Gelcoat scratches

[Steven F]

Late last year one of my dock line let loose during a storm and my '87 H31 rubbed up against the dock resulting in a number of scratches in a 2 by 3 foot area under the rub rail. Most of the scratches are'nt very deep. Any advice on removing most of these, anyone know how thick the gel coat is on the sided of the hull, can I wet sand this or will I make a worse mess... there's a lot of scratches that don't seem deep enough to patch.Thanks for any advice,STeve

 

[Steve Dion]

Rub them out.

Steve:We get some of these marks from time to time. Sometimes a 'little' acetone on a rag will take the marks right off. Be very careful with acetone because it can melt the gelcoat. Rubbing compound is another option. You can also try Island Girl Pink with some synthetic wool. Once you get the area cleaned up you should look at protecting the area with wax.

 

[Ed Schenck]

My way.

First attempt is with a little cleaner/wax and a scotchbrite pad. If that doesn't work then 600-grit and wet sand. The gelcoat is thick enough to withstand a lot of sanding. Well at least on a 1979 it is.