Threadbare Gelcoat

Someone needs to be relieved of their buffer....

This is an EASY fix. The hardest part will be matching the old gelcoat. Given that the abraded sections don't match the old gelcoat either, it seems to be a no loose proposition.

Jamestown Distributors sells gelcoat WITH WAX in many colors. I suspect that white would be most appropriate for this.

1. Tape off the area around where you need to make the repair.
2. Sand the area including and immediately around the repair with 400 grit sand paper.
3. Thoroughly clean the area with dewaxer. Wipe with a clean rag from the center out.
4. Measure and pour some of the gelcoat into to a piece of clear plastic, like the stuff that they use to cover a cake or pie in the supermarket. Compare it to the surrounding gelcoat.
5. If you like, add tint to the gelcoat (you can buy this at the local WM). Or, you can live with "close enough." This is the hardest part of the process for me. I am not good at matching colors. Note that gelcoat does not change color (at all) when it hardens.
6. Add the correct amount of hardener (remember that you measured in step 4?). I believe that it is 10 drops per ounce of gelcoat.
7. Apply the gelcoat with a foam brush, a sprayer, heck I've used a rolled up paper towel and had great results. Put the gelcoat on heavy. The new gelcoat needs to cover the area that you are trying to fix, and be feathered over the old gelcoat, so that they will blend together.
8. Let the gelcoat harden for a day - it is best if it is exposed to direct sun, or you could use a heatlamp.
9. After it has completely hardened, sand the gelcoat smooth with 400, then 800 grit sandpaper. Again, you want to feather it into the old gelcoat.
10. Peel off the masking tape.
11. Polish the area with a buffer, and compound to give it gloss.
12. Apply a coat of wax. Done!

It seems much worse than it is.

I think you're spot on with your buffer hypothesis eherlily. It wasn't me

The boat is 40 yo.. I guess PO couldn't stand her looking a little weathered and botched the plastic surgery.

I can tell where it's thin when standing in the cabin on a sunny day. It shines through in certain places and corresponds nicely to the worn areas.

The repair you're describing is pretty similar to what I've seen online so far, so that's comforting. Sand it, clean it, thicken, apply, wait, sand & compound.

I really wasn't sure if the cabin sides were gelcoat, or at least if it was the same as the hull's freeboard.

Thanks for the link RichH.

Thanks again guys.

The boat is old, so it's due to have the entire deck and cockpit's gelly redone. Of course, that's after I remove and rebed all deck hardware. Got a feeling I'm in for a mast step rebuild as well. Safety first.

My concern really is if these bare patches present a problem in terms of water damage in the near term. If they do, I don't want my repair to complicate an eventual total redo. Knowing that I'll someday be doing the whole deck though, I'm not that worried about an exact color match on the patch.

I'd be surprised if I get to all that this offseason. I'm getting married this year, and as fiance will remind me from time to time... "This is NOT the year of the sailboat!"

She's a little sensitive since my NY's eve resolution was to learn to sail and maintain a boat. I guess it wasn't what she had in mind, but the DJ was kind of leading us on asking "What new, exciting challenges will you take on this year?" I blurted out the WRONG answer.. lol.

Any harm in just hitting them with a water repellant, flat white marine paint? Seems like it would sand off a lot easier than epoxy.