Cobalt flip down swim platform replacement

[zaayer276]

I have a 276 and my flip down swim platform split down the middle. I tried to use JB weld to make it one solid piece but that only lasted one week on the water. Does anyone know where I can either get a replacemt or have any good ideas on how to repair it? All the hardware is still there. I now have a top and bottom of the platform. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Brian

[Holy Smokes]

It "might" be available to order from a local dealer. Or, I'd suggest a local boat repair shop that's good at fiberglass and have them replicate from the two pieces.

[billk2632]

How did it split? Long ways top/bottom or in half where you would step on it? Maybe post a picture - if it held together and looks ok with JB Weld, it might just be a matter of using an epoxy to bond the pieces back together. I have never looked at mine that closely, but would expect the mold is two halves that are bonded together. Really interested in seeing what happened.

[zaayer276]

It split top from bottom. The inside of step is foam and stainless steel structures for the bolts. I used the marine jb weld. I used it on the outer fiberglass shell and where the stainlessness steel touched the fiberglass. It held up for one week before starting to split. It now fills with water and is barely holding together.

[ajcampen]

Talk to cobalt. Maybe they would make an exception and make you another. Otherwise send it to a Fiberglas shop and get it fixed professionally.

[Big Block Power]

Will a newer model work in its place. How close is it to a newer year step. Make one out of starboard then put seadek on it.

[billk2632]

So JB Weld along the edges is not going to hold it together. I would have used 5200 - and you can still do that, just clean up the JB Weld best you can.

I am not 100% sure, but based on how fiberglass parts our usually made -- originally the two halves were layed up in molds (figure Cobalt makes 100's of these) then the foam coring (probably Nidacore, but some people would use wood) is laid in between the two halves and bonded together using an epoxy resin. This one for some reason looks like it was not bonded properly. To fix it like new you really need pull the two halves completely apart, fix the coring and bond them back together. This would also involve glassing along the edges and gelcoat work to make it look good. Certainly something a fiberglass person can do, really even a DIY if you have some understanding about fiberglass. Before I do anything else, I would talk to Cobalt, your not far out of the 10yr hull warranty and this seems like a manufacturing problem, unless there was some damage at some point. Worth a phone call, worst they say is no, even then hopefully they can advise you on how to fix.

[sailor55330]

Before I do anything else, I would talk to Cobalt, your not far out of the 10yr hull warranty and this seems like a manufacturing problem, unless there was some damage at some point. Worth a phone call, worst they say is no, even then hopefully they can advise you on how to fix.

You can try that and I hope it works, but I'm going to level set here---don't hold you're breath. They denied my 3rd fiberglass gelcoat claim (spiderwebbing for the third time) 31 days out of warranty in year 3..... I'd ask your local dealer who they use for warranty repair work and then contact them personally.

[ajcampen]

Before I do anything else, I would talk to Cobalt, your not far out of the 10yr hull warranty and this seems like a manufacturing problem, unless there was some damage at some point. Worth a phone call, worst they say is no, even then hopefully they can advise you on how to fix.

You can try that and I hope it works, but I'm going to level set here---don't hold you're breath. They denied my 3rd fiberglass gelcoat claim (spiderwebbing for the third time) 31 days out of warranty in year 3..... I'd ask your local dealer who they use for warranty repair work and then contact them personally.

I would still ask to at least be able to buy one from them. I wonder if is the same size shap as an r7’s. If yes have dealer buy one under a name of one under warranty