Transform your boat into a shining beauty with the sailpower.com's step by step guide - including video footage - on how to repair minor gelcoat damage

How many times have you cursed your crew for dropping the spinnaker pole on the foredeck causing scratches or dents in the gelcoat? Or cursed yourself for your incompetence as you’ve scraped the gunwhale while attempting to squeeze the boat into the garage in the half dark?

Although this sort of gelcoat damage is irritating and aesthetically unpleasing, it usually doesn’t warrant rushing off to the nearest boatbuilder for major surgery. Instead, the wounds usually get covered with pieces of insulating-tape and you spend the rest of the season sailing round in a boat that looks a more like a patchwork quilt than a chic racing machine.

Pinnell and Bax – the Northampton-based chandlery/sailmakers who also specialise in building, fitting out and repairing quality racing boats, have an endless stream of craft in for repair. Although they are naturally keen to encourage the repair work to be carried out by their professional craftsmen, they stress that most minor repair jobs are simple enough for anyone to tackle.

Pete Jackson is P&B’s chief boat repairer. He races a Solo and is passionate about his work. ‘There is nothing that can’t be repaired," said Jackson, "Just remember that if you start a repair job and don’t like it when you’ve finished it, don’t panic, grind it out and start again." With these words of wisdom in the back of your mind, there really is nothing to stop you taking on the world next time you find a dent in your boat.

Equipment
Personal protection – Always remember that working with resins is hazardous and it is important to ensure you have adequate protective. Remember to use latex examination gloves when working with resins and if you do happen to spill any on your skin, wipe it off immediately with acetone (purchased from a chemist).

There is no escaping the fact that doing this sort of work is messy, so kit yourself out with an overall or old clothes you don’t mind messing up.
Also, because grinding and sanding create a lot of dust it’s advisable to wear a paper particle mask, which can be purchased from any DIY store.

Gelcoat pigment kit – For a minor repair that requires no filling you’ll need to purchase a gelcoat pigment kit from the chandler. This will include everything you’ll need to carry out the repair including gloves, mixing pot and spatula. The kits usually cost approximately £12 and can be used time and time again. Make sure you purchase an extra couple of re-usable plastic mixing pots and a few more mixing sticks.

Filler repair pack – For slightly deeper wounds that need filling, you’ll need a filler repair pack which can also be purchased from your local chandler.

Small brush – Apply the gelcoat with a small brush rather than a spatula to help disperse the bubbles that may have built up during the mixing.
Masking tape and Mylar – Make sure you have a piece of Mylar handy to tape over the gelcoat repair. This is an excellent way of ensuring a smooth finish and to reduce the amount of rubbing down needed.

Powerfile – According to Pete Jackson, this tool is a must for minor repairs. "The one we use," says Jackson, "is an ordinary Black & Decca tool, which you should be able to purchased from DIY stores. It has a narrow sanding belt, which spins round and is safer to use than a power grinder. It’s excellent for working on small areas.

Wet and dry paper – For finishing off and polishing you’ll need copious supplies of wet and dry paper of different grades. P&B recommend four different grades for a simple polishing job. Start off with 320 grade, then progress to 600, 1,000 and finish off with 1,200, which is very fine.

Sanding block – To ensure you get a smooth, even finish when sanding, it is important to use a sanding block.

Hairdryer! – As unlikely as it sounds, an ordinary hairdryer is the perfect tool to speed up the resin-setting process. Or if you can get hold of one, an ultra-violet lamp will do the job just as well, if not better. Do not, however, be tempted to use a hot air gun because it throws out too much heat and is likely to delaminate the hull.

Working conditions
Ensure you choose a dry, spacious, well-ventilated area to work in preferably a garage. And remember that when working with epoxy and polyester, the air temperature needs to be reasonably warm, approximately 15 degrees C to allow the resin to set efficiently. A good guide to follow is if it’s comfortable to work with normal clothes on then it’s probably just about right. If it’s any warmer you’ll find the resins will set far too quickly.
Polyester resin will take 45-60 minutes to cure while epoxy resin takes about 15 hours.

Always ensure the working area is well ventilated (ie open the garage doors) because polyester resins give off styrene fumes which are carcinogenic and some people become very sensitive to them.

Good lighting is another factor to consider, particularly when you get to the colour match and polishing stage. Whether you go for fluorescent or bulb lighting, make sure you choose a ‘daylight’ version – the sort of lighting artists choose. However, remember that tube lighting does pick up all the blemishes, including those you wouldn’t necessarily notice in the daylight.

Boat preparation
Preparation is the key to any successful boat repair job. Once you’re happy with your venue, you need to assess the job, gather the necessary equipment together and work methodically.
Whatever the job, whether it’s a simple gelcoat scratch or cracks in the laminate, it’s important to flush the wound with fresh water to disolve any salt crystals. When it’s dry, clean the area with acetone to remove any grease.

505 repair with video footage

© IPC Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy