A "close encounter" with a stationary object left a series of light gouges & scratches in the hull gelcoat about a foot above the waterline. They aren't deep enough to go below the gelcoat layer, but are visible enough. So, (a) must they be repaired or treated in some way, and (b) what might be involved in doing so? Thanks --Ron
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Couple of ideas...
Gelcoat is described in Don Casey's book on boat finish repair as being "about as thick as 5 pages in this book." So, you have two options, positive repair and negative repair: 1. Positive repair: buy some gelcoat that is exactly the same color as your hull. This is not as easy as it sounds, there are many, many different shades of white. You may want to call the factory, they sometimes stock gelcoat patch kits in recent colors. Fill the scratches, sand with fine grit paper until it all looks the same. Wax. 2. Negative repair: get some really fine grit sandpaper, or better some rubbing compound and hand sand/rub the gouges. Watch the gelcoat very carefully. If you see it starting to become the least bit translucent, stop! Try to rub out the scratches, just like you would if you scratched the finish on your car. The difference is you have a lot more thickness to work with in gelcoat that you do with automotive paint. Last option: fahgeddaboutit. They don't have to be repaired, and probably no one notices them but you. Wait a few years and you'll be worrying about the rudder falling off, or the starter failing. You won't sweat a gelcoat scratch 30 seconds after it happens
Good luck! Paul sv Escape Artist h336
Gelcoat is described in Don Casey's book on boat finish repair as being "about as thick as 5 pages in this book." So, you have two options, positive repair and negative repair: 1. Positive repair: buy some gelcoat that is exactly the same color as your hull. This is not as easy as it sounds, there are many, many different shades of white. You may want to call the factory, they sometimes stock gelcoat patch kits in recent colors. Fill the scratches, sand with fine grit paper until it all looks the same. Wax. 2. Negative repair: get some really fine grit sandpaper, or better some rubbing compound and hand sand/rub the gouges. Watch the gelcoat very carefully. If you see it starting to become the least bit translucent, stop! Try to rub out the scratches, just like you would if you scratched the finish on your car. The difference is you have a lot more thickness to work with in gelcoat that you do with automotive paint. Last option: fahgeddaboutit. They don't have to be repaired, and probably no one notices them but you. Wait a few years and you'll be worrying about the rudder falling off, or the starter failing. You won't sweat a gelcoat scratch 30 seconds after it happens
Good luck! Paul sv Escape Artist h336Messy boats
Check out the "related link" for the West Advisor. You'll find a little information about everything to do with boats because... "nothing is so messy as boats." Sorry about that... here's the real quote: Simply Messing About In Boats "There is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not." Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), British essayist and writer
Check out the "related link" for the West Advisor. You'll find a little information about everything to do with boats because... "nothing is so messy as boats." Sorry about that... here's the real quote: Simply Messing About In Boats "There is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not." Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932), British essayist and writer
See "Fiberglass Trilogy 2"
Took quite a while researcing this and learning about color matching. It's on the Gelcoat and Plastics forum. Still have to write the oe on non-skdi repair! Thanks Jim W PS as an an addition to the "forget about it" approach, if the scraches are not too deep you can sclean and fill with something clear like some acrylic like newglass or our superwax but you's only need a TINY amount.
Took quite a while researcing this and learning about color matching. It's on the Gelcoat and Plastics forum. Still have to write the oe on non-skdi repair! Thanks Jim W PS as an an addition to the "forget about it" approach, if the scraches are not too deep you can sclean and fill with something clear like some acrylic like newglass or our superwax but you's only need a TINY amount.
Thanks to all
Cosmetically, I can live with it. If I sell the boat it might become a factor. What I was most concerned about would be whether these scratches/gouges could become moisture entry points that would eventually create bigger (real) problems. --Ron
Cosmetically, I can live with it. If I sell the boat it might become a factor. What I was most concerned about would be whether these scratches/gouges could become moisture entry points that would eventually create bigger (real) problems. --Ron
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