I'm not clear on just where in the hull these holes are. Any chance you could post a wider shot for perspective?Finally took some photos of the problem.
I've got these two holes, next to each other.
The photos from inside the inspection port show that there is some foam between the hull and the cockpit, but not everywhere, and nothing on the sides.
Thanks for the wider view, that helps see the relationship of the damage to the rest of the boat much more clearly.Finally have the sunfish dried out and ready to attempt repairs. Found two holes in the hull, both of them seem to start at the edge of the cockpit, and spread out from there. Looks like there is plenty of room between the outside of the hull and foam block, except for where it butts up against the cockpit. How do I put a backing in that will allow me to fill the hole, stay firm to the edge of the cockpit, and still allow flex in the area away from the cockpit?
Looks like previous owner had it filled with some type of bondo, and the crack just came back, I'm guessing because the material did not allow for flex.
Gelcoat is a polyester resin (fiberglass resin). It cures hard when air is kept away. This is accomplished in a couple of ways...I've seen that gel coat repair video, and at one point it says that the top layer of gelcoat doesn't cure completely, and if you try to sand it, all you do is gum up your sandpaper. They don't really say how to cure that top coat. How would I do that?
Unfortunately, in the LP video they don't make the distinction between what's readily available to the DIY fixer and what's typical for them as industrial boat builders.the video also talks about "patch booster" for thinning gelcoat and "dry guide" or "dry glide" for help in sanding. any idea where they have this?
Time to ask more Gelcoat questions.
1.) With these two Evercoat brands of Gelcoat shown below, would the first be the "laminating" type, while the second is the "finish" type? The first requires a mold release, the second does not.
2.) In the Don Casey Gelcoat repair directions linked below, as previously posted up on this website, when the laminating type of Gelcoat is used, when do you put the plastic over the cure, immediately, or after an hour or two when the product has started to set up? I would think that if you were to put in on right away, it would imbed itself into the Gelcoat, no?
3.) The Sunfish video states that a random orbital sander is the tool of choice. But can decent results be achieved by using a basic good palm or finishing sander? I'm referring to patches on the hull, not the deck.
4.) Using Sunfish OEM Gelcoat. The Sunfish video states that if you want to achieve maximum color matching, use the OEM Sunfish Gelcoat (available at APS). I have close to a 40 year old fish, in basically good condition. Even under these circumstances, isn't the white color of the OEM Gelcoat going to be somewhat off from the original color at this stage of the game, and thus, it's a crapshoot as to whether or not that OEM Gelcoat will even match up to begin with? Thus, with an much older boat, wouldn't an aftermarket gelcoat be just as good as the OEM brand as far as color matching? And, how far off is basic color white in any kind of repair?