Hull

[Frozen Steve D]

The fiberglass on my keel is rough in texture (not anywhere else on the hull) and now has a few spots that look like the outer coat is chipping off
I have had the boat for only a year and have no history. The rough texture was there but the chips appeared when I pulled it out last fall.
Anyone have a clue what is going on and what can be done to cure it.

 

[Ritdog]

If that rough texture isn't bottom paint, I'd sand that all off, and get something better....that's weird.

Sanding might show other spots like the hole....THAT looks like 1 : an impact point that got water in it and froze, popping the gelcoat off, or 2: more likely just a bad layup- whoever built the hull had an air pocket between the gelcoat and glass. Over time that will fail. If it's REALLY deep, grind out the hole with a mototool till clean, blow out, wipe out, , lay in some glass till just below the surface, then fairing fill and sand. You could use Dynaglass too if not too big, , then fair and paint.

Osmotic blistering (boatpox) is small pimples below the gelcoat- cracking those open releases some smelly stuff....mototool those out and fill. Letting them go will let them get worse, slowly. If you have thousands , the only cure is to sand the gelcoat off, regel, and barrier coat with a two-part epoxy barrier coat.

More pictures of that rough stuff would be good!

 

[Will Gilmore]

If you have an iron keel, maybe you are seeing the build up of Iron-related or iron-precipitating bacteria (Crenothrix). Do you also see a slimy orange coating when you first pull out of the water? Otherwise, I have no idea.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Brian S]

To me, that picture looks like some kinda crap on the gelcoat, and it is flaked off enough to see the light colored gel coat underneath. The dark spot is definitely a chip in the gelcoat clear down to the laminate below. I'd get the rough grey stuff off (hmmm... could it be old epoxy barrier coat that is wearing?) and patch up that chip.