Gel Coat repair advice?

[BobT]

This looks like the boat banged up against a nail point or some hardware for a while.(not on my watch!) I see Mini-Craft lists the proper gelcoat in several volumes including a spraycan.
I suspect this might be a bit deep for spray application. Too deep for gelcoat only?
Experienced with the material? the source? Temperature issues?

Thanks

 

[BobM]

Definitely too deep for gel coat alone. That is a crying shame. It will likely look worse if you treat the areas as individual rather than treating the whole area and trying to blend it in. My friends boat broke loose from the mooring and rubbed on a jetty before being rescued. He tackled a larger area than this and while it looked okay, a perfect match is extremely difficult to achieve, due to exposure. If you really want a perfect match go with a pro or plan to spend a lot of time blending...and even then it will likely still be visible. Its about the right size for a bumper sticker ;-)

 

[BobM]

Good thread I found using search.

http://forums.s2.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=54368&highlight=gel+coat+matching

 

[BobT]

Thickening gelcoat with silica

sounds like the way to go on these little craters. Lots of good info in that thread. Thanks for digging it out! (I promise to search before asking newbie questions.) The photo is one of two similarly savaged spots, along with a 3/4" diameter impact mark in the cockpit. That one leaks into the galley and will need some real epoxy.

(Which brings on another question... Is there core in the backrest area of the cockpit bench seats? I kind of doubt it since the carpet right behind and below the dent shows wetness immediately after exposure.)

Not sure if I can wait until it's 70 degrees out to repair! Launch day is as soon after April 1 as possible! I'm on a mooring and that's when the marina says they start setting them out...

 

[BobM]

No problem. I can't help myself. If somebody posts a question I don't mind trying to dig up a little information. I know enough about somethings to be dangerous, but gel coat matching isn't anything I bothered to do on my first boat. For $1000, floating and sailiing were the only requirements. I had to dive into mechanicals on my S2, so cosmetics have taken a back seat. I'm sure I will get there eventually though!

Bob

 

[BobM]

Ignored your question.

Core should be pretty easy to detect. There is no core in my boat as the surface approaches the hull to deck joint so look there to gain an idea of what you are looking for. Where there is core there will be a big thickness difference, followed by a significant and fairly abrupt transition near the joint. That should give you a guide for what you are looking at. Likewise, there isn't likely to be any core in any signifianct angles. I hope this helps.

 

[BobT]

Thanks Bob, have you pulled any of this carpet flavored headliner stuff off of your S2? I hope it doesn't shred off in chuncks. AlthoughI can probably do the seatback reapair from the outside alone. I would feel better backing up the spot with fabric & resin.

 

[BobM]

The previous owner did, when he repaired the bulkheads. I think you will find that the adhesive, given its vintage, will give way fairly easily. He was able to pull it back quite a ways and then re-affix it, no problem. Some of those pits look pretty deep. I don't know if you need to back them, but you should dish them out, if necessary, to get a good bond.

 

[BobT]

Yes, they're deep and they've been there a few years. So the plan is to polish the surrounding area, wirebrush at least and maybe run a countersink a few revs in the worst to get fresh material to bond to. That damage is about max beam, starboard side. The spot I want to back up is in the cockpit seat back, portside. Which is accessable over the galley countertop. I wondered why the roll of paper towels was always soggy...