restore gel-coat

[aban_esox]

I'm looking for advice and opinions on how to restore the gel-coat on an old shell lake tri-hull-14ft. The boat was my deceased father's and has been lying dormant for years. The gel-coat is cracked and resembles 'alligator skin'.<br />When my wife and I last visited my mom we discussed what a shame it was that the boat was just wasting away and we would like to do whatever we can to bring it back to life.<br />Maybe we're just sentimental fools.<br />Anyway, any advice is appreciated.<br /><br />I love this site. Always learn something.

 

[mbb]

Re: restore gel-coat

Sorry, but if it looks like alligator skin the gel coat cant be restored. That extensive cracking is caused by a manufacturer thinning the gel coat excessively with acetone. The very volatile acetone diffuses slowly out of the cured resin over years, and the shrinkage causes cracks to develop. The gel coat will be excessively brittle too. Best way to repair would be to "peel" all the gel coat off (boat yards have a handheld machine that does this) , and sand it down in areas that cant be peeled, prime with epoxy primer, and paint with a marine 2-part polyurethane like awlgrip.