The Big Project: Sanding and patching

OK, so Mona, my Hobie 18, is not completely apart and in my back yard here in Brooklyn. All the bolts came out and I will use the anti-siezing suggested in the other post when I put them back together (new bolts). Thanks for all your help with that!

Part of me thinks this project is insane (I just started sailing last year) and the other thinks this is a great idea - I'll know every piece of my Hobie by the time I'm done!

Ok, so I used to paint interiors for a living so I do have experience with this sort of process. I have sanded the hulls down and now I need to fill small cracks and scratches:

1. What is the best recommended for filling these?

2. I see a lot of video/conversation about the hulls but not the decks. When one re-gel coats the hulls, do you do the decks as well? My instinct says yes but I wanted to make sure.

3. Forgive me, I don't know what the item photographed below are called but when I turn any and all of the screws, they just turn and do not come out. Is this normal? How does it come off? I'm thinking that I need to take them off when I re-gel coat.

4 .Does anyone have a recommendation on how to clean up the metal cross bars? I was thinking a rubbing compound.

Thanks everyone.

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BrooklynSailor
Brooklyn, NY

I can only comment on No. 3. That's the shround anchor plate. There should be four additional identical ones on the front crossbar (outboard and inboard) mount bolts. These were added to the front crossbar as an upgrade, so if your boat doesn't have them, it's probably a good idea to purchase the kit and install them. They increase the strength of the overall connection in that area.

They are thru-bolted with four 1/4"-20 bolts. In order to install or remove the plates, you need to reach inside the hull (through the porthole) and hold the nut with the appropriate wrench. There are also back-up washers, so be sure you don't lose those inside the hull when disassembling.

sm

I'll take 1, 2 and 4, and give you some quick answers you may want additional information from others.

If the nicks and scratches are small and do not go all the way thru the gelcoat and into the fiberglass, I just fill them with more gelcoat, fill them proud, and then sand down smooth.

The picture looks like you boat has white hulls, lucky you, white doesn't fade. DO NOT re gel the decks. fill the nicks and scratches as above, wet sand and then polish. Using an electric buffer saves a lot of time and gives a much better result.

I would NOT use rubbing compound, it will remove the finish.
Clean with comet or soft scrub, and then, if they are black, wipe them with penetrol ( Found @ ACE Hardware among other places)

Comet and soft scrub are much less abrasive than Ajax and Barkeepers friend, and speaking of Ajax and BKF, those products are great for getting stains off of gelcoat prior to polishing and waxing.

Hope that helps.

Stephen

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

Very helpful gentlemen! Thank you. A couple of follow up questions.

When you say "apply gel coal" do you mean mix the solution together and apply with a brush? Then, sand smooth then re- gel coat (spray) the entire hull. Correct? I just want to be clear.

Do you have a polishing compound or solution you rexommend and how about a wax?

Thanks so much, this is my first time aroun with this stuff.

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BrooklynSailor
Brooklyn, NY

Spraying Gel is a job best left to professionals. That is where I personally draw the line. I'll fill nicks, chips and scratches, but much beyond that and I hit my level of incompetence.
As Clint Eastwood once said, "A Man has to know his limitations"

I do know that brushing it on is not something I would do.

On the non skid surfaces, I use a product called Barkeepers Friend and a very stiff brush. Use it generously, don't be stingy with the BKF. Then, once you have scrubbed all the nonskid area's till your arm and shoulder are worn out, let it sit for an hour or so and give the bleach a chance to work the stains out of the non skid area's. Then use a spray fitting on your garden hose to blast the dried paste off of the top of the hulls. and scrub it as you rinse it. I usually scrub and rinse a couple of times.

For making old hulls look new again, I fill nicks chips and scratches with Gel, and then wet sand using 400 grit, and then 600 grit.
If the hulls are oxidized badly, I go over all the smooth surfaces with 600 grit wet and dry. ( a long and painstaking job ) then I hit it with a variable speed electric buffer using a medium speed to medium high speed, and a 3M product called Diamond Cut.
Car finishes are very sensitive to heat and the paint will react very poorly if you stay in one spot too long and heat it up. Gel coat on the other hand likes a little bit of heat .. it gets soft and "flows" and comes to a very smooth finish. The operative word in the prior sentence is "a little bit", you don't want to get it too hot.
After that I use a 3M polish and "swirl remover" once again with the electric bufferset to medium.
Then I put on two coats of Starbright Boat wax with Teflon.
buffing the first coat by hand, and the second one with the electric buffer on a slow to medium speed.

One more thing, probably not a good idea to wax the tops of the hulls, that is one area you don't want to have be too slippery.

Stephen

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

thanks again, Stephen, much appriciated. I'm going to try what you say before I go all in and re coat the hulls.

One specific question, you said you would NOT brush on the gel coat. Then how do I get it on? Do you use puddy knives? Throw it and hope it sticks?

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BrooklynSailor
Brooklyn, NY

Spraying Gel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0fO8TVEtoQ

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hey surf city -

Yes, I've seen you're video. It's what inspired me in the first place!

Thanks!

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BrooklynSailor
Brooklyn, NY