I'm restoring a 74 Jolly Roger. The boat sat out in the sun for years with only a cover over the interior. So you can imagine the damage. The gelcoat is dried out with significant cracks over a large amount of the boat (she's 17 ft). Its also flaking out in places. The boat is purple metalflake. Is the metalflake a separate coating that has a clear gelcoat over it? If so, can the gelcoat be repaired without hurting the metalflake? Also, Near the waterline, there are some significant gouges (1/8" deep). Would a gouge like that go beyond the clearcoat? <br />I'm basically looking for some advice on how to get started on this project. I'd like to do most of the work myself. Thanks in advance for any help.
