Gel Coating Advice

[a.g.turner]

I've just been given another boat - when will I learn

This is a nice little cruiser which I can use on the local canals and rivers.
She needs a fair amount of work but is situated at a local canal boatyard and I can get some help there.

I'm going to need to gel-coat the hull ideally but I don't know where to start, or even really how get-coating works.

I'm pretty familiar with the use of 2-pack epoxy and glasscloth as I've been a model airplane designer and builder for many years but I've never used gelcoat.

Is it simply a 2-pack, resin/hardner which can be painted on within given curing times and bob's your uncle. Or is there more to it than that?


Andy

[anthony goodson]

3 pack really ,as you add wax which floats to the surface and excludes air ,this allows a hard surface cure ,it's known as flocoat. There has been a lot here about this recently so there is plenty more in the archives. Current seasons normal temperatures and dampness in the UK may not be conducive to outside application.

[gonzo]

I like to use an additive by Duracote. There may be other similar products. Gelcoat's cure is air inhibitied. The wax will isolate it from the air and let it cure. We've had a few nice days and you may have maybe another week to do the job before it gets cold. However, it should be done inside, or at the very least you have to tent the boat. You need to sand the old gelcoat off before re-coating.

[a.g.turner]

Rightoh - well it seems the gelcoat may have to wait until next spring. I don't have anywhere inside to work on it and in any case I can't get the prep done soon enough I don't think.

I think i'll do some temporary repairs and making good for now and then get her back out of the water to properly gelcoat next spring.

[gonzo]

A good cleaning may be enough for a while. Good luck

[ondarvr]

What is the boat made of (can't really tell from the pics)?

If its wood, or epoxy and cloth over wood, then gel coat is not what you should use. if the surface is a polester resin, then yes you could use gel coat, it may not be the best coating for the job though.

[a.g.turner]

Hi
It's a Dawncraft 25. GRP hull.
Howeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever...

I've now got below decks and the story is a little more complicated.
There's a split of about 2 inches where the bow transom meets the port sidewall.
It's well above the waterline, however it seems that over the years a LOT of water has ingressed here and all the internal timbers in this area are rotten to the point of turning to dust as soon as they are disturbed.

I'm going to do a little more investigation and then very probably scrap the hull.
From what i can gather a tatty one of these boats is worth about £500 in the water and a tidy one is worth aobut £2000. So spending more than a few hundred pounds on a boat of this type is just not worth it.

I may find it's not quite as bad as I imagine once I get all the really bad stuff out but we'll see.

My worry is, not being a boat engineer really, that I don't know how much of the internal timber structures I can remove before the hull begins to distort under it's own weight before I can get fresh timbers in place. I don't really have enough time on my hands to do a project this big, especially if things need doing quickly. The best I can do is chip away an hour or two every couple of days.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.............

Originally Posted by a.g.turner

I've just been given another boat - when will I learn

Andy

That was the right question!............

Not the gelcoat one.

Focus on the boat you have bought, not on this gonner. And stop collecting crap!


Btw
like ondarvr I doubt you can use any gelcoat here. That looks very much like a sheathed wooden junk. And a very much gone one on top of that.

Regards
Richard

[a.g.turner]

As always Richard, I can trust you to give me the brutally honest answer. lol
I have to say, I do love the way you call them spades....... well spades.........


With the boat comes an unidentified but running 18 hp outboard and a little 7.5hp Yamaha, which is why I took the boat really. If nothing else I've got two nice motors out of it.

Any idea what the motor is btw anyone.........

[Herman]

To be honest, I would take the engines, and whatever is usable on the boat. (probably the buiders plaque, for nostalgia) and burn up the rest. For what I read of it, a tatty but floating one is 500 GBP, and a very nice one is 2000 GBP. So this one might end up at 750-1000 tops. You better spend that money on another one, or anything else that comes floating by.

[Herman]

Also remember that after gelcoating, the fun begins: Wet sanding and polishing...

[PAR]

I think gel coating is a lot more trouble then it's worth, fair it, prep it then paint with your coating of choice.

I too think that looks like a plywood boat that's be sheathed, possibly in polyester, though if you say it's a GRP, I'll trust you (drill a hole and make sure).

I'm inclined to take Richard's advise and tell you to get what you can out of her and run as fast as you can directly in the opposite direction. After a few minutes of running, look back and begin telling yourself how lucky you where to not get sucked by that old lass.