I recently purchased a Cape Dory Typhoon with some scratches in the gelcoat on one side of the boat and would like to attempt patching the gelcoat. What do you recommend for product and application? Not sure if color will match but i was going to go with a white. See photos also. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Gelcoat repair Advice - 1974 Cape Dory Typhoon
- Thread starter boardmanlake
- Start date
If you haven't yet found Boatworks Today on YouTube, you should. Andy has several excellent videos on gelcoat and painting.
Color matching 50 year old gelcoat will be next to impossible. All whites are not the same and after years of oxidation colors change.
The job will require sanding the old gelcoat smooth and for the deeper gouges this may mean going all the way to the underlying fiberglass. There are too many scratches and gouges to patch individually. After creating a smooth surface, then apply gelcoat by spraying or brushing to build up the thickness to match the surrounding area. I prefer to use unwaxed gelcoat. This will allow several thin layers to be applied without sanding between layers. Once the final layer has been applied spray with PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) which will seal the surface and allow the gelcoat to cure. PVA is water soluble, so it is easy to wash off. Then the sanding, buffing and polishing start to bring back the shine.
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Color matching 50 year old gelcoat will be next to impossible. All whites are not the same and after years of oxidation colors change.
The job will require sanding the old gelcoat smooth and for the deeper gouges this may mean going all the way to the underlying fiberglass. There are too many scratches and gouges to patch individually. After creating a smooth surface, then apply gelcoat by spraying or brushing to build up the thickness to match the surrounding area. I prefer to use unwaxed gelcoat. This will allow several thin layers to be applied without sanding between layers. Once the final layer has been applied spray with PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) which will seal the surface and allow the gelcoat to cure. PVA is water soluble, so it is easy to wash off. Then the sanding, buffing and polishing start to bring back the shine.
BoatworksToday
Repairing boats for a living is what I do. Fiberglass, gelcoat, paint and woodworking are my specialties. Basically if it deals with making a boat look it's best, or structurally sound that's what I do. If you are a DIY boat owner, this is the channel for you! I keep it simple and straight...
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 21,378
Spider cracks. It happens. A guy with the knowledge and experience (25 years) on this subject is Andy. Here is the video he did recently you might find provides a solution to your problem.
Not spider cracks, the gelcoat damage is dock rash from the hull rubbing up against a rough surface.