Dry riverbed gelcoat topside and more.....

I just picked up a 1964 18' Lyn-Craft / Seebreeze with an 85 horse mercury outboard. The guy advertised it as motor with free boat. I had the option
of just taking the motor or the whole deal. I chose to take the whole deal.

Why I did that was to use it to practice stringer repair as it is much more basic that my present boat and presumably easier to work on. I know it's a lot of work but it was insanely cheap, so i couldn't pass it up.

The motor has not ran in ten years, but is free and the gear shift works.
I got the boat with title, motor and controls , spare prop and trailer for $80 !!

The question is about the condition of the gelcoat topside. It is crazed like a dry riverbed and the cracks are about wide enough to get your thumbnail in down to the skin and the size of Quaker oat flakes!

From what I have read in the forums it can be sanded and recoated and also there is some putty you can use to fill the cracks. But as this is so severe ( like a plastic garden chair left in the sun for 10 years) is there another way to deal with it?

Thanks.

Re: Dry riverbed gelcoat topside and more.....

Hey,
I have a similar project I am working on. The paint/gel is trash, with pits, cracks, etc..
My boat is a 20' i/o with a chevy 350, and it's ugly. 1978, and looks it.
I have done a lot of research on this, and marine grade paint alone starts at $100 per gallon, and that is Cheap! Most are $250 and up. 300 square foot coverage. And you have to fill the cracks first,(epoxy filler) then primer.
I look at my boat, and am tempted to use garage floor enamel, and bondo on it! LOL.
Hey, if it works for a couple seasons, why not?
Keep me posted if You find any cheap/quick fixes, as I'm hitting dead ends.
I have checked fiberglass,epoxy,polyurethane, and other types of paint, and I haven't heard any one say "yes, it will work for a few years", which is all I need.
Good Luck.

Re: Dry riverbed gelcoat topside and more.....

Will keep you posted if I find anything. To be honest I'm more worried right now about getting it structurally safe. For $80 I figure it's worth a shot !! Shame about the gelcoat though because it's a very cool looking boat.

Will try to get some pics up this weekend.

Re: Dry riverbed gelcoat topside and more.....

There's no easy, fast or cheap way to fix crazed gel coat, basically the gel goat is trash and needs to be removed completely, if you paint over it the cracks typically come back fairly soon.

This type of cracking is from poorly applied gel coat, it may be too thick, or more commonly over or under catalyzed, adding solvent to thin it can do the same thing.

It isn't worth the time and effort to fix on an old boat, use it as is, or put some cheap paint on it and enjoy it, just don't put money into it.

Re: Dry riverbed gelcoat topside and more.....

Yeah, if you want to practice on the stringers, then by all means go ahead and give the beast a whack. Then sell the boat for half of what you spent on materials to some chump that wants to sand down the entire hull because he really loves that boat and wants to put the effort into it. He'll have a solid boat at least for cheap if he gives up on the paint job idea, and you can sell it with a clear conscience.

Re: Dry riverbed gelcoat topside and more.....

Redfury - love your project. That's exactly why I'm gonna try to fix up the $80 boat ! LOL Also the transom is rock solid and the floor was reglassed in the past so cutting away wont give me the shakes like it would on the dolphin. One more thing - no heavy top to come off - just a little nose cap compared to the dolphin. Only damage to the hull is where the front winch hook has pulled through.If the motor runs, I'll have myself a winner!