To All,
We just acquired a pre-71 Sunfish that needs some gelcoat restoration. The glass fiber cloth is showing through the gelcoat on the bottom of the boat. What materials should I use? 3M Gelcoat? Epoxy? Automotive epoxy and urethanes? Brands? Methods? I am an experienced hobbyist and auto restorer. I figure that I would sand the existing gelcoat smooth and apply several new coats.
Is there any reason to preserve the tan color? It looks spoiled milk brown. Any concerns about updating it? Is it worth more as a vintage unit?
I have a new rudder to install, but see the bracket is narrower than the indent for the old draw pin in the transom. I will probably need to install an inspection cover. Where should I buy an inspection cover?
fortunately, the hull has been inside a garage for the past 25 years and is clean otherwise.
What are the two brass screws for on the top of the deck? ARe they drain plugs? Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks for your help,
BR549
As far as recoating the entire thing, if gelcoat is too thick it will crack. So you might want to see about adding gelcoat to the low spots and buffing/wetsanding the rest. Mine had terrible oxidation. It was like chalk and would turn your hands white. I got it back to enough of a shine that I slide off and into the water more easily than I'd like. I could spend more time on it and get it to look like glass, but I'd rather be sailing.
Gelcoat isn't too bad to work with and it can take a serious beating. If you've done body work before, that will help. One of the best things about it is with matching colors. Gelcoat is the same shade wet or cured. So as you match the color, just don't add hardener until you figure out your ratios of tint and you can just wipe it off.
I used west marine's gelcoat. It was fine.
There's two ways you can buy it, waxed and nonwaxed.
The waxed is made for one single application. I haven't used that version but the wax is supposed to rise to the top as it cures and block exposure to air so it will harden.
The nonwaxed will cure to a tacky finish so you can put another coat on without any prep. It will require something like PVA mold release to keep air off of it for it to fully cure.
The store will tell you to get that "make a sprayer" deal. You pour your substance of choice into the glass jar, screw on this valve full of compressed air, and voila, you have a spray can la-tee-da, and you ride your unicorn down the rainbow and out to your car with roses shooting out of your butt.
It doesn't work that nicely. Both the gelcoat and PVA mold release are too thick. I ended up painting on the mold release because I wasn't sure how to thin a water based liquid (maybe more water, but I had done a bunch of work to my boat and didn't want to risk ruining it). Gel coat is easy-just thin with acetone.
If you can spray it, do. Much, much better results and less finishing work.
Very Nice blog on the Minifish. I wish we could see more of the steps involved. You do beautiful work. It looks just gorgeous--like new. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Valuable stuff! How many hours did you put in on that project?
Hey thanks
About the hours, I'm not sure I even want to count.
Had I kept track, I might have shucked it off a cliff.
I'm having difficulty even estimating. Weather played an important role since it gets over 100* here. Many days I had to stop around noon when the shade ran out.
When I finally took her out, all those long hours were easily forgotten. I'll just say that. Though I do remember being able to move around that boat a lot easier when I was a kid.
My guess is that the glass fiber cloth "that's showing" is probably on the keel—on opposite side to the bailer's position. That's a circumstance from just moving the Sunfish around—not a real hazard—and will likely occur again after the repair.The glass fiber cloth is showing through the gelcoat on the bottom of the boat. Any thoughts or suggestions?