I just finished repairing several scratches on my 26D and it wasn't as intimidating as I imagined. I did spend some time on Google and You Tube looking up videos and tips. Some of the key items that I learned are:
1. Prepare the area by sanding. Gelcoat does not penetrate spider cracks, so use a pointed can opener or Dremel tool to make the scratch deep enough for gelcoat to fill up the space.
2. Clean the area thoroughly with acetone
3. Use masking tape right along the area to be repaired. By taping closely along both sides of the scratch, you can fill the scratch and use a plastic scraper leave the gelcoat just slightly proud of the surface to minimize sanding.
4. I used Evercoat Marine Premium Gel-Kote polyester gelcoat product from the hardware store that worked OK. In hindsight, I should have purchased a thicker product since the scratch was fairly deep and required two coats to fill it.
5. After allowing the gelcoat to set about 20 min, coat it with Mold Release to seal out the air, or apply cellophane or wax paper to seal it. Otherwise, the gelcoat will not hard cure and will remain tacky.
6. Sand thoroughly using a sanding block with 500, 1,000 and 1,200 grit wet sandpaper. Pinish off the entire area with polishing compound and then rewax the area.
The scratches are barely visible, just slightly whiter than the surrounding fiberglass. They should eventually fade and match the rest of the boat, but I have some older repairs that are stii visible. You can try adding some color to the gelcoat, but that seems riskier trying to get a perfect match.
