HOW TO REPAIR SMALL HOLE GPS HULL

[spring]

My Spring 25 was hit whilst at its swinging mooring (thanks who ever you are) at the end of last season. The damage is a small hole (30x15mm), chipped off the gel coat leaving fibreglass visible. Its right at the corner as the hull meets the sugar scoop, see pics.

Fortunately its high up the hull, so I was able to leave it until on shore for winter repair, but the weather and commitments have meant is has not been able to be done.

I now have only four weeks before the boat will be put back in. Can anyone recommend a method of how best to do this sort of GRP repair, I have been reading up some PBO articles, but still not sure.

Can I just clean up the hole and fill with gel coat? Is it necessary to add filler powder? Do I have to wait for warmer weather? I have wondered about trying to do the job at the mooring when its calm, I am in a sheltered part of Chichester Harbour, also any recamendations re a supplier I can buy from near Chichester/London or web site.

Many thanks

 

[richardabeattie]

Can't see any photo. How deep is the hole?

 

[spring]

photos did not post! the hole is the thickness of the gel coat, looks like 2-3 mm at this point.

How do you post photos to this site, there is no attach jpeg option?

 

[tcm]

you can buy gelcoat with catalyst, cheap. Teaspoon of gelcoat gloop, 3-4 drops of catalyst, conditions must be dry and clean. If it's not supernew clean clean you get a little grey mark all round the repair like one of my earlier efforts. Sand the area with 100 paper first. Apply mixed gloop with lollipop stick or whatever, thin coats cos thick ones will dribble and loads of sanding down or the whole lump of gelcoat falls off like some other attempts. Dry overnight and then wet+dry down from 400 to get reasonable level. You'll probly need several applications of the gloops to get perfect level with original. Wet+dry with water always of course and as you get close to level drop to 600 grade then 1000 in bright sunshine or with a light and then finally rubbing compound like farecla G7. You need a sanding block or for small area like that i use an ordinary eraser. Sunnier and drier weather the better, but the worst that happens is the new bit falls off and start again. You might want to build/seal the raw grp with epoxy 2-part such as "watertight" or similar if it's deep, and then the gelcoat is pretty much just cosmetic. The gelcoat usually "high white" but ou need to experiment with teensy bit of dye to get other colours, like ivory ois a teeny bit of yellow. For tiny areas or holes you can avoid spening money on the dye by er mixing it on a bit of coloured paper to lift the print colour and scoop it off the minute you hit the right colour. Dye more reproducible tho.

 

[ThereAndBack]

To post photos you need them on Photobucket or some such (free) site.
Then click on 'image' and enter the web address of your photos in the drop down box.
Should work.

 

[Cliveshep]

It needs to be warm and dry or it will "bloom" and not cure properly. Suggest you apply your gelcoat repair and tape a waxed credit card over the small repair and iron it down with a block of wood to get it as flat and smooth as possible before letting it set to minimise cutting back afterwards. You'll have to judge how much gelcoat to dob on so it doesn't track too far under the card. An alternative is cover something stiff but flexible, like a bit of "L" plate, with brown parcel tape. Polyester doesn't stick to that.

 

[oldsaltoz]

This will help

read this thread


Avagoodweekend......

 

[Bodach na mara]

If your boat is white, you could use "Plastic Padding Gelcoat Repair Kit" sold in most good chandlers. Easier than messing about with gel coat resins and makes a reasonable job. Just don't try to sand it down and polish it up until it is well hardened.