Bow damage repair

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   Hi all,
I've got a pretty big chunk out of the bow of the boat right on the red stripe (waterline).  I honestly wasn't playing bumper boats!

I'm a noob at this stuff.  Whats the best way to repair?  I've been told I need to grind it down, lay down new glass/resin and build it back up again, then sand and re-gelcoat.  

I was hoping to get away with some fringe sanding and rebuilding back up with epoxy mixed with adhesive filler, then gelcoat red afterwards.

I'm aware that option A would undoubtedly give better long term results, but would it be worth it relative to the extra time?  The damage appears to be only to the gelcoat layer and not the fibreglass underneath.

Pic attached at:

https://ibb.co/qs7npBd

https://ibb.co/v1LFwwT

Thanks.

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Winner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 07 September 2011 Status: Offline Points: 222	Post Options Post Reply Quote Winner Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Bow damage repair Posted: 15 May 2020 at 11:00pm
	Hi all, I've got a pretty big chunk out of the bow of the boat right on the red stripe (waterline). I honestly wasn't playing bumper boats! I'm a noob at this stuff. Whats the best way to repair? I've been told I need to grind it down, lay down new glass/resin and build it back up again, then sand and re-gelcoat. I was hoping to get away with some fringe sanding and rebuilding back up with epoxy mixed with adhesive filler, then gelcoat red afterwards. I'm aware that option A would undoubtedly give better long term results, but would it be worth it relative to the extra time? The damage appears to be only to the gelcoat layer and not the fibreglass underneath. Pic attached at: https://ibb.co/qs7npBd https://ibb.co/v1LFwwT Thanks.
	Chris Eclipse #240 Thunder Bay, ON

Bill Layton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 15 September 2002 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 551	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Layton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 15 May 2020 at 11:15pm
	You can see the red has been painted over the red already at the bow. But cracking extends into the white as well. Not sure how far you want to go there. Your repair method is fine except you cannot put polyester (gelcoat) on top of epoxy. When working w/epoxy they usually use paint.

fatjohnz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 05 August 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 304	Post Options Post Reply Quote fatjohnz Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 May 2020 at 9:15am
	Chris, Your 'adhesive filler' link goes to a landscaping filler. I would not use that. I would use something like Marine-Tex and fill the hole in 2 or 3 applications. For the 1st application I would smear it into the fibers throughly and put a piece of painters tape over the hole while it cures. The tape will keep it from sagging out of the hole. Then you can put some finishing layers on using similar method. The only drawback with the Marine Tex is it's very dense and hard to sand so you don't want to overfill the void too much. John

Winner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 07 September 2011 Status: Offline Points: 222	Post Options Post Reply Quote Winner Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 May 2020 at 4:37pm
	Hey John I didn't put that hyperlink in. The forum automatically does that. Annoying. I had some JB Weld epoxy putty and was going to use that, but a test piece didn't seem to be curing (it's a few years old tube of putty) so I decided to sand down the edges around the hole, then wetted it out the exposed fibreglass with epoxy and used epoxy mixed with adhesive filler to build a base. Tomorrow I'll go back and do a second layer with fairing filler, then sand it down and paint it. Fingers crossed. If I don't use gelcoat what should I use?
	Chris Eclipse #240 Thunder Bay, ON

Bill Layton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 15 September 2002 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 551	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Layton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 May 2020 at 6:31pm
	Paint... most automotive paint stores will match your gelcoat color and supply you with a can of spray paint that matches the gelcoat quite closely. This is the easiest method. Some types of epoxy will work with gelcoat but many times it fails. Unless you know the materials you use, it's best not to try it. Besides paint is much easier than gelcoat. Edited by Bill Layton - 20 May 2020 at 10:21pm

Winner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 07 September 2011 Status: Offline Points: 222	Post Options Post Reply Quote Winner Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 20 May 2020 at 7:06pm
	Thanks Blll
	Chris Eclipse #240 Thunder Bay, ON

Winner Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 07 September 2011 Status: Offline Points: 222	Post Options Post Reply Quote Winner Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 May 2020 at 3:07pm
	Anyone know how close a match Interlux Brightside Fire Red is to the waterline stripe on our boats?
	Chris Eclipse #240 Thunder Bay, ON

Bill Layton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 15 September 2002 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 551	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Layton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 24 May 2020 at 5:13pm
	Not remotely close. The original red waterline from your boat is more like a burnt orange. It's an unusual red. Not to mention the sun fades the red gelcoat as well. Which is why it's necessary to see the automotive paint suppliers. In Montreal they have this camera type machine they put up against the paint and it tells you how to duplicate that color. Other wise you have to remove a piece of the red gelcoat for them to use. If that doesn't work all you can do is borrow some color cards and try to find the closest match. Edited by Bill Layton - 24 May 2020 at 5:17pm