. I have tried both the cold and hot vinyl repair kits on an older boat. Cold kits are a waste of time. Hot kits are tedious with ok results when done with perfect color match, perfect heat, and a aluminum cooling block. With that many holes it would take far too long to repair hole by hole. I think the only way to trully repair is to have it rehupolstered. This will not be cheap. The seadeck also needing to be redone just adds to the total cost. Getting it rehupolstered does present the opportunity to get the entire boat redone in better vinyl for a bit more money and perhaps throwing some custom color accents in there while at it.

In some places racoons are considered nuisance animals and may be taken care of in any safe manner (trap, pistol, rifle, bow, etc). Some places require permits to have traps.

Good luck.

 

[synackattack]

I'm trying to contact the storage place today to see if there's any liability there. We'll see.
I also fired off an email to this place which a friend of mine recommended: https://www.fibrenew.com

Going to get an estimate for repair and recover, then decide on whether or not to contact insurance.

 

[zipper]

You can use a have a Haveaheart trap to get him so he does not do This to anything else in the storage place.
When you are on your way to the country to release him don’t drop the trap in water, or he might drown. Just saying...

Ouch, that sucks...
In some places racoons are considered nuisance animals and may be taken care of in any safe manner (trap, pistol, rifle, bow, etc). Some places require permits to have traps.

Good luck.

Around here you are not allowed to relocate raccoons, for fear of potentially spreading Rabies. So dispatching by any of the examples above is usually advised.

 

[Noko]

Get Bill Murray on it. He'll take care of that Varmitcong.

 

[Gym]

I'm trying to contact the storage place today to see if there's any liability there. We'll see.
I also fired off an email to this place which a friend of mine recommended: https://www.fibrenew.com

Going to get an estimate for repair and recover, then decide on whether or not to contact insurance.

If your storage facility refuses the insurance claim they may be willing to cover your insurance deductable. Possibly by giving you an equivalent value in storage. That way neither you or they gets hurt financially. Try some negotiating.

 

[synackattack]

If your storage facility refuses the insurance claim they may be willing to cover your insurance deductable. Possibly by giving you an equivalent value in storage. That way neither you or that gets hurt financially. Try some negotiating.

The storage facility required insurance on vehicles to store, and is assuming no liability. Not only that, but they said they would not even attempt to trap or relocate it since its out in the country, and "we'd be trapping them every day". I argued about that since if I get this fixed, I want to ensure this doesn't happen again, and there's at least one there that is doing damage to boats. I'm sort of stuck because there isn't much covered storage around here, and when you can find it its super expensive. I'd kill for a 30ft garage on my house right about now.

I'm thinking of just calling the insurance company and having them deal with it. I guess if they want to go after the storage place that's on them.

Supposedly this is the first time the owner has heard of this happening in the 30 years they have owned it, so I guess I'm lucky. Maybe I'll go buy a lotto ticket.

For the time being I cut some wood and clamped/sandwiched the cover to the wakeboard tower, which is the only place I could see that it could actually get in and out. I also moved my boat as far away from the walls as I could since I am guessing it had to be using the walls to climb up on it.

Some good news, a friend of mine just got his whole boat (2012ish yamaha 240 Limited S) reupholstered for $2500 locally, so its not the end of the world if I have to go that route.

 

[Gym]

The storage facility required insurance on vehicles to store, and is assuming no liability.

@synackattack What they're telling you about liability is incorrect and is called an "exculpatory clause" which loosely means against the common good. They know most people who hear or read this clause will believe it and go away. I'm not a lawyer, maybe some that are, like @Ronnie, will chime in, but you have a contract with these people. They have offered you a reasonably safe, clean place to keep your boat for compensation. They have a responcibility to provide that.

On the flip side. If you can get that repaired for the money you stated it may not be worth the fight. I would talk to your storage neighbors to see if any others have had a similar incident.

 

[biglar155]

Get Bill Murray on it. He'll take care of that Varmitcong.

We can do THAT.... we don't even need a reason.

 

[Matts18]

In my experience, anything other than new upholstery or new seats will be a disappointment. There is no way to match texture, grain, and feel with a patch process. A good upholstery shop can probably reupholster the damaged seats and match the rest of the boat close to 100%. I have a feeling that you are going to spend your insurance deductible one way or another, and I personally would rather not make a claim.

 

[swatski]

A good upholstery shop can probably reupholster the damaged seats and match the rest of the boat close to 100%.

The issue is the textured vinyl they used in 2015-2018 AR/SX240s, basically impossible to match...
@JetBoatPilot use to be able to source that special vinyl, I believe, but I could be wrong.

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[synackattack]

The issue is the textured vinyl they used in 2015-2018 AR/SX240s, basically impossible to match...
@JetBoatPilot use to be able to source that special vinyl, I believe, but I could be wrong.

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I took the two easily removable bow cushions to a local shop today to get an estimate. I ended up leaving them, and they were able to remove just the section of vinyl that was affected since it is pieced together out of two different materials. They just ended up taking out 1/3 of the vinyl from the top of the cushion. They sewed a new piece in and were done with both of them in an hour.

I just picked it up and its an exact match textured vinyl and all. Not sure if I just lucked out on the shop having the right stuff or what.

Anywho...price was $60 per piece which was a pleasant surprise. I'm going to get the other 3 cushions shortly, and going to take them to the place in the morning. Should be out of there around $300 total. That may be good enough for me to end the vendetta I was planning against all of raccoon kind. I am now only after the one...and I'm in need of a new hat.

But really...I just need to find a raccoon free storage place.

@JetBoatPilot just FYI your flooring is not raccoon proof in case you were wondering