chalk is for black boards, not boats!

[soopercrew82]

Hey all. Im a bit new to boating. Not a complete noob. But more novice. I have a 1967 sea ray srv180, that has been sitting for 12yrs. To be blunt, the gelcoat has taken a brutal butt kicking from mother nature and father time. After close inspection, I'm confident that I can bring it back to shiny condition, with hours of wet sanding. I plan on using a de - yellowing chemical to bring back the original color of the gelcoat. Any suggestions on de - yellowing chemicals, would be greatly appreciated. Also, I have learned in the past, that once a surface oxidizes, it's hard to keep shiny and clean. Standard wax seems to wear away after a week or so. Is there a gelcoat sealer our, that can keep my boat shiny for more than a week? Thanks in advance for any and all info.

 

[MikDee]

Re: chalk is for black boards, not boats!

IMO, Seapower, or GelGloss from Home Depot is all you need, just keep applying, let dry, wipe off excess, and apply again until it's fully restored. Otherwise you're opening up a can of worms to a shipload of work!

 

[soopercrew82]

Re: chalk is for black boards, not boats!

Thanks mikdee, for the info. I was originally thinking of recoating the boat. But that idea was quickly flushed down the toilet. With these sealers, do I still need to wet sand? Or just coat it and call it good!?

 

[MikDee]

Re: chalk is for black boards, not boats!

Just, Wax on, Wax off, just like in the "karate kid" movie.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: chalk is for black boards, not boats!

Hi there soopercrew82, welcome to iboats! To better serve your gelcoat repair question, we're going to place your thread down in the boat restoration forum so our professional gel coaters will be able to give you some good pointers to try out on your boat. Pictures of your boats condition are always helpful.

Also please bear in mind that iboats has an array of gelcoat cleaners to choose from.
Boat Paint, Repair & Maintenance - Boat Carpet, Fiberglass Repair, Antifouling

Good luck.