fiberglass repair

I recently purchased a 1984 Sea Ray sv245 and have a few question on the fiberglass. it cleans up decent, but has a few deep scratches in it, I was planning on repainting it myself< I've painted quite a few vehicles and have all the spray and detail guns, my question is can I use bondo just to fill deeper scratches in the hull? there's no fiberglass damage just nicks and dings it it. Also I have read back and forth on paints, I've seen oil-based rustoleum that looks good, i've also seen auto paint, and of course boat paint. My only problem is, I'm not looking for a million dollar paint job, just something that looks good even if I have to do it every couple years, has bottom paint on it but chunks of it have flaked off, any thoughts? sorry and final question I have teak wood but very faded have pressure washed it and it comes clean, is their an easy sealant, if not I think I just stain or paint it, please keep in mind I only paid $1500 for the boat, thanks

Re: fiberglass repair

Welcome to iBoats! I would NOT use bondo. I would use 3M's Premium Marine filler.

3M Marine Premium Filler is a water resistant Vinylester filler designed for fiberglass repair work above or below the waterline. It is ideal for repairing decks, hulls, and other fiberglass components. It can also be used to treat gelcoat blister damage. Premium Filler features a unique and easy to sand formula designed with 3M Scotchlite Glass Bubbles. Available by the pint, quart, or gallon.

• Applications
• For filling and fairing of fiberglass, metal, and wood
• Can be applied up to 3/8" thick per application.
• Filling scratches, cracks, and gouges above and below the waterline
• Building and shaping
• Fairing hulls, decks, keels, rudders, etc.
• Cosmetic filling of repair area

Make sure to use a dremel to clean out the gouges and scratches as best you can and then wash them out real good with hot soapy water and then finally wipe it all down with acetone before filling with the filler. The Rustoleum Pro Paint thinned with 15% acetone and sprayed with a HVLP sprayer yeilds a great finish. Petit EasyPoxy is also a good paint to use for both topside and and hull applications as long as it's a trailerd boat.

Good Luck on your repairs

I'm just sayin...