Hunter 336 gelcoat repair

[svislandtime]

I am about to do some small gelcoat repairs on my hunter 336. I have been looking at this gel coat from total boat. It looks like a good product. It comes in white and I was wondering if anyone has used it and how closely it matches the hunter gel coat color.
I would prefer not to have to be adding colors.

TotalBoat Gelcoat With or Without Wax | Marine Gelcoats

TotalBoat ISO/NPG neutral and white marine gelcoats compatible with coloring agents. Gelcoat available with and without wax for boat building and repairs.

www.totalboat.com

I would prefer not to have to be adding tint.
Thanks.

 

[jssailem]

I would prefer not to have to be adding tint.

That is a common desire among owners. Mother Nature is not interested in making it easy. From the moment a white gelcoat boat is built the color begins to change. White becomes off white.
When you get a sample white and apply it to your boat you will see the difference. Talk to Total Boat they will help you manage the process of getting the color very close to your boats gelcoat.

Check out Andy at BoatworksToday.com. He has a DIY video on how to get a good match.

 

[kloudie1]

Note: The gel coat without wax will not cure unless it is covered with an airtight film. Usually, the gel coat with wax is what you'd use for small DIY fixes.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

A friend’s boat underwent spot gelcoat repairs by people who tried out-of-the can product after sustaining some scratches in a storm. Looked like polka dots for a year until they painted the entire hull.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Maybe my 1998 H-310 is a one off case but I've been using pure white, out of the can, waxed gel coat for years with absolutely no colour difference to the original gel coat.

I know, I know, it's impossible with the the UV on the original gel but I've got it. Get a small can of pure white gel coat for about $15.00 CAN (that's our CAN not your can) and experiment with it in a hidden location.

My tips : surround the work with a single layer of masking tape and then finish off with a swipe from a putty knife. The tape leaves the area 0.001" proud so minimal sanding required when finished.

Grind out the dings or spiders with a Dremel and fill.

Keep the gel coat in the fridge (in a baggy) until you need it again in the future. I usually get about eight years life expectancy regardlass of the you hear about 6 months to a year life. Mind you, that's NOT in the fridge.

 

[svislandtime]

Ralph,
What brand do you use?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Fiber TeK is just a small company in Vancouver which has this Gel Coat packaged for them. I think it's just as white as white can be. Nothing special in the world of gel coats. They'd likely be the same in your area and a small price to pay for the experimentation.

I think all later models of Hunters are pure white and somehow don't yellow with the UV. Mind you, I also believe in this :

​

............... as the elixir of life .

 

[svislandtime]

Unfortunately it appears the Fiber Tek folks won't ship to the us currently. I'm going to try the Totalboat product. I'll update and let you know how it works.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I'll update and let you know how it works.

Please do as I don't believe Hunter has changed the colour of their boats, both hull and cabin, for the last few decades. It's this annoying pure, pure ultrawhite which drives you nuts in full sunlight.

I can't believe that gel coat manufacturers differ in their definition of what pure white looks like. And I know that all gel coat colours change over time with exposure to UV, but I still haven't found a reason why mine has remained pure white and not yellowed over the years.

 

[jssailem]

Oh come now Ralph. You know you could appreciate Oyster Shell White.

 

[marcham]

"I would prefer not to have to be adding tint."

LOL, don't we all! Then it won't match. Even if you get the exact color code from Spectrum, it won't match because your gel coat has aged. Even if you polish your boat, the color matched gel coat from Spectrum won't match if the boat is more than 2-3 years old.

You likely have a little yellow and tiny bit of blue. You never put tint in the gelcoat. You set aside a spoonfull of gel coat, put the tiniest drop of tint in that, then from that mix, you put tiny drops in your 4-5 oz container.

With the hull polished, you can color test your tinted gelcoat (without applying catalyst). It will keep for 1-2 years (tinted) in a sealed container.

It's really not that hard. If you mix 4-6 ounces, you'll have enough to repair chips and dings for a year.

The other option, just apply white. Most people (other than you) won't notice once it's sanded (wet sand 400-1000 grit), compounded, polished and waxed. Which white? Doesn't matter... there are like 1000 different tones/hues of white.

Where DIY repairs tend to go south is lack of prep and not addressing the underlying cause. If the chip is due to a void, the void has to be filled before applying gelcoat. If the crack is due to flex, the joint needs to be reinforced (on the inside or outside) otherwise the crack will come back.

Our SOP is usually to address the cracks/chips/nicks in the fall and then gradually sand/compound/polish wax them while sailing the following spring/summer.

 

[jssailem]

When you are ready to attach this issue, prep the area by following the sanding with successive finer grit and finally compounding the gel coat. It is then ready to test the color.

NO WAX BEFORE COLOR MATCH!

Once you decide and lay down the color matched gel coat, you can smooth and blend (feather) the edges smooth. Then apply your wax to the new and old in one process.

As has been said, most guests will step back and just say WOW! Only you will still see the patches. Fortunately in time even they will blend in to the back ground and you can sip a cool drink enjoying the waters around you.