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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/19/2012 : 08:31:08

Greetings all...

While on the hard we go and check check the tarp and tie down lines, etc every 2 weeks...yesterday, we observed the most curious condition. See the following photos, apparently a piece of the gelcoat, approximately 1.5 " x 2.5", has come off.

It is shallow and there were no signs of an impact. In fact the boat is pretty well protected sitting between others on all sides. Also the chip was not found. It is possible a yard man - or another owner - might have hit it while carrying something and then picked up the debris. I could not tell.

My real interest is advice on repairing. My initial thought is after I am sure it is dry, to simply use WM's gelcoat-finish product. I've used it before for minor chips. I am unsure if it is the best way to correct this issue.

What are your thoughts?

Many thanks!
Jerry

Jerry

Edited by - jerlim on 02/19/2012 08:33:40

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 09:36:45

I don't know about the repair process but, I'd assume, until proven otherwise, that this is from some kind of impact. Talk to the yard manager and your insurance company.

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 10:13:22

It could be from impact but if you blow Jerrys photo's up it appears you have smaller spots to the left in the photo's (many showing a fiberglass grid pattern).It appears your boat is on Asphalt so the chip could have simply blown away. Maybe water under the gel coat freezing at night , Thawing in the day...Hmmmm Just guesses. I'm leaning towards the impact if those are fiberglass fibers sticking out, Scrape marks upper right of the damage, Like someone took a scraper and tried to smooth the damage. I disagree on calling the insurance for a 1.5 x 2.5 gel coat repair Deductible and all, Save it for when you really need it. Any work going on to boats around you?

Edited by - islander on 02/19/2012 10:41:51

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 10:20:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by John Russell
 I don't know about the repair process but, I'd assume, until proven otherwise, that this is from some kind of impact. Talk to the yard manager and your insurance company.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I think John is right. I never saw gelcoat fall off a boat for no reason, and certainly not a piece that big. It looks like either something hit it, or perhaps something foreign got between the hull and the sling when it was hoisted by the travelift.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 10:39:12

How was the boat lifted out, and where might this be relative to the lifting mechanism (such as travel-lift straps)? If the lifting caused some loosening of the gelcoat, power-washing might have done the rest. I would use a 2-part gelcoat, not the one-part stuff in a tube, for this kind of repair.

(Steve said it while I was typing...)

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/19/2012 10:42:55

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 11:30:34

Thank you all..this occurred post lift, and was not there 2 weeks ago...the WM gel coat is a 2 part, that you mix and have about 10 minutes before it hardens. I was thinking of maybe gouging out some of the glass around the edge, to create a groove that will help the patch adhere...?

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 12:02:13

Jerry,
If you don't have a copy of Casey's book on fiberglass repair, [url="http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/17.htm"]this is a good primer[/url]. Your repair looks to be somewhere between fixing a gel coat scratch and a hole in the fiberglass.

Have you checked inside the hull opposite of the damage? It looks like maybe something struck the boat a glancing blow that knocked out that chip and scraped along the side, like someone carrying a long 2x4 between boats or something. It's hard to tell, but it looks like the damage might be right around shoulder height, and the well defined vertical right edge looks like something rectangular made initial contact there, then scraped to the left. Like a 2x4, which has a short dimension of 1.5", and you tend to carry them laid flat on your shoulder...

I don't know that I'd contact my insurance either, but when I had my little run in with my neighbor's boat this summer, I ended up paying zero deductible for the repair, and it didn't raise my rates or deductible since I'd been with them for so long. Might be worth investigating, but I'd check with the yard's insurance beforehand since this isn't your fault.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 17:16:01

Jerry, the fiberglass doesn't appear to have the gray, weathered look that I found under my blisters.

Here's another place to check out:

http://www.minicraft.com/

Very helpful and carry Catalina colors

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 18:02:06

Looking again... The strands of matting that are sticking out around the bare spot also suggest a blow to the hull. I would trim them away and carefully pick off the remaining loose gelcoat before putting the new layer on. I wouldn't cut into the mat itself--I'd want the mat fibers to extend from outside of the damaged area to within it. (But Casey is the expert.) The new gelcoat should grip the matting adequately. Not that it's a structural issue... The primary purpose of that random matting is to prevent the structural woven roving beneath it from creating a weave pattern on the surface.

Edited by - on

JeanAndre
Navigator

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USA
224 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 18:32:08

Hi Jerry,
are you the first owner of this boat?

The reason I ask is because I can see some "red, white and blue" layers I would gues maybe from a previous patch.
and then a little water infiltrated and froze, expanding and separating the patch.

This is by no means an professional statement, but it would be worth investigating it further I attached a picture with my remark:

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 18:33:57

Many thanks all for your insights and advise...David - the Casey site is great!
If guilty, the yard will never own up to it...and no other owners have advised the office they are responsible...I am glad it is a easy fix.
Best to all!
Jerry

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2012 : 19:59:10

One more comment: When you apply the new gelcoat, work it vigorously into the matting so it contacts the underlying resin, with no voids. You can build it up a little and then sand it down flush with the surrounding area.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/19/2012 20:00:07

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 07:17:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JeanAndre
 Hi Jerry,
are you the first owner of this boat?

The reason I ask is because I can see some "red, white and blue" layers I would guess maybe from a previous patch.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Interesting observation. It does indeed look like newer white gelcoat or patching material was applied over the existing brown factory colored gelcoat covering up the lower portion of the stripes.

Edited by - dlucier on 02/20/2012 09:37:00

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2012 : 10:12:44

The brown boot stripe doesn't look factory to me, More like a brown bottom paint. My guess that at one time this boat was bottom painted brown from the top of the boot stripe down, The black was added after. A repair was made(the white between the coats) and then re-painted. When the repair was made it was probably easier to paint the boot stripe with bottom paint than try to match up the original colored gel coat.

Edited by - islander on 02/20/2012 10:22:10

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2012 : 17:47:15

I will be making the repair this weekend, but will first investigate and reply back...thanks to all for your insights and opinions!

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2012 : 13:17:20

It looks like a mat patch that was not adequately impregnated with resin.

Edited by - on

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