I have a 1981 Mac 25 which I have had since February. The top of the rear deck where the stern rail attaches has a lot of gelcoat cracks. I suppose the stern rail was hit with something. There are other areas on the boat that have gelcoat stress cracks and I want to repair them this winter. I will more than likely do a section at a time due to lack of time but after the repairs are made, should I apply gelcoat or should I apply paint. I picked up a pamphlet, at West Marine, by West System brand epoxy systems which tells me I can mix gelcoat with a clear low-viscosity resin that is not air inhibited so it will dry hard and tack free. Is that a good system for applying gelcoat? Should I apply gelcoat and spray with PVA to cure it? Have any of you sprayed gelcoat with good results. Should I paint with a two package polyurethane enamel? I look forward to your input.
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Timm Miller
Gelcoat
Gelcoat is pretty easy to do.........just not sure about doing the spider cracks............fine cracks require digging out some.......that would just make it worse.
Gelcoat is pretty easy to do.........just not sure about doing the spider cracks............fine cracks require digging out some.......that would just make it worse.
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J. Richter
Love 2 part Poly
My 1980 Mac 25 had stress cracks when I got her after a lot of thought I used a 2part poly, but I sprayed. Sanded the hull 3 times over steping down with each round, wet on the last. Filled unwanted holes with fiber glass. The end result was one good looking boat with one durable finish that will out last me. After 3 coats the stress cracks were barly visable. The paint is not cheap. PS ask a automotive painter questions until he runs you off
My 1980 Mac 25 had stress cracks when I got her after a lot of thought I used a 2part poly, but I sprayed. Sanded the hull 3 times over steping down with each round, wet on the last. Filled unwanted holes with fiber glass. The end result was one good looking boat with one durable finish that will out last me. After 3 coats the stress cracks were barly visable. The paint is not cheap. PS ask a automotive painter questions until he runs you off
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Bob Galli
Gelcoat 'Blisters' On a new boat
I have 2 sailing seasons on my 2001 MacGregor 26X - all in fresh water on Greenwood Lake, NJ. After having the hull cleaned, I noticed a vast array of 'bubbles' or 'blisters' at and below the waterline. I'm told several other boats at the same lake have a similar problem. I wrote MacGregor a month ago and have received no response (acknowledgement or otherwise) to my request as to what, if anything, MacGregor would be able to do about the problem on a new boat. In any event, I don't mean this to be a 'complaint session' - rather, has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what have you done to fix the problem? Any help from MacGregor? Thanks Bob Galli
I have 2 sailing seasons on my 2001 MacGregor 26X - all in fresh water on Greenwood Lake, NJ. After having the hull cleaned, I noticed a vast array of 'bubbles' or 'blisters' at and below the waterline. I'm told several other boats at the same lake have a similar problem. I wrote MacGregor a month ago and have received no response (acknowledgement or otherwise) to my request as to what, if anything, MacGregor would be able to do about the problem on a new boat. In any event, I don't mean this to be a 'complaint session' - rather, has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what have you done to fix the problem? Any help from MacGregor? Thanks Bob Galli
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Jim
Bottom Paint
Bob, My 2002 26X was hauled out after spending only 6 months in the fresh water lake where I sail. The bottom is covered in a nice green mossey growth so I can't give you a report on blistering. I have made arrangements to take it to a marine service company for bottom painting. Not a cheap thing but hopefully, after a professional cleaning/sanding/painting I can manage it myself. I tell you all that to tell you about my experience with Macgregor. I, along with others, had problems with the plexiglas door into the head delaminating. Calls to the dealer produced nothing more than for me to "reglue it". Calls/letters to Macgregor went unanswered also. Bottom line...they sell all they can make. That position, unfortunately, does not bode well for our prospects of good customer service. Jim 26X HiNDry
Bob, My 2002 26X was hauled out after spending only 6 months in the fresh water lake where I sail. The bottom is covered in a nice green mossey growth so I can't give you a report on blistering. I have made arrangements to take it to a marine service company for bottom painting. Not a cheap thing but hopefully, after a professional cleaning/sanding/painting I can manage it myself. I tell you all that to tell you about my experience with Macgregor. I, along with others, had problems with the plexiglas door into the head delaminating. Calls to the dealer produced nothing more than for me to "reglue it". Calls/letters to Macgregor went unanswered also. Bottom line...they sell all they can make. That position, unfortunately, does not bode well for our prospects of good customer service. Jim 26X HiNDry
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Timm Miller
Door
My 2002 door also did the same thing........dealer called factory and found out a lot of them were doing it........had a new door ina week. Time for a new dealer
My 2002 door also did the same thing........dealer called factory and found out a lot of them were doing it........had a new door ina week. Time for a new dealer
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MArk
Water and gel coat don't mix
Hey Bob, Maybe it'll take a class action lawsuit to force all boat manufacturers to warn in BIG LETTERS that gel coat is not suitable for use in water. One of the unadvertised properties of gel coat is that it's permeable (which is worse than porous because the flow is only one way). Any gel coat covered hull that spends days at a time in the water without a barrier coat is going to blister (And warm fresh water is the worst!). The 26X manual warns of this in the section titled BOAT MAINTENANCE. The second half of the paragraph on Exterior Finish states (quote from page 22): “If the boat is left in the water (either fresh or salt water), apply a coat of top grade anti-fouling bottom paint with an 18 mil thick (.018”) epoxy undercoat. Without good bottom paint and epoxy primer, the white gel coat exterior surface may blister.” All boat manufacturers put this warning in their manual to cover their own butts against liability. If they made this fact clearer, their customers would be more diligent and their boats would last longer and have higher resale value. (Note to Roger M.: Higher resale value means you can charge more for new boat sales and everyone is still happy.) Happy sails _/), MArk
Hey Bob, Maybe it'll take a class action lawsuit to force all boat manufacturers to warn in BIG LETTERS that gel coat is not suitable for use in water. One of the unadvertised properties of gel coat is that it's permeable (which is worse than porous because the flow is only one way). Any gel coat covered hull that spends days at a time in the water without a barrier coat is going to blister (And warm fresh water is the worst!). The 26X manual warns of this in the section titled BOAT MAINTENANCE. The second half of the paragraph on Exterior Finish states (quote from page 22): “If the boat is left in the water (either fresh or salt water), apply a coat of top grade anti-fouling bottom paint with an 18 mil thick (.018”) epoxy undercoat. Without good bottom paint and epoxy primer, the white gel coat exterior surface may blister.” All boat manufacturers put this warning in their manual to cover their own butts against liability. If they made this fact clearer, their customers would be more diligent and their boats would last longer and have higher resale value. (Note to Roger M.: Higher resale value means you can charge more for new boat sales and everyone is still happy.) Happy sails _/), MArk
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