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Gel-coat repair

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2 years 9 months ago#5225by Rebecca Mitchell
Gel-coat repair was created by Rebecca Mitchell
Hello Everyone,
We have recently joined Starcross Yacht Club as new members and are looking forward to getting out on the water, but before we do, there is some repair work needing doing to the underside of our Wayfarer hull. Does anyone know of someone who might be able to assist us with a small gel-coat repair which is approximately 10cm x 5cm. Any assistance or advice would be gratefully received.
Many thanks,
Rebecca 

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2 years 9 months ago#5228by Alistair Glen
Replied by Alistair Glen on topic Gel-coat repair
Hi Rebecca,

Had you thought about having a go yourself? If you are simply looking to make the boat watertight so that you can get on the water, the advice in  Gelcoat Repair Pt 1 et seq, will hold your hand through the process. Being able to do your own basic GRP/gelcoat repairs is a very useful skill for a boat-owner to have and will save you lots of time and money over the years. Don't be afraid of your first attempt not being too pretty, you can always sand it off and start again.

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2 years 9 months ago#5230by Mark Elkington
Replied by Mark Elkington on topic Gel-coat repair
Hi Rebecca
Jo Line at the  boat repair centre has done a few repairs for me in the past - and they have alwys come back 'invisible.  Its a bit of trek to Junction 21 on the M5 though.

Following on from Alistair's comment - remember the gelcoat is only a cosmetic layer.  The hardest bit about gel coat repairs is matching the colour - particularly white. 

To get sailing you only need to repair any damage to the substrate with epoxy or polyester resin (to match whatever your Wayfarer is made of) and possibly some cloth, and some peel ply on top.  Sand it smooth after it has cured and then you can go sailing and get it fixed permanently during the winter months.  

If it is just cracked/scuffed/dented gel coat then follow the instructions in the video and you can usually sort it out with a couple of hours of work spread over 2 or 3 evenings.  There are places online that will supply coloured gelcoat if you know the RAL number for your boat hull colour.  The use of peel ply after put the gel coat on saves an amazing amount of time.

I can supply you with a bit of reinforcing cloth and peel ply if you want to tackle the temporaray repair yourself

Mark

 

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2 years 9 months ago#5231by Rebecca Mitchell
Replied by Rebecca Mitchell on topic Gel-coat repair
Hello Alistair, thank you for your advice - good idea to have a go at doing the repair myself. Its an old boat so doesn't need to look pretty. Will follow the link you sent.
Many thanks, Rebecca

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2 years 9 months ago#5232by Rebecca Mitchell
Replied by Rebecca Mitchell on topic Gel-coat repair
Hi Mark, thanks for you kind suggestion. Will have a look at doing the repair myself. That's kind of you to supply a few materials. I will be in touch to let you know when I'm planning to be down at the club. Kind regards, Rebecca

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2 years 9 months ago#5233by Mark Elkington
Replied by Mark Elkington on topic Gel-coat repair
If you take a picture of the damage and send it to me at [email protected] I might be able to advise on what needs doing to get you out on the water asap.

I'm also at the club on most racing days - usually tinkering with a blue Merlin Rocket before or after a race.

Mark

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