Gelcoat and 2-Pack Boat Repairs

Gelcoat and 2-pack boat repairs are a specialized repair available from us – not many people can colour match gelcoat like we do. This is very important – the difference between an obvious patch up job and a seamless finish.

Another important choice is whether to use Gelcoast paste or liquid – so talk to the experts early on. While it sounds simple, you need to avoid run offs making the repair anything but seamless. You should also avoid spraying Gelcoat outside on a hot day – drying too fast can pinholes in the finished repair (If you have pinholes from a previous job, be sure to prime properly before starting the current repair). Even the degree of sanding is important, to avoid “valleys” in the repaired surface. Another reason to avoid spraying outdoors is the possibility of “wind drift” which can result in wasting time removing your spray from someone else’s vessel! And of course, watch the weather forecast if trying to do this outdoors – any chance of rain – forget it.

We can fix anything from chip or crack repairs to modifications, holes filled or discoloured gelcoat repairs. We are specialists in colour matching both Gelcoat and 2-pack, ensuring repairs can be kept to a minimum.

Gelcoat is used to provide a high quality finish on fibreglass surfaces. Many boats are manufactured using composite materials covered by a layer of Gelcoat. This creates a very durable finish. Most gelcoats are composed of unsaturated polyesters or epoxies.

While 2 pack boat repairs tend to be cheaper in the short term, Gelcoat creates a more long term solution. If you decide to go with a 2 pack paint job, be aware that you will spend more time preparing the surface properly than actually painting! Always start the paint job early in the day – If you finish late, a dew settling on the boat will dull the finished paint job.

Before considering making any repairs, ask us to check out that the damage is confined to just the external coat and that there is no underlying damage to the fiberglass, or even worse, structural damage.