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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Gelcoat Repair

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britinusa
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USA
5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/01/2012 : 08:48:36

JD is now 7 years old, and a few dings, spider cracks, and discovered voids are needing repair.

I have read up on Fiberglass repairs (west marine book) and reviewed the e-book from Practical Sailor. So I think I have the theory.

My greatest concern before I embark on the first repair is matching the finish and getting a finish as good as the original.

My reading describes 'spraying' the gelcoat on the repaired surfaces, to a thickness of 15-20 mils.

I don't own a compressor and spray kit, and the areas of concern are mostly only a few square inches, so can I use a modelers spray kit?

Any recommendations for a suitable sprayer?

Paul

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 09:40:16

It would be helpful to see some photos of the damage to see how large the areas are that you are repairing.

The hardest part is getting a color match. You can apply gelcoat using techniques other than spraying and sand and buff it down to a smooth and glossy finish.

My boat had a few small chips along the toerail, including this one that I picked up in a race last week:

The damage there is a bit less than an inch long.

I used the white MarineTex (not gelcoat) to patch this area and a few others. It isn't a perfect color match, but it looks pretty good and is easy to shape. I wouldn't use this to repair gelcoat on large flat areas (like the side of the hull), but for small repairs like this it is fairly easy. You can blend colors into MarineTex too.

MarineTex is a stiff and colored epoxy. I find it a lot nicer to work with than gelcoat.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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3758 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 10:45:42

Epoxy is more sensitive to UV, so topping with gelcoat or paint is more than cosmetic. I have used the fill and cover with plastic film for many small repairs over the years with decent results. Take a photo of a small, clean section of the hull in bright sunlight and get its average CYM(K) profile in just about any photo editor to get a rough starting ratio for color matching. Coloring pigments probably won't actually be cyan (almost sky blue) or magenta (purplish pink), but yellow and black will be good. It will take some fine tuning to get the best, not perfect, match that is acceptable to you. A little pigment goes a long way. Say you had a 168/26/25/10 profile, let a tiny dot on a toothpick be your smallest value. Mix the pigments and put a small sample of the mix in a container and gradually add the white base until it is light enough. Keep track of the ratio for future reference. Or get a close match in a pre-colored spray can and live with it.

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awetmore
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1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 10:54:08

It is true that regular epoxy isn't UV resistant, but MarineTex claims to be. I'll let you know in 20 years (Seattle isn't the highest UV place in the world).

Paul's boat is 7 years old and likely to be in better condition than my 28 year old boat. I'm looking for structure and durability primarily, with finish quality as a second priority.

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 11:01:41

None of the areas I need to repair are as deep as that one Alex.

The most unsightly is the area around the stanchion base port side on the cabin top.

<center>

Spider cracks
After a close encounter with a post and the port side cabin top to cockpit stanchion, we need to do a bit of spider crack repair.</center>

Paul

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 11:05:15

I wouldn't spray that one.

Remove the stanchion and notch the crack into a 90 degree Vee. Mix gelcoat and apply it into the V, using saran wrap and/or wax paper to help it cure smoothly. Sand and buff until it is shiny.

The hardest part will be the color match, and Dave already had good advice there.

I'd also try to find the source of that rust, all of the steel there should be stainless. I wonder if those are 304 bolts instead of 316.

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 11:13:31

Yep, the rust bugs me too!

Think I'll document this one. Getting the stanchion looks like a job.

Pretty sure the base bolt nuts are accessible inside the head lighting panel and the cockpit end of the stanchion nuts are accessed via an access inside the head closet! I'm 6' and the are not the easiest areas to get to!

Paul

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 11:17:30

I'd second the Marine Tex. Admittedly most of my repairs with it have been below the water line, but there are a few on the upper hull & deck, and you have to know where to look to find them. As far as UV protection, I'm with Alex, we're not exactly in the sun belt here.

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putzmeister
Navigator

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100 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 17:52:05

http://www.minicraft.com/retail/catalinayachts.htm

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2012 : 18:55:15

The C-250 is pretty much a pure white--shouldn't be a color match problem. I did some repairs (which I challenge Bruce "Voyager" Ross to find) with the gelcoat patch in a tube from WM. I opened up the gouge a little, applied enough patch to overfill it, let it set up, sanded it down, applied a little more where needed, sanded again with extremely fine paper, buffed it out... It never happened. I don't think spraying on anything would have done as well.

Now the rust stains are another matter--there are some cleaners that work on that. I'd clean them up or compound them out rather than covering them up with something that will most likely show on your 7-yr-old deck.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 07/01/2012 18:58:04

britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2012 : 02:45:03

Thanks Dave, good points on the gelcoat patch.

Totally agree about cleaning out the rust stains, that's why I'm taking the stanchion off, pain that that is!

<center>

Inside the head lighting panel
You can see the 3 nuts that hold the stanchion base inside the head lighting panel.</center>

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redeye
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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2012 : 03:46:50

The Marine Tex is nice in that it is pliable but stays in place, but it is really a very hard epoxy once it sets. Difficult to sand down.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2012 : 06:29:21

I think this is what I used:

Sands like... well... gelcoat!

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Voyager
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5372 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2012 : 21:13:04

What patches?????? I've got a few more dings since then and the MarineTex makes it like nothing ever happened. I used the Saran wrap trick, per Don Casey.

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2012 : 04:02:30

The cockpit stanchion base is a little tougher to reach.
<center>

Closet access panel
With the closet door open, looking up, you can just see the access panel that allows minimal access to the underside of the port gunwhale where the 3 nuts that hold the aft end of the cabin top to cockpit stanchion.</center>

<center>

Inside the closet access panel
Been here before you can see the power pump water line from here, have to move that out of the way to see the stanchion bolt nuts.</center>

Paul

Edited by - on

britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/31/2012 : 18:51:03

Latest update:
[url="https://www.catalina-capri-25s.net/cgi-local/MBR_gallery.cgi?Album+1000+38"]

Port Stanchion Mount Repair[/url]
After a close encounter with a post and the port side cabin top to cockpit stanchion, we have a few spider cracks to fix.

(Click on the pic to see the Album)

Paul

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2012 : 20:02:49

We've used MarineTex for quite a few repairs and you'd never spot them. Have also used gelcoat from this company - http://minicraft.com Their gelcoat can be thinned and sprayed with an inexpensive aerosol sprayer - [url="http://shop.preval.com/collections/preval-sprayer/products/preval-sprayer"]Preval

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2012 : 02:52:28

Thanks Randy, that looks like something I could use to spray cover the repaired surfaces of the other 'dings'.

Paul

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