Conference vicki::boats

    Here is what I have done and it works as far as keeping the boat
    100% water tight but leaves something to be desired cosmetically.
    
    Buy some gelcoat (bliss has it) and the color pigments to match
    your hull. Getting the color right is the hardest part, this
    is what I meant by the cosmetics above. First clean the area up
    (no salt, slime) and sand the edges smooth, you will also be roughing
    up the surounding area to help the gelcoat adhere. Then mix up the
    gelcoat paste and color to match (note when you add the hardener
    it will turn more brown). Once the color is close enough for your
    satisfaction add the hardener and work fast. Use plastic
    squege (sp?) to apply the gelcoat and let harden. Then start
    sanding first with 400 grit wet sand paper, then 600, then
    buff with rubbing compound and lastly wax. This will do the job
    but don't expect it to look "brand new" thats what professionals
    do for a living.
    
    Bruce

Gelcoat can also be applied with a spray gun.   I have had some minor
    dings on my boat repaired by a friend who has previous experience
    with auto body repairs.   He filled most of the gouge with fiberglass,
    buffed it, then sprayed Gelcoat.  He told me he used the same spray
    technique as for any lacquer-type paint. It may take several applications.
    Finally, either wet sand or buff smooth.  

    Hey Bruce.
    Don't give away all our secret method's - Just kidding.
    
    A word of CAUTION. MEK is very DANGEROUS! when your using any
    fiberglass or gel coat , be sure to wear Safty glasses and work
    in a well ventilated area. Styren vapors are explosive and damage
    brain cells. If you get hardener on your skin you will know it quickly.
    If you get it in you eyes  you'll be blind.
    
    Re: Spraying. If your only doing a small patch a disposible spray
    bottle is just the ticket. I would only use a commericial type of
    spray gun for a hull lay-up, As the cleaning involved is major and
    has to be done before the resin kicks ( Hardnens)
    
    Re: Matching colors- The older the boat the harder it will be to
    match due to U.V fading. If needed . Polish the entire hull to blend.
    
                                        Have Fun
    
                                        Walt
    

    I put a wicked scratch/gouge on my 204C Grady White...Huge hunk
    of metal stickin' out.. off the edge of one of the floats at the
    town launch. Seems this metal is the coupling which joins the other 
    float-still not in place and here it is June 7th. 

    I live in a small town. Newbury Mass. I understand the remaining
    float finally gets wet tomorrow..good weather and a slack tide...
    
    Anyway, When I looked at the scratch(s)/Gouges(s) a couple days
    later....I realized the damage was deeper in my heart compared 
    to what appeared to be on the hull ...ThEy WeRe a CoUpLe oF BeAuTiEs 
    ThOuGh....
    
    I messed around down my cellar mixing the gel coat I purchased from
    the dealer with the hardner [nasty stuff:caustic] to see how long it 
    takes to get to the right consistency....and to judge how long I have 
    to work the stuff once the hardner is mixed in.
    
    You use the plastic spat-tu-lars that Bruce mentioned earlier but
    you ALSO use a piece of mylar!! Some say wax paper..mylar works
    better ../*v*\.. 
    
    
    I:      * sanded the scratch inside and on its edges closest
            to the finished edge.
    
    i.e.  NOT JUST________             But----------
                          |                         |
                    ----\ V /-----                  V
                         \_/                    ----\   /----finish edge
                                                     \ /
                                                      -
            ...otherwise you get a very small trace (line).
    
        
          * used very little gel coat (I probably experienced about
            5 minutes before the gel coat was unreasonable to work with) 
            and I placed a piece of mylar against the hull over the
            scratch and moved the gel coat across the scratch down the
            hull wth the plastic spa-chu-ler' (I don't no how to spell
            spaa-chu-lur). Place the frosted side (the one with a little
            tooth) closest to the gel coat. Leave it Alone! I know we
            like instant results but give it about 45 minutes.
            
    
           *I let it cure 24 hours. I started with 400 Grit Emery Paper
            with lots of water!!! and a sanding block. -->Don't use
            your fingers<---use a sanding block,...you'll be surprised at the
            results. Follow with 600 grit wet sanding with the block
            and finish with 'polishing compound'. 
            My wife said ," Where's the scratch". they were 1/8 of an
            inch deep at most but now there gone. Finish up with a wash
            & wax (your favorite Boat shine accessory) and 'wa-laa'. Put 'er
            back on her mooring and I'm happy again.

           * Most of the ability to fix something you screwed up is
             having the confidence that if you take your time...you
             can fix anything to your own satisfaction.
            
/MArk
    
    P.S. I also substituted a palm sander for the sanding block depending
    upon the curvature of the hull in the area that I scratched.
    

    Re:.5 Rick,
    
    I have a few very small stress cracks on my brand new boat. I believe
    that most of these I'll/you'll/we all must live with. They will
    appear from time to time in a number of different areas depending
    upon how the boat flexs. ...so I've been told...
    
    I think its like trying to fix a crack in your foundation where
    water barely trickles in during a big rain storm.....You have to
    make the crack BIGGER before you can make it disappear.
    
    /MArk 

re .7:

The hull and deck of a well-built, strong boat will not flex enough
cause cracking. Most boats, however, do flex enough to have some stress
cracks. 

re:    < Note 163.8 by MSCSSE::BERENS "Alan Berens" >

>The hull and deck of a well-built, strong boat will not flex enough
>cause cracking. Most boats, however, do flex enough to have some stress
>cracks. 

	What do define as well built boats? We are talking about a
    Correct Craft and a Grady White!
    
    Rick

    
    Rick,
    I've seen the stress cracks on your Correct Craft that you're
    talking about.  If I were you I think I'd do just what you've
    done about it, which is nothing.  The only way to get any gelcoat
    to stick in there would be to open the cracks up, and you'd
    probably never match that beige color of the hull.  I think
    you'd only make the cracks more conspicuous by trying to fix
    them.
    
    Even the best boats, and Corvettes too, have stress cracks.  The
    problem with gelcoat is that it is much more brittle than the
    fiberglass base beneath it.  Increasing the thickness of the
    gelcoat makes a deeper shine and helps to elminate print-through
    of the fiberglass cloth pattern, but also increases the
    likelyhood of stress cracks.  I've seen 'em on brand new boats
    still in the showroom.  
    
    Rick W.
    
    
    

    i went thru this with my last boat. i got so disgusted, that i called
    the factory. the reason fo rthis is that the gelcoat shrinks faster
    than the fiberglass. it is not structural. if you wnat you can 
    repair them, but as mentioned, its not required, and matching
    the gelcoat will be difficult.
    
    
    jim

    I have a Grady White and it has stress cracks! Would you if you
    were run at 20 plus knots through 6 foot seas???
    
    Capt. Codfish (happy GW owner)

RE: .12
 >> I have a Grady White and it has stress cracks! Would you if you
 >> were run at 20 plus knots through 6 foot seas???


Sure would, in fact I've developed a few stress cracks just
sitting here at my desk!     8^)   8^)   8^)


Rick W.

    Is there any way to head off stress cracks (the gelcoat kind) before
    they happen?  I.E. use high quality wax, UV protection, etc?
    Doug.

re .9:

Well-built is more than the quality of workmanship or parts. To keep a 
hull/deck from flexing means making the hull/deck very stiff. Flat 
sections are very difficult to keep from flexing. Stiffness is increased 
by (among other methods):

	using a core (eg, balsa or foam) between the fiberglass skins

	making the hull/deck thicker (which is usually done by using 
	a core)

	using stringers

	using a number of transverse bulkheads

	curving the section

The first four increase cost, and the fifth may not fit the design. A 
properly laid up and cured laminate should not have any cracks when new. 

Our boat is nine years old and has spent many days bouncing around in 10 
to 15 foot seas and has no stress cracks in the gel coat.

    
    		I may have to breakdown and do some repairs afterall.
    I pulled the boat out yesterday to work on the prop shaft stuffing
    box and while wiping the underside, I saw the results of beaching
    the boat, opps!
    
    	The gelgoat that used to exist on the part of the hull that
    hits the sand is no longer there. It's right down to the fiberglas.
    
    	Question 1: How do I tell if fiberglas is needed?
    
    		 2: How would I apply the getcoat since it's not
    			a hole I'm filling but the opposite.
    
    		 3: Anyone feel like doing some work?
    
    Rick
                                       

>>    	The gelgoat that used to exist on the part of the hull that
    hits the sand is no longer there. It's right down to the fiberglas.
      
    Do you mean fiberglass cloth is hanging out?
    
    If your scrap is only the total thickness of the original gelcoat...
    ...then fill it with your favorite color gelcoat paste.
    
    >>	Question 1: How do I tell if fiberglas is needed?
    
        If you're way into the cloth with the scrap. If you are- get
    ahold of the fiberglass resin & hardner and seal it up almost even
    with the natural contour of the hull - then finish with gelcoat.
    WEST SYSTEMS (fiberglass resin & hardner)is avertised in most boating mags.
    
>>>  How would I apply the getcoat since it's not a hole I'm filling but
     the opposite.
    
    You are goint to have to build up the application of the resin &
    hardner combination(or the gel coat depending upon the depth of
    the scrap). Gonna have to eyeball it.
            
 >>> Anyone feel like doing some work?
    Hell no. But if you lived closer I'd supervise! Take your time and
    it'll come out fine. After all these repairs are non-cosmetic since
    they are on the bottom! Good luck Rick.
    
    /MArk
    

re -.1:

A caution: WEST resin is epoxy resin -- great stuff. Epoxy adheres very 
well to cured polyester resin (the usual resin in fiberglass boats). 
However, polyester resin (including gelcoat) does NOT adhere well to 
epoxy resin (due to the hardening system chemicals used in the epoxy). 
If you want to regelcoat, use polyester resin for all repairs.

    Hi,
    
    I just bought a boat about a week ago and now have started using this
    conference. I was hoping to read only for a while until I came up to
    speed but unfortunately, I now have reason to pose a howto question.
    
    I bought a 18' MAXUM fiberglass with a 4.3l engine. So far no
    complaints.
    Last weekend I was out for 4 days doing some camping and skiing on the
    South Carolina - Georgia border when I did something stupid. I tied up
    to a dock and the boat got into the metal strip around the top of the
    dock. ( I had fenders out but they got bounced out of the water by some
    huge waves.) This caused me to wind up with about 8-10 scratches about
    1/8" wide and not very deep running vertical on the boat.
    
    My question is what do I do now to "fix" it.
    
    Do I sand them down and then buff it out.
    If so what do I use and what is the procedure.
    If not, what?
    
    Also after i get it smoot again, will I need to "touch up" the paint or
    will it blend in after smoothing?
    
    BTW - I have read the "interesting" notes in the file and I thank
    everyone for all of the great info. I am located in the Alpharetta CSC
    just North of Atlanta.
    
    Jeff Kinser
    DTN 343-1758

    Are these scratches through the colored gel coat?
    
    You speak of touching up the paint. It it really painted or is it
    pigmented gel coat (which every new fiberglass boat that I have seen
    is?
    
    If the gel-coat is not scratched below the color, you may be able to
    simply fill the scratch with clear gel-coat. They sell repair kits
    (including some pigmenting colors) at any decent marine store.
    If you can work with the clear gel coat, you may be ahead. I found
    that trying to mix up the right color tan for my boat was very 
    difficult. Now if the scratches are in a primary color that comes
    with the gel caot kit, of if you can buy pigment in the right color,
    you may be home (almost) free. The gel coat kit contains a polyester
    gel that is just like the polyester resin that comes in a fiberglass
    kit except that it is gel and won't run off vertical surfaces the 
    way regular resin will.
    
    Good lich.
    
    Bill