Cost of a gel coat repair

PEJ

PEJ

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Can anyone tell me what I should expect to pay for a gel coat repair?

See attached photo. I don't know where it came from but I have a nasty scar about 9 inches high.

I am sure I read somewhere that DIY repairs are not hard - do you think I should try a DIY or get an expert in?
 
With regards DIY, it depends really on how confident you feel, location of damage and size, but for the relatively small cost, I'd get a professional to do it. He will have a better chance of not only achieving a nice finish, but getting a closer colour match.

I would hazzard a guess that a repair somewhere in the region of £100, going on the past work I've had done.
 
Having had a look at your location within your profile, I have a phone number for a chap that is considered to be one of the best guys on the River Hamble with regards grp repairs. If you'd like it, then PM me.
 
You can do that yourself if you get some original gel coat from Gobbi Atlantis.

Here is some basic steps: scratch the area with a 200 grid sand paper, clean with acetone (this reactives the chemical reaction and bonding of the gel), then put the gel hardner mix (about1-3% hardner usually does it) in it. Then send it starting with 200, 400, 800, Then polish it first with a compound paste, and then wax and should be lik new.
The good guys charge about 500 for that, no price for doing it yourself.
If you have no gel I suggest going to professional route, as color matching is the hard bit.
 
Have a go yourself! I learned after pranging my dad's boat years ago, and didn't want to tell him... :) Few quid for a repair kit from any Swindlery (Some Halfords also stock the same stuff.. but only about £8 even from a chandlers..) Sand / grind back the edges to undamaged area, clean with acetone (from any chemist, even some Tesco...) slap on some filler, sand back with coarse wet and dry, fill again with filler to fill the low spots, sand again, fill again until the repair is flush. Then medium, then very fine (1200 grit) wet and dry, then polish. If your boat is white white, colour match is easy, if it's sun aged or off white, add a bit of yellow hardener until the colour is the same - it's not the dark art people think...

If after all that it looks ****, get a pro in - it'll take them a whole five minutes to grind out your repair and start again. Total DIY cost about £20, including sand paper and acetone, but not polish (which, being a boat owner, you'll have five different kinds of anyway...:) ) so very little to lose. And you'll have added another string to your bow if you're happy with the finish...
 
you can get a 2 mix tube of white gelcoat repair paste for about £7. OK, you wont get the colour match, but depends how visible it is, and this stuff is dead easy to use. You could always try that and see what you think.
Otherwise, you ll need to get some from Gobbi. Due to its volatilty, this stuff isnt allowed on planes, so unless there is some matching your hull number locally, it has to be got from the factory, and shipped.
Gel is about the consistency of runny syrup.. and this is a vertical surface, right!So, you need to thicken it. You might get away with talc powder, otherwise its silica , and you ll need some hardener. This stuff is best got from a fibreglass wholesales (mail might be usually easier than driving miles!), as you get a man-sized quantity, as opposed to the teaspoon from the chandlery.
With a 1200 sandpaper and water, clean back way ,way around the damage, so you get back to the orginal colour..otherwise you'll get the new clean repair next to your old grimmy gel!And sand back the damage..you want a good clean area to repair, so dont nancy about with this bit.
Wear some gloves as this stuff seems to get everywhere.Clean with acetone (from fibreglass shop as its dirt cheap from there)Mix the gel, thickener and a drop or two of hardener into a disposable tupaware-type container (plastic cups have a tendency to disolve). With a spatula smooth it into the area,leaving just proud.
Some gels/flowcoat have a wax in them, some dont. But gel wont go off if its exposed to air- hence the wax, so if no wax, cover with some clingfilm.It will harden in anything from 30 mins to some hours, temp etc depending. Whats left in your mixing container will tell you...
You might find the surface is a bit sticky, but its set underneath. If so just scrape off the sticky surface.
When set, you start to sand back the proud repair. Maybe with 100/200 grit,and soapy water, but stay away from the old gel.. you dont wont the scratch that. Work your way through to 1200 grit. This is almost like polish, so by that stage you arent removing anything that you can tell, but you are building up the gleam.
Wash it well, then whatever polish and wax you use.
You wont be able to see the repair.
None of this is hard, as long as you can access the repair area easily, and there is no compound curve to match.Take your time,but it is something that a bit easier in the warm, than 6 degrees. Cant remember quite what, but 12-15 degrees is about the minimum without also heating the repair.
I d have a play with the gelcoat repair kit, and see what you think about the colour match, and get an idea how tricky it is. Its more tricky with gel, but you'll get the idea!
 
Thanks

Thanks for your replies. I am now told it is not just Gel Coat is had damaged the GRP as well and should be repaired on land. Bummer.

I wonder if I can claim on the insurance for it?
 
Yes they are right I guess by the picture. This gets more complicated as you have to grind and see how the mat is. By the photo it looks some small scratches in it, so a little chopped strand mat should. That had to be a good bump and grind to scratch all that gel.
 
PowerYachtBlog said:
That had to be a good bump and grind to scratch all that gel.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the strange thing. I have only been out in it about 5 times and I can not remember hitting anything and to do that much damage I would have had to have felt it.

It is the same side as my pontoon finger but way ahead of the tip of the finger so I can't have hit my own berth. I wonder if someone hit me in the marina.
 
poltergeist said:
Having had a look at your location within your profile, I have a phone number for a chap that is considered to be one of the best guys on the River Hamble with regards grp repairs. If you'd like it, then PM me.
Click to expand...

Probably the same one I used to repair a similar scar after being attacked by a numpty skipper in Yarmouth - good he is too.

I would guess around £125, but depend if there has been damage to the grp matting
 
PEJ said:
Yes, that is the strange thing. I have only been out in it about 5 times and I can not remember hitting anything and to do that much damage I would have had to have felt it.

It is the same side as my pontoon finger but way ahead of the tip of the finger so I can't have hit my own berth. I wonder if someone hit me in the marina.
Click to expand...

Probably someone hit you, reminds me a few years ago when I find a long scratch across the stern where someone had hit my boat on its finger berth. Now have more fenders etc.

I recently had a quote for a GRP repairs inside the hull for a larger area than yours, about £200 - mind you they haven't got to worry about gel coat matching.
 
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