cracked consoles on walk through Fisher replacement options?

[Colorado1135]

So I bought a 99 Fisher Avenger last year and ran it half the season. my intent was to fix it up over the winter but it was brutal cold and I had no insulated space to heat efficiently. one thing I noticed was the consoles are all cracked up. they function, but they are deteriorating and it's just a matter of time before they are completely junk. I thought of rebuilding with wood and stain and seal it nice, but don't think I'll have the time. it looks almost plastic but a friend of mine that does a lot of auto restorations said it could be meton or telene, but its possible it's plastic too. I'm guessing repairing them is out unless I possibly fiberglassed over them, but I've never done that and not sure it would work. is there a place that can rebuild them or mold them and make new? I've done some research but not much is coming up and nothing clearly helpful. here are some pics to show the problem. for now they are stable, but I don't want to wait until it's too late. Any ideas? FYI as most know Fisher boats quit being made a decade ago

 

[DaleH]

Cracks form from stress risers ...

At once place shown it looks like it could be from where a bolt holds it to the bulkhead or hull frame, and was installed ‘too tight’ or the bolt hole ‘wasn’t large enough’ as these plastics ‘move/shrink’ with temperature swings and a hole needs more clearance than a more stable substrate like wood or tin.

Another way they can form is where the material is flexing, like on that hard corner shown, but the amount of material itself isn’t sufficient or thick enough to carry the loading incurred.

If it were mine, I’d lightly roughen the entire console w/ Scotchbrite, then would repair the cracks w/ cabosil or some other filler mixed with West Systems G-Flex 650 flexible epoxy. I’d add epoxy mix to the back of those cracks on that hard corner too. FYI, the West kit is $22 or so and I could send you some filler if needed.

Then I’d paint it all with one of Krylon’s new spray paints for plastics, or a heavier spray material like a bed liner product, in a gray or whatever color. If you can patch and fair those wounds well, you’d never see them.

To me, you have nothing to lose by trying the repair/paint route 1st!

 

[zuren]

Based on the pictures, it appears that everything has seen a fair amount of weather exposure and UV damage. There is no plastic-type material that I've seen or know of that can withstand years of exposure, especially if the boat was stored outside and uncovered.

I would say you have very little to lose doing anything to these consoles. I was spooked by fiberglass and epoxy as well, until I took a class using it and it wasn't that big a deal. Use the slow setting type of epoxy, and work steady but not to quick and not too slow. The fast-setting hardens WAY too fast. Watch a few online videos on it and you'll be fine. You could probably get a thin roll of fiberglass for patching the offending areas, so you are not managing big sheets of the stuff. Be ready to do lots of sanding to blend everything. I agree with DaleH to reinforce on the back side as well.

I'm not sure if this would apply, but I would consider drilling out the tips of those cracks to helpfully stop them from spreading, much like you do with cracked aluminum.

I've used bedliner on a couple non-boat projects and it comes out nice. Take your time and for an application like this, I would use techniques to get a smoother finish versus rougher.

 

[Colorado1135]

my fear is that it will continue to break down and filling the cracks is just covering up the problem. if I knew it would fix it then no problem, I'm just nervous it won't. I don't know if they are just a cosmetic cover over something more structural or what.

I don't know if there is a place that could make a mold and recast them, I read somewhere that some type of fabricators could do that. I'd just as soon do it that way and know for sure.

If I'm way overthinking it please let me know, this is a first for me.

 

[zuren]

Have you tried contacting the parent company to Fisher Boats (that seems to out of business/out of production now), essentially Bass Pro Shops? Buying replacement consoles may be possible. I believe this is the parent company:

https://www.whiterivermg.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_River_Marine_Group

I would think having custom consoles recast might cost a ton of money. I'm guessing that a boat like a Fisher (which is essentially a brand name; boat was probably made by someone else) probably used off the shelf parts, so it may be possible to figure out who made them.

You may need to look into a set of aluminum consoles. You'll never have to worry about the weathering or cracking again.

 

[jethro]

I am going to be in a similar position with my Sylvan if I keep it for more than 10 more years. I've decided that when I need to replace them, rebuilding them in aluminum is the way to go. Either myself or with a metal fab shop. Won't be cheap, but neither would buying new ones or replacing the boat.