gelcoat repair

[glassr]

Hello everyone, I have a gelcoat finish on the gunnels and deck area of my winter project(30'open fish). The gelcoat finish has cracks that look like a spider web sort of in various areas throughout.Also there are cracks that are betweenn 12-24 inches on the gunnels that are peeling up,probvably due to contact with dock pilings,the boat is a hurricane recovery. Once the cracks are filled what would be the best way to finish it(paint, re-gelcoat,etc)? I have not been in the marine industry for over 20yrs and was wondering what new materials have come out that would give me the ability to fair the areas out again. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
glassr

[Ssor]

Glassr, Books have been written on gelcoat repair, but for painting, the two part urethanes are unexcelled. Do a little research in the library and then go out and buy the book that you find most useful and start building your own shelf of boat repair books.

[glassr]

Thanks for the idea about the books. About the two part urethanes, I think West System might be a good match. They might even offer something that is easier to work with for repairing the spider cracking in my gelcoat. They will probably have the books too. Also, I might be spelling the word incorrectly, but would cavacil work as a good fairing compound if mixed in proper proportion?

Thanks,
glassr

[Ssor]

I suspect that you mean cabosil which is collodial silica and serves as a thickening agent and thixotropic(means that it is runny when stirred but thickens again when the stirring stops). West system 409 is easier to use, goes a lot farther, and sands easier. I chased a few feet of gelcoat cracks with a dremel tool, slow but effective. A disk grinder is much faster but don't start a conversation when you are using one.