Non-skid gel coat repair

[sailliny]

I have a few small chips I would like to touch up in my non-skid gel coat. I assume the color is “Catalina Butler Grey Gel Coat.” Not wanting to buy a quart ($$$), has anyone mixed their own and maybe saved what they mixed? Understand that UV bleaching may require some adjustment. But would like a starting point.

Catalina C310 2021

 

[Davidasailor26]

UV will tend to make the color lighter, and there won’t be a good way to adjust pre-mixed gelcoat to the lighter color, only darker. If you want a really good match you’ll probably have to color match it yourself. You can check out the process described by Andy of Boatworks Today at

. He’s also got another video to help with matching the non-skid pattern that might apply -

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Catalina Direct sells small containers of original color gelcoat. It's a pretty close match and dificult to see where the new and old stuff meet once applied. I believe they also sell non skid molds

 

[colemj]

Color matching is possible, but does take considerable experience. The coloring you add isn't always the one you would logically think it should be. It is also something very difficult to do with small amounts. The colorings are very concentrated, and even the smallest amount on the tip of a toothpick will make a (too) large change.

Gelcoat has a pretty short shelf life, so it isn't something to mix up and keep around for the next time.

Mark