Gouged My Hull

[Hashi]

As I approached a dock, there was a nail sticking out out and put a 8 inch gouge in my hull. It didn't go all the way through. Just removed the gel coat to the fiberglass. How difficult is it to repair the gel coat? Youtube "how to" videos makes it seem easy but I heard it's difficult and should be performed by a professional.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Gouged My Hull

We're going to need a picture of the damage, before anyone is going to recommend a repair method.

 

[ingalp01]

Re: Gouged My Hull

I would think you could tackle that yourself without too much trouble. The hardest thing may be matching the gelcoat color, but if you take a sample to your local supplier, they can probably get close. Just sand it down and clean it up good before making the repair. There are tons of threads on here with materials and supplies that will point you in the right direction.

I'm sure many others will chime in shortly, but it should be fairly easy.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Hello Hashi..

Gel repairs are Much easier to repair then Paint.

And your right about them Utub vids..you just dont start with a brush and lay some wax paper..sand and Bingo bango done thing .

Take some pics as already suggested and we can guide you through What filler and prep guide.

YD.

PS. I plan on making a How to Gel repair in the Near future .. but NOT for Utub..only for Iboats .

 

[Hashi]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Thank you all for responding. I will take some pics of the damage this weekend and will post. I like your idea YD, about posting your DIY video on iboats.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Gouged My Hull

If it is just a Gel Coat repair, go to www.spectrumcolor.com. They have great stuff.

 

[Hashi]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Okay, guys...Here are a few pics of the damage. The front 3" is the worst and the rest are scratches. Although it may seem minor to you, I have no experience working with gel coat. Thank you in advance for your comments and recommendations.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Gouged My Hull

That is a standard gelpaste fill,sand/prep,spray,wetsand and buff repair .

DIY :
1. Scuff the repair with some 80 grit ( or use a dremel to lightly scuff/clean it out.
2. Mix Matched gelcoat with some cabosil until Very creamy ( sour creamish ).
3. Clean, Tape off close to the repair on all sided then fill with paste.
4. Wait 24 hours before you sand .. then sand with 120-180 with your hand and not a block ( you want the repair slightly dished out so when you spray the gel you dont get a big hump on your boat ).
5. Use a scotchbright and scuff just around the repair.
6. Clean with acetone.
7. Using a PreVal sprayer Mix and spray a few coats of gelcoat+patching aid.
Preval http://www.wholesalemarine.com/p/CC...dftrk=gdfV22933_a_7c742_a_7c2312_a_7cCCC_d_PS
8. Block wetsand up to 1200 grit and buff out after full cure.

Should just about do it

One thing though..your gel ( lets say you buy a qt from spectrum ) is going to be pricy .. 80-120 bucks.

Sometimes its better to take it to someone that already has the goodies and let them do it. Should be about 200-300 bucks with them.

Good luck.

YD.

 

[Hashi]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Thank you!, Yacht Doctor!!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Post up some year make model and I can get you the Color name if you like. or PM me with Hull ID# ( I would not broadcast the Hull ID on the Open forum ) .. Hint ..

YD.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Re: Gouged My Hull

My advice to you is to take to a pro and let them handle it. This should not be pricy job for them; just shop around. Also check with your insurance. It may be covered if you have a good comprehensive coverage on your policy. I am speaking from experience. Last year I had a similar accident and I tried to fix it myself. I ended up generating MUCH more work than necessary. I need to spray the entire hull now. If you decided to go for it yourself, glass a piece of plywood and gelcoat it. Wet sand it smooth and puff it etc. In short, make look as your hull did before the accident. Then scratch it and start the repair process. If you were able to get good results on the scrap, you should be good working on the boat. I wish I did it this way but I reserve the right to get smarter every day J. Good luck to you.

 

[Hashi]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Hey Deep Blue, that's sound advice that I will try. I never thought of looking into my insurance policy. I'll do that when I get back to town. Thank you very much!

Got relatives in Seattle in Beacon Hill area...Take care, Bud.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Gouged My Hull

My advice to you is to take to a pro and let them handle it. This should not be pricy job for them; just shop around. Also check with your insurance. It may be covered if you have a good comprehensive coverage on your policy. I am speaking from experience. Last year I had a similar accident and I tried to fix it myself. I ended up generating MUCH more work than necessary. I need to spray the entire hull now. If you decided to go for it yourself, glass a piece of plywood and gelcoat it. Wet sand it smooth and puff it etc. In short, make look as your hull did before the accident. Then scratch it and start the repair process. If you were able to get good results on the scrap, you should be good working on the boat. I wish I did it this way but I reserve the right to get smarter every day J. Good luck to you.

I dont understand this idea .. Your suggesting the OP take it to a pro ( might be a good idea like I stated above ) . Or suggesting the OP buy resin and mat and lam/fill/fair/gel/sand and buff a test piece..then damage said piece..then repair the test sample to see if he can do it .. ???

Hey Deep Blue, that's sound advice that I will try. I never thought of looking into my insurance policy. I'll do that when I get back to town.

Unless your deductable is Very low..its not really worth it ( unless you have a seriously cool policy that will pay out 500 and have some pocket change left over ).

YD.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Re: Gouged My Hull

I dont understand this idea .. Your suggesting the OP take it to a pro ( might be a good idea like I stated above ) . Or suggesting the OP buy resin and mat and lam/fill/fair/gel/sand and buff a test piece..then damage said piece..then repair the test sample to see if he can do it .. ???

Unless your deductable is Very low..its not really worth it ( unless you have a seriously cool policy that will pay out 500 and have some pocket change left over ).

YD.

YD, my recommendation was to take it to a professional to handle it and try to check with insurance to see if it is covered and if so, under what conditions, terms, etc (e.g. the deductible issue you mentioned for instance). Alternatively, if he decides ? for any reason - to go for the DIY route, my advice was for him to practice on a piece of scrap so the real job is not his first exposure to the task. It is reasonable to assume that any of us will defiantly make some mistakes the first time we approach any unfamiliar task; I was recommending avoiding the boat being the first experience. Hopefully this makes sense.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Here is a basic repair thread I started back in 09' .. hope it helps you get the concept

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=320724

Deep: I was just suggesting that if your going through the steps of Glassing ( 1.5 oz mat over ply ) then sanding smooth..then spraying gel..then wetsand/buff ..then scratch it up..then repair .. seems like a lot of effort to "experiment" for such a small repair. Realistically he could ( like most DIY'ers do ) get the "Patch paste" from spectrum ( or whatever supplier ) and scuff/fill/sand and buff the repair. I only suggest the final spray application for encapsulation of the repair after the filler.

I really need to get that DIY Iboats exclusive small gel/glass repair vid going Im having fun thinking of a Good vid layout ..

YD.

 

[Hashi]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Dear Yacht Doctor,

That link you provided on the stress crack repair you made is AWESOME! You and DeepBlue have provided great advice, one for DIY and one for a professional to make the repairs. I'm really grateful to all of you knowledgeable and skillful boaters and am equally pleased to take part on this forum.

Best regards,
Rich

 

[Hashi]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Dear All,

Just thought I drop a line to say "Thank You!" I finally got around to making that gelcoat repair with a kit I bought from iboats (Spectrum) and the repair was fairly easy. There's a little variation in color but it's hardly noticeable. The key to the repair is prepping and cleaning the area of repair thoroughly. After sanding, buffing and waxing, my wife couldn't even tell where the damage was at. Took her nearly 10 minutes until I gave up and pointed it out to her.

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

 

[Trooper82]

Re: Gouged My Hull

That's great!

Let's see an after pic

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Gouged My Hull

Dear All,

Just thought I drop a line to say "Thank You!" I finally got around to making that gelcoat repair with a kit I bought from iboats (Spectrum) and the repair was fairly easy. There's a little variation in color but it's hardly noticeable. The key to the repair is prepping and cleaning the area of repair thoroughly. After sanding, buffing and waxing, my wife couldn't even tell where the damage was at. Took her nearly 10 minutes until I gave up and pointed it out to her.

YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

Congrats on your repair man. .. and yes we do Rock ..

YD.