How Do You Repair A Gelcoat On Boats?
Gelcoat is the thin, glossy surface on your fiberglass boat’s hull. Gelcoat is the first surface into the mold when a fiberglass boat is being built. It is sprayed in to form a layer only a bit thicker than the walls of a plastic trash bag. Some damage, including collisions, requires a full fiberglass repair. Fortunately, the most common type of damage that gelcoat sustains is crazing, in which the gelcoat surface begins to break down from exposure to the sun, water and the oxygen in the air. If the gelcoat is cracked, sand the area with a palm sander and 220 grit sand paper. The 220 grit sandpaper is sufficiently fine that sanding marks will be difficult to detect. Pack glazing compound into the cracked gelcoat with a small-bladed putty knife. Be sure to add enough glazing compound to the crack that the glazing compound rises above the level of the crack. Allow the glazing compound to cure for at least 24 hours, then sand it down using 220 grit sandpaper and your sander until it’s lev
