Gelcoat repair

[RobertSchuldenfrei]

Hi Everyone,

This past weekend I added a small ding to Esprit du Vent to the collection started by the PO.  I noticed from a past post that Catalina Direct sells a product from Spectrum: http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=271 .  They also sell a tint kit.  How good is the color match of the base product?  If I do buy the tint kit, how hard is it to match the color?  Is there a video on color matching?

TIA,

Bob

[Bobg]

this might not help you, but I had the same thing and went to one of the marina's around my area that also works on boats, and he fixed me up with a shot glass equivelent of stuff he mixed out of his bulk supply, he also gave me a little hardener, i put it on there, covered it up with tape and when it cured I removed the tape and sanded a little.  Can't even tell it was done.  West Marine also sells some stuff that will get you close, that little ding when repaired won't be noticable even if it ain't perfect

[Stu Jackson]

Bob,

Folks report that if you can get it close, the sun will bleach it out so you'd never notice.  Florida? Sun?  What was I thinking?!? 

Also, IIRC, the C34 manual, available in the C34 Tech wiki, has a section on fiberglass repair, don't recall if it has any color matching info.  A search on You Tube would answer your question on whether videos are available, none here that I remember.

Good luck.

[Jim Hardesty]

No doubt that the gelcoat needs fixed.  Looks to me like that area needs some protection from future dings.   Stainless steel angle or starbord come to mind.
Jim

[RobertSchuldenfrei]

No doubt that the gelcoat needs fixed.  Looks to me like that area needs some protection from future dings.   Stainless steel angle or starbord come to mind.
Jim

Yes indeed, that is being taken care of!  The dock owner has a dinghy lift at the end.  This could only happen at very high tide.  I was looking at my good wife place a spring line on the mid-ship cleat and did not notice the bow getting close to the dinghy lift.  My bad...  The lift is being rotated so it does not hang over the dock and is getting a corner fender.  It will not happen again.  Other dings have been there since we bought the boat last year.  None of them are very big, but Esprit du Vent is a retirement project - it's therapy don't ya know.

[patrice]

Hi,
Looking at your picture, I have similar problem.
But for me, being on a mooring, the lines are rubbing the edge of the hull.
I have a cleat on both side, but still the lines are going thru the gelcoat.
Wondering what other do about this issue?  Like mentionned, I was looking at adding a Stainless angle over the edge to protect the hull.

[Stu Jackson]

Rub strakes.

[patrice]

Rub strakes.

Hi
Thanks, so simple,       I did not even though of it.   

Will make the gelcoat repair, and install this on both side.   

[Ron Hill]

Bob : I can't get your picture to come in all the way so I can't see that area that needs repair.  The Spectrum white gel-coat matches. 

I ordered the brown (camel) and the gray directly from Catalina and they match perfectly!   A thought