fiberglass repair

Dottee F · Post by **Dottee F** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:39 pm

I'm new to the forum and to sailboats and also fiberglass repair.

Is marine Bondo different from regular Bondo?

Should gelcoat crazing be repaired wherever you see it? Will it continue to cause damage if left unrepaired?

The gelcoat on the bottom of my Man-O-War seems very dry. It also had some blistering where the bunkboard of the trailer contacted the boat. The blisters were very small...approximately 2mm diameter. Should the bottom gelcoat be sanded completely off and new gelcoat applied? There is also thinning of the gelcoat along the keel (color is visable where the white gelcoat is gone).

I appreciate any input.
Thanks,
Dottee
Monson, Massachusetts

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:46 pm

Welcome aboard ! I'll try to chip in on the Bondo. What what I see looking online "Bondo Marine" seems to be a 1 to 1 epoxy resin, but when I think of just "Bondo" I think of the body filler stuff. So if thats the 2 products you are looking at, then yes they are different.

I might be misunderstanding the 2 you mean tho..

Mario G · Post by **Mario G** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:09 pm

The gel-coat on the Chrysler boats seem to be very thick. I would start with fiberglass matting for any holes and cracks then down to kitty hair to fill gouges or small holes that were drilled for extras and such.

if its just chips in the gel-coat you can get gel-coat repair, at some point soon I want to paint the top side(EE's hull job looks great) but want to smooth out some of the years. Fiberglass is very easy to work with just wear a mask.

Jmckamey · Post by **Jmckamey** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:22 am

Hello and welcome. Think of gelcoat as an extra thick coat of paint. Spider cracks in this coating are very common and are not a structural issue. As for the bottom of your boat, The small blisters are not of major concern either. If you plan to apply a antifoul paint to the bottom just sand smooth with a min. amount of material removed then apply paint. If not, then you could do some minor spot repairs.
In general, you want to start out with the least distructive method of surface repair as possible. For general surface reconditioning try wet sanding. Start with something in the 600 grit range and work your way up to 2400 grit, then use a polishing compound. You would be really surprised at the results. Remember to do this in a small area first. You will be able to develope a technique that works for you.
Always remember, anyone can push a throttle foward, sometimes this passtime can be frustrating, but it usually rewards persistance. Luck to you.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:24 am

Welcome aboard Dottee!

Scott

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 4:45 pm

Ahoy there ship mate, and welcome aboard!

Alan