Gelcoat

[jkloppers]

What exactly is gelcoat ? Is it the top layer of the polyester ?
Or is gelcoat for the color ?

Do I need gelcoat when I want to repair a spot on the hull of the boat ?

Thanks in advance for explaining.

Jeroen

[seapuppy]

Hi Jeroen..
gel coat is the top layer of the hull and decking that give it it's color...if you get a ding..the easiest thing to do is get a gel coat repair kit from your local boat store....you can apply it several ways...by thinning it out with thiner...you can shoot it thru a spray gun...let it dry and then wet sand it...you can mix it with the hardener and apply it directly and then block sand until the ridges are gone..then wet sand to give a shine..work your way in finer sand paper to get a good smooth shiney finish...all the way to polishing compound and finally wax....if you have a good sized ding...rough sand to smooth the jagged edges out and to provide the gel coat something to grip too..then follow the directs above......note...the more hardener you add..the faster it will set.....ideally you want to add one part gel to half part hardener....depending on the requirements and temps....follow the instructions from the gelcoat co......

[jkloppers]

Ok,

I hope I understand it what you said.
So I have to get a gel coat repair kit with the right color ?

[seapuppy]

actually some kits come with a mixture of colors that allow you to match blend your hull color.....may take some practice but if it's faded ..then you can match it perfectly....the other way is to go to your local maxum dealer and they should be able to match color your gelcoat..then just add the hardener mix up really good then apply to the spot...then sand down smooth and use a rubbing compound to get the scratches out and then finally wax.....trust me..it takes more time to explain it than to do the job..... :P