Problems with a Navy Gelcoat

[Elanman]

We have owned our Elan Impression 344 for 8 years and it’s been a great boat with one exception -the gelcoat. Each winter we take it out of the water work hard on the maintenance and within a month the gelcoat goes back to its chalky disappointing standard. We use 3M heavy cutting compound and we have tried Starbrite PTEF premium polish and for 3 years used the A Glaze system. All applied with electric polishers but not succeeded with anything tried to date. I’m wondering whether the Gelcoat on Elans is of poor quality therefore more drastic solutions required or whether anyone has got any advice or tips - other than buy a new white boat!

 

[pvb]

Welcome to the forums!

You haven't said where your boat is based, so we don't know to what extent UV could be a factor.

Dark gelcoat is difficult to maintain in decent condition. You could get it painted, which might prove to be more durable, but it will cost perhaps a 5-figure sum.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Blue gelcoat is notoriously liable to rapid deterioration.

 

[Tranona]

As said, dark blue poor for colour retention. It seems the more you compound it the worse it gets - or rather the shorter the time is stays looking good. Don't know whether Elan is any better or worse than others, but very few mass producer offer it. Beneteau have it as an option on some boats in their range (mostly bigger more expensive ones) but mould all the hulls in white and paint the blue.

 

[Laminar Flow]

Blue gelcoat is notoriously liable to rapid deterioration.

You may add dark green to that list as well. Med or tropical sun will kill either in short notice.

2 Pot repainting has a 5-8 year life expectancy (Northern Europe). Many of the dark hulls of my acquaintance and which are of a certain age have been repainted. Ours, after a 10 year stint in the Med was repainted in white Awlgrip.

I spoke to a Dutchman a while back who had had his, admittedly prefect, d'blue hull covered in a UV resistant clear film for a 2 year sojourn to the Med.

Edit: To quote Mr. Herreshoff: "There are only two colours for a boat. Black and white and only a fool would paint it black."

 

[halcyon]

You may add dark green to that list as well. Med or tropical sun will kill either in short notice.

2 Pot repainting has a 5-8 year life expectancy (Northern Europe). Many of the dark hulls of my acquaintance and which are of a certain age have been repainted. Ours, after a 10 year stint in the Med was repainted in white Awlgrip.

I spoke to a Dutchman a while back who had had his, admittedly prefect, d'blue hull covered in a UV resistant clear film for a 2 year sojourn to the Med.

Edit: To quote Mr. Herreshoff: "There are only two colours for a boat. Black and white and only a fool would paint it black."

Around 1990 bought a Hurley 27, one owner and the last boat George made before the Yanks took over. The owner told me the story that he wanted a dark blue hull, but George told him it would go chalky and he could not have, owner insisted. So come the time it was to come out of the mould the owner turns up to watch, out came a white boat with a blue band below the waterline, this being George's blue hull.

First thing I did was to scrape all the old anti fowling off, 4 weeks later there was the blue strip, so the problem with a blue hull was well known in 1970.

If anyone sees Monique, give her a wave for me.

Brian

 

[Elanman]

Welcome to the forums!

You haven't said where your boat is based, so we don't know to what extent UV could be a factor.

Dark gelcoat is difficult to maintain in decent condition. You could get it painted, which might prove to be more durable, but it will cost perhaps a 5-figure sum.

We are based out of Chichester harbour so not too much UV!

 

[Wansworth]

You may add dark green to that list as well. Med or tropical sun will kill either in short notice.

2 Pot repainting has a 5-8 year life expectancy (Northern Europe). Many of the dark hulls of my acquaintance and which are of a certain age have been repainted. Ours, after a 10 year stint in the Med was repainted in white Awlgrip.

I spoke to a Dutchman a while back who had had his, admittedly prefect, d'blue hull covered in a UV resistant clear film for a 2 year sojourn to the Med.

Edit: To quote Mr. Herreshoff: "There are only two colours for a boat. Black and white and only a fool would paint it black."

David Hillyard always painted his craft white it was a brave owner who suggested otherwise(wooden boats)

 

[AntarcticPilot]

We are based out of Chichester harbour so not too much UV!

Probably more than you think! If it's bright enough to cause sunburn, there's enough UV to damage paint pigments. Remember too that although the maximum intensity is less than in the Mediterranean, the duration in summer is greater. It probably balances out.

 

[Daydream believer]

Blue gelcoat is notoriously liable to rapid deterioration.

I agree with that & will not argue.
However, there have been a couple of older Maxi 1100 & 1300 s in our marina. I have observed the dark blue hulls over a few years & note that of all the blues that I have seen these seem pristine. One of them used to pay a husband & wife team come from the south coast to sort their boat at the start of the season. It seems that they only worked on Maxis. They would sleep aboard for a week & polish every part, decks, hull, inside, etc as well as other maintenance tasks. The hull looked fantastic. Even the ones maintained by the owners looked good
So was there a secret about blue Maxis in the build? Always seem to look smart. Even some others tend to look OK in blue.

 

[Lightwave395]

My boat had dark blue gel coat and although 18 years old when I bought her polished up a treat every winter with compound then various waxes.
The problem as noted here was that after launching in March / April by August it was fading gently. Luckily although some other areas of GRP were a bit hit and miss on the older boats the gelcoat was very thick so polished out well


.

She was resprayed in Awlgrip 5 years ago at a cost of £14K (12 metres long ) and is just very slightly begining to show some slight 'wear' in places, mostly where the water runs off between the alloy toerail gaps

 

[ghostlymoron]

Why did you paint it if it polished up well?
I had a dark blue Mirror Offshore the gelcoat was in an appalling condition so I was obliged to paint it.

 

[stuartwineberg]

Be careful with that heavy cutting compound. Modern boats have relatively thin gel coat and I have seen a few where you can see the underlying fibreglass ghosting through the surface. Our 1998 Moody is dark blue and needs a polish every year. Lasts till about mid season and since I dont do the polishing I live with the chalky second half until I can get it in the yard for them to repeat.

 

[Lightwave395]

Why did you paint it if it polished up well?
I had a dark blue Mirror Offshore the gelcoat was in an appalling condition so I was obliged to paint it.

That's Awlgrip... Paint job was part of a major refit, decks repainted after complete strip down and reseal of all fittings, new standing rigging and much more

 

[Elanman]

thanks for the comments and advice everyone. Sounds like no magic solution other than repainting which sounds like an expensive decision. I have noticed the gel coat on Maxis as well - some older boats still perfectly shiny. I presume the quality and thickness of the gelcoat. Attaching a photo below as realise I didn't show what a disappointing blue gelcoat looks like - this was after days of work!

 

[Iliade]

Looks like a coarser compound or even fine sanding is needed first to get through the hazed areas. But do beware of polishing all the gelcoat away!

My beige hull is showing FRP ghosting in places after many years of enthusiastic polishing and I'm now struggling with the concept of painting and all the maintenance issues that brings.