BANG, BANG, BANG!

Q: Hey Mick, I need your help once again. A couple of years ago, you helped me with getting struts for hatches on a 19-foot Cobalt, and it worked out great!

My problem now is with my 22-foot Voyager Fish and Cruise Tri-Toon. It was damaged at the dock during a storm. The side panel and rub rail are damaged. Voyager is out of business, and local boat shops can’t help repair the damage. What can I do?

Gary Grattan Smyrna, Tennessee

A: Finding parts for a defunct boat company is usually a dead end. If boat dealers for other brands can’t help, I suggest seeking out a metal-fabrication shop. (HVAC companies often have these capabilities.) The side panels are simply sheet metal of a certain gauge. An experienced metalworker could surely source raw material, cut it to size, and screw rivets or weld them as needed. You may then need to see a paint shop. Try auto-body places—they paint metal all the time. A graphics place or sign shop can replicate the graphics. Your rub rail, similarly, was not made by the boatbuilder, so a competent auto-body shop or metalworker should see you through.