gelcoat repair

[FISHIN_BUDDY]

Here are a few pics of area that needs to be repaired.

[CRABBY]

Since you're new to using gelcoat you may find this article on how to apply gelcoat helpful.

Even pros have a hard time with spraying a gel coat or brushing it on which is crazy,thats why most shops don't use it for hull scratchs an touch up work,it adds no strength or structural integrity,all it is,is a thick paint!!!!It's best left to the pros for major work!!!However the link provided is a good one just to prove that it is for pros an NOT a DIY'er type project,even for guys like me who have the right tools an spraying exp.!!!....OMG

[kjones744]

Since you're new to using gelcoat you may find this article on how to apply gelcoat helpful.

[Skyhammer]

I patch the gel coat on my Clackacraft all the time. When I hit rocks hard, the gel coat chips on the leading edge where the bottom meets the sides.
I buy gel coat in a tube, sand the area to be patched with fine grit wet sand paper, apply the gel coat, let it dry and sand again.
If I take my time, it is hard to tell it was patched.

[CRABBY]

YOU CAN DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IT.

I will say I was afraid to try at first but being a woodworker an doing lots of repairs using puddy etc.I went for it,no big deal it was a piece of cake,biggest problem was the ambient temp (summer)was 100 degrees an the stuff was setting up real fast,best advice is to not try an use it when it gets to sticky cuz it won't go on nice an get lumpy,just mix a new batch an do the next area,or be smart an do it in the morn.or on a cool day...lol...

[Surfcaster1]

YOU CAN DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IT.

[CRABBY]

All of the damage is on the bottom below the waterline. The color is white or neutral so no color matching needed. Debating if I just want to do this myself or if I should pay $$$$$$$ to get this fixed.

The stuff I mentioned is what shops use,it replaces the gel coat an is real easy to use,kind of like bondo but it's glass based an not expensive!!My damage was some deep,deep gouges from beaching to hard an a lot of chips an stuff from hitting junk,all on the bottom....

[FISHIN_BUDDY]

All of the damage is on the bottom below the waterline. The color is white or neutral so no color matching needed. Debating if I just want to do this myself or if I should pay $$$$$$$ to get this fixed.

[Surfcaster1]

Try Tap Plastics or West coast Marine Color can be added to Gelcoat to match Boat no Paint needed...

[CRABBY]

just bought a 20.5' fiberglass fish/ ski boat. It needs some gelcoat repair, mainly from beaching on less that perfect sand. I'm mechanically capable and have done "some" bondo work previously but never with gelcoat. After viewing countless "how to" youtube videos, I'm thinking I may be able to do the gelcoat repair myself. Again I don't want to fool myself.

Anyone out there done gelcoat repair yourselves? The boat is 10 years old so I dont want to fork out multiple thousands of dollars on a older boat.

Any input/ advice is appreciated.

I did a bunch on my ol boat,local shop owner(freind) told me to use "angle hair" !! It's a 2 part thing like bondo but it's for f'glass.It worked great but does set up fast if it's hot,sanded well an I just used some spray primer an spray paint that matched real good,(krylon) an it looked an worked great!!!