printing..best way to "grind"

[cbot007]

hi all need help... my 72 venture 17 has losted its gelcoat in the bilage area ie... i can see the "mesh"..do i use 220 grit followed by 400 grit to "grind area for prep to lay mat? what mat schedule shud i use?

ty in adv
cbot007

[Faster]

Why do you want to lay mat? There would have been no structural component in the gel, if indeed it ever had any. Just scrub it all with TSP and repaint it. If you must have a fair surface, then fill and sand with epoxy after cleaning/sanding. But don't grind away the 'mesh'... that IS structural.

[cbot007]

thanks for ur input....first boat...thot maybe there was some kind of laminate there...or guessn there was just gelcoat..seeing the "mesh"is/was a bit frightening and thot laying fiberglass mat wud ease my fear via strengthening bilage area....

ty cbot007

[hellosailor]

Gelcoat is just cosmetic. I'm not sure how much "bilge" a 17' boat really has but you probably will be fine if you apply two coats of antiskid deck paint (if this is an area you walk on) or two coats of white 2-part marine epoxy paint. (If this is really a covered over bilge area.)

[cbot007]

ty ~ ur rt not much of an area...but its where one steps from the cockpit to the cabin... i will follow ur ad vise ...scrub her down then two coats of epoxy paint...then layn some boards across width wise so one doesnt have to step in bilage ty for ur input ~ cbot007