Gel coat repair or Marine Tex?

[Scott]

I have some minor nicks and chips at the bow of my boat and am intending to patch them. I made some other minor repairs (on the stern) with Marine Tex and was impressed with how easily they were done and how well it blended with the gel coat when sanded smooth.What are the differences in the overall look and quality of the repair? I am leaning towards the Marine Tex. The boat is over 20 years old and looks her age (but still pretty good). I am not all that fussy about matching the color when you can't see the difference from 15 yards (with 50 year old eyes).

 

[Bob]

Night and Day

ScottFrom what I know of Marine-Tex its great to keep in the locker for welding together metal when the thermostat housing or header cracks!! Its a two-part permanent fix for tough repairs, but I have never heard of it being used to fix in gelcoat gouges! I for one would opt for the gelcoat filler (sold in tubes) over Marine Tex. Save the Marine Tex for heavy duty repair and go with what is original replacement.Bob

 

[Steve O.]

???

Of course Marine-Tex is for gelcoat repair. That's why they make it in several colors, like white, gray, tan etc.

 

[NautiDuck]

Marine-Tex

I use Marine-Tex all the time to repair gel coat cracks, holes, etc. It is a wonderful product and if it matches your color then I say use it!

 

[Daryl]

Marine Tex

I always have some on board. It is epoxy filler that I have used on oil pans, gas tanks and gelcoat chips. The color will age and get gray over time

 

[SailLaVie38]

Good stuff!

I've had good success patching gelcoat nicks and scrapes with Marine Tex. I also discovered a technique you might find helpful... add enough Marine Tex to overfill the hole. Then, with a bit of acetone on a paper towel, gently wipe away the excess Marine Tex. It will leave a nice smooth surface, and will likely not even need sanding later.