Gelcoat repair

[JASinIL2006]

Well, today I was launching into the Mississippi River and chipped the gelcoat below the waterline. I clipped (at very slow speed) a metal retaining wall that borders the boat ramp. Because the river is up, the top of the wall was about 6” below the surface and as I was backing of the trailer and away from the ramp, I was hit by a gust of wind a bumped the corner of the wall with the corner of stern. The fiberglass is very thick in that spot and the transom core, set into thick resin, is right there, too. I’m thinking I could get away with either a gelcoat paste repair or some sort of marine epoxy (PC-11 or MarineTex).

Before I do so, however, I wanted to see if more experienced eyes agree with my appraisal and my plan for repair. Thanks for any thoughts you care to share.

Jim

 

[dlogvine]

I would patch it with fiberglass first, fill the holeand then use the gelcoat after

 

[Scott Danforth]

use some 80 grit to clean the area
wipe with acetone
mix up some gel and some chopped glass and fumed silica and make a slighly hairy paste. use that as the first layer
once cured, knock the high spots off with 80 grit
then do a second layer of just gel, sand and buff after it cures.

 

[tpenfield]

If I were me . . . little bit of sanding and a gelcoat patch. Add some fiber right on the exposed glass if you like. It might look worse than it is . . .

 

[JASinIL2006]

Most of what appears to be missing is gelcoat... since it's on corner, the gel is quite thick. I don't have a problem with making a structural repair (hairy PB or layers of CSM), but I'm not sure what the point would be, other than maybe those are better fillers? The fiberglass in this area is plenty thick, and backed by the wood transom core, so I don't think it's going to be a weak spot.

Just trying to understand what patching it structurally would gain me.

Thanks for all your thought so far!

 

[tpenfield]

Just trying to understand what patching it structurally would gain me.

Nothing . . .

 

[Scott Danforth]

adding the chopped strands to the first layer will reinforce any glass damage you have and give you a good base for the top layer of gel.