Gelcoat flaking off inside wall of hull

[Kevin]

Hi thereI'm looking at a 1978 o'day 25 sailboat in very clean condition except forthe gel coat flaking off on the inside of the port side of the hull. Thestarboard side is fine and the outside of the hull looks fine - noblistering or anything.It looks just like paint chips flaking off and it's exposed the fibreglassunderneath.Please can someone let me know if this is cosmetic only or anything I shouldbe concerned about?ThanksKevin BennettUnlisted200@hotmail.com

 

[John Dawson]

Probably is

paint chips flaking off. In fact, on the trailer sailor site there is recently a discussion about how exterior house paint is cheaper and effective for interior surfaces. An interior gel coat is something of a contradiction in terms. The gelcoat is created in the mold before the layers of the hull are formed. When you see one inside, its on an interior liner, not the hull. Exposed fiberglass or fglass painted with some coating is normal. Its cosmetic; you could leave it bare, use bilge paint or a newer polyurethane paint if you feel afluent. While applying a gelcoat surface to the interior is possible, I can't think of a production boat that did, especially in the seventies. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.