Princess S78 rebuilt and refinished after hurricane damage
A hurricane left this Princess S78 with crushed hull sides, affected hull glazing and a finish that could no longer be spot repaired. We delivered the structural composite repair, the glazing and a full exterior refinish at Lauderdale Marine Center, under one plan with one point of contact.
Structural GRP repair, glazing and paint. Documented at every stage.
Before · Hurricane damage on arrivalThe damage
The storm crushed the hull side along the rubbing strake, through the gelcoat and fairing and into the laminate. Sections of the hull side were split and delaminated, and stress cracking ran well beyond the visible impact.
The bonded hull windows in the area were affected too. This was not a job for patch repairs. The structure had to be rebuilt, the glazing handled properly, and the finish restored across the whole yacht so nothing showed.
- Crushed and delaminated hull side laminate along the rubbing strake
- Cracking in the fairing and paint beyond the impact area
- Hull glazing in the affected area
How we repaired it
Six stages, every one photographed and recorded, so the owner and captain always knew exactly where the project stood.
Define the full scope first
We hauled her at Lauderdale Marine Center and marked out every crack and soft area on both sides before cutting anything. That gave the owner a defined scope from day one, built on the real extent of the damage.
Back to sound laminate, then rebuilt
Damaged material was ground back to sound, dry laminate with tapered edges, so new glass bonds across a wide area rather than a hard line. Our composite team then rebuilt the hull side in layers of new laminate, restoring the original strength before any cosmetic work began.
Damaged hull windows replaced
The damaged hull windows were removed, the openings cleaned back and prepared, and new hull windows bonded into the hull by our team. Each new panel was sealed and finished flush, so the glazing sits cleanly in the aperture.
The full hull sides, not just the repairs
Once the structure was sound, we faired, guide coated and longboarded the full length of the hull sides. That is what makes repaired sections disappear into the original hull lines once the paint goes on.
White hull sides, gloss black details
With the yacht tented and fully masked, the hull sides were primed and refinished in white. The hardtop, bulwarks, foredeck and bow sections were refinished in gloss black, giving one continuous finish across the yacht.
Mast, arch and radomes to match
The radar arch, mast and radomes were refinished in matching gloss black, with the electronics protected throughout and refitted once the paint had cured.
On the job
More from the repair at Lauderdale Marine Center.
One accountable team
Composite repair, glazing, fairing and paint handled in house under one project manager, so nothing fell between trades.
Defined scope
Damage mapped before cutting, so the scope matched the real extent of the damage and the owner knew where the project stood.
Documented throughout
Every stage photographed and recorded, ready for the owner, captain, surveyor or insurer.
Storm or impact damage on your yacht?
Send us photos and the survey if you have one. We will come back with a clear scope, timing and next step, and work with your insurer if a claim is involved.
Speak to an expert →Aquamare Marine · Lauderdale Marine Center · Fort Lauderdale, FL
Aquamare Marine USA repairs hurricane, storm and impact damage to yachts in Fort Lauderdale, including structural GRP and fiberglass repair, hull glazing, fairing and full paint refinishing at Lauderdale Marine Center. We work with owners, captains, yacht managers and insurers on storm damage repairs across Florida and the US East Coast.