quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

[chrisnj]

I bought a 19 ft key west center console. I know how to do it right, but i dont have time and i dont want to spend the money to pay someone else.
The gelcoat on both gunwales alomg the middeck is down to the glass.
There is a large repair that was never painted and needs to be reglassed. Previius owner was clamming and caused most of this dragging the clam rake over side. There are a few dozen gouges through the gel coat to the glass.
I have a quality marine grade vinyl glass filler.
I need go cover the bare glass so we are not itchy.
Should i try and use thd spectrum gel coat? Can i use a marind grade paint?
I want it to last.
Maybe i just need some support and encouragement.

Heres some pics of the damage. The spot with the blue is the vinyl glass filler

 

[jigngrub]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

I know how to do it right, but i dont have time

If you have time to use the boat, you have time to work on it.

Do it the right way.

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

The boat is at the grandparents shore house. I have two kids under 4 and a wife who doesn't want to watch them while I work on it,

Or at least won't keep them away while I am sanding fiberglass and using acetone.

So I need to go down a day early to get in a work say.

BUT... its hot as hell and when I mix the material it hardens before I can get anything done.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

If you want it done quick and dirty just get some semi gloss, or gloss latex house paint and brush over those spots (sand it lightly first). It will dry quickly and do the job of preventing itch.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

How will the boat be used? When you say you want it to last, what does that mean exactly. How much time can/will you devote to the repairs? We all need to know these things so we can assist you with it.

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Well, I just bought the correct color Spectrum gel coat and it will be delivered in about a week.

So, I am committed to the gel coat method.

I have a quart of 3M Marine Unique Vinyl Ester Formulation. Its easy to use, but I need to get it done out of direct sunlight.


We have a shore house on a lagoon a few minutes from the bay between Long Beach Island and the main land.

The boat would be in the water from June to October at the dock behind the house.

It will get used mostly on weekends and will make bay only trips, but the bay gets pretty choppy in the afternoon.

It has a canvas snap on cover that we will probably leave on while we are away.

When I say I want it to last I mean the repair lasts at least 5 years before showing signs of failure.

The one spot on the port gunwale was done by prior guy. It looks like it was done correctly, but was not finished properly and then was worn though again in a few spots by work.

One thing is the boat is dirty, we have cleaned it several times with various products, but I can tell it is still stained because I left a bottle of rust remover on the deck and it spilled, sat for a week and when I rinsed it off the deck was alot brighter where this product sat.

One thing I haven't been too concerned about, but should be is this. There are about 20-30 screw holes on the deck, gunwales etc. Some screws have rusted off and some just aren't there.
I was thinking the quickest and most permanent way to fix those would be to remove whatever is left of the rusted screw and put a nice new rounded top stainless or brass screw with a broad flat head in the hole. Maybe squirt a little chaulk in the hole first.

I would prefer 20 screws to 20 holes that show through.

 

[zool]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

That key west is a perfect little rig for Manahawken bay and LEH...Those back bays have been my stomping ground since i was a kid...Clearing Holgate/LEH inlet is another story when it kicks up

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

I bought a 19 ft key west center console. I know how to do it right, but i dont have time and i dont want to spend the money to pay someone else.
The gelcoat on both gunwales alomg the middeck is down to the glass.
There is a large repair that was never painted and needs to be reglassed. Previius owner was clamming and caused most of this dragging the clam rake over side. There are a few dozen gouges through the gel coat to the glass.
I have a quality marine grade vinyl glass filler.
I need go cover the bare glass so we are not itchy.
Should i try and use thd spectrum gel coat? Can i use a marind grade paint?
I want it to last.
Maybe i just need some support and encouragement.

Take it to a pro.

The boat is at the grandparents shore house. I have two kids under 4 and a wife who doesn't want to watch them while I work on it (edit)I mix the material it hardens before I can get anything done.

I would hire a pro ..

You do realize that the pics you posted are from a Hack.. right .. ? ..

Grinding around cleats and pole holders/slide tracks/rub rail etc is a Trade Mark of a quick and dirty Hack.

This is in no way the direction that a boat that has this much repair should be approached without direct consultation from an experienced person with visual inspection.

I respectfully decline in any other post on this thread..

Good luck mate.

YD.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

If you want to repair those screw holes, I'd bevel em out and then tap off the back side and fill em with thickened resin leaving it a bit proud and then sand smooth.

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Thanx, zool,yatcbdr,woodnglass.
I know that fiberjob was not done with aesthetics in mind. Previous owner was a clammer.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Starting early in the morning will help with the heat problem.

Hiring a babysitter to keep the kids out of harms way will also help.

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Do you see the pic of the gunwale rubbed bare?

Can I just light sand and gel coat that? or do I need to use the vinyl ester stuff first?

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

OK. So I was able to grind it down and found the prior owner used car bondo to form out and fiberglassed over it.


So I ground out whatever bondo I saw except where he filled in a rod holder hole. I left that for later, because I can just grind that out and put another rod holder there. The gnarly looking black and yellow spot is the bare fiberglass that was painted with the commercial clamming numbers. I looked at that closely and there is no bondo behind that. I think he took that seriously because its on the hull.

So, I didn't lay glass down yet, I just put the marine vinyl ester filler and sanded. I wanted to post photos and see what you had to say.

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Looking forward to hearing your input. And no, I'm not taking it to a pro. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Looking forward to hearing your input. And no, I'm not taking it to a pro. Thanks for the advice.

No .. but your talking some pros here

However .. I did say "Hire a pro" didnt I. I should have said "consult a pro" .. actually I did suggest that ( "This is in no way the direction that a boat that has this much repair should be approached without direct consultation from an experienced person with visual inspection." )

I did not mean you should actually let someone else do the work .. sorry for that misunderstanding.

Just talk to someone that has eyes on the repair.

I can say that if you pulled that rig up to my shop .. and wanted some Advice .. I would go over the Whole repair with you for Free.

I was just trying to give you some pointers on how you should ask for other hands on advice. ( You should probably bump the guy a 6pk or something after you pick his brain )

The grinding and glassing is simple .. its the Shape that is gonna be the hard part.

I suggest you get that rub rail OFF and out of the way of the repair. A few more screws and you could have that thing coiled up front instead of in your way.

Glass everything solid .. then start your Fairing from the deck and work your way Down. Once you get that flat you can create a Line ( Radi line/curve ) for your next Fairing stage. Then at this point you should probably have a Batton ( a True bendable/flexible straight edge ). Find your next lower Radi and glass and/or grind till that radi is where you want it. Keep doing this until you get to the last curve ( the hull deck joint ).

Im sure you have more questions .. Im happy to see all the hardware is out of the way and some more grinding is being done.

Dont rush it. Sometimes making jigs takes time.

YD.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

TIP: Best way to post your pics is to open a Free Photobucket account. Upload your pics to a Library, then use the IMG Code to Copy and paste the pic directly into your iBoats Post. They'll be full sized and much easier to see. I think your choice of vinylester is a good one. Kinda a mix between epoxy and Poly and it allows you to still gelcoat. Where are you getting your supplies?

 

[chrisnj]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

Thanx yacht dr. I'm working on getting someone over. Luckily, drunk past noon boat repair guy has been too busy to notice the boat yet.
I got the vinyl ester from a marine repair shop. It was $80 for the quart, but the guy there just finished giving half an hour advice so I would have felt bad going somewhere.else to save 20%.
Strips of fiberglass at a marine hardware store. Sandpaper, tape, misc, solvents and resin at the Orange box store. I was going to buy the gelcoat in stock color from spectrum through iboats, but once I ordered it they reqlized they.don't have it.

Honestly, I just want to spend another six hours on the sings and then paint or gel. I know what I am capable of and I know anT I am capable of I. The amount of time I have. I need to button it up.
I may just use some marine grade enamel thined out I. Three or four coats.
How hard is the gel coat to get looking smooth?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: quickest way to get boating. clear coat gouges. exposed glass.

From what I understand, It takes a lot of sanding after it's applied. Paint takes a lot of prep before it's applied.