chalky fiberglass

jssearay

jssearay

Active Member
Mar 7, 2019
116
central ohio
Boat Info
1998 sea ray 215 express cruiser
Engines
5.7 mercruiser w/alpha 1, trailer boat, fresh water usage
i recently looked at a used sea ray 215 (thinking about buying).......the boat was in good condition for being 21 years old, but i did notice that one side, above the water line, the finish looked dull........now the boat has been sitting, outside storage, all winter, and i believe the owner hasn't used it in a year or so...........anyway, the boat had not be cleaned before being put away had usual grime on it..............i went up to the dull part and rubbed my finger on it.........it initially felt not as smooth as the rest of the boat, and my fingers got a white "chalk" like residue on them........i felt the area, and it did feel a little smoother after i rubbed it.......my question, is this a breakdown in the fiberglass or something else..........i am going to have the boat inspected before any offer, but i thought i would start here......can anyone help me on on this...............thanks...
 
tiara in the snow 01.JPG
Pretty normal condition for an old boat. Some soap and water, some compounding and some wax should clean it up to nice a shine if that is the factory original gel coat. If it was repaired there, the results may vary.
 
sbw1..........more questions.........is this a deal killer?.......and when the professionals check it out, should they be able to tell...............the fellow i am buying it from said they never had any hull work done................
 
If you could post up a couple of pictures that would be really helpful. Rubbing compounds start at a very aggressive stage and work their way down. My own personnel preference if Buff Magic by Shurhold. Go to their website they have a series of video’s showing how to buff out your boat.
 
thanks..........the camera would not pick up the "haze"........but the side of the boat didn't feel like it had any "body work" done.........i will look at the website..............thanks again...........
 
tiara in the snow 01.JPG
Not necessarily a deal killer. If this is not former repair, the difference could be due to that side of the boat getting the brunt of the sun because of the way it sat on a lift or in the water. If the boat has a colored hull, the fade could be different for the same reason. While the current owner may not have had hull work done, are there other owners who may have made repairs? Assuming some repairs were made in the past, getting aftermarket gel coats to perfectly match the factory finish can be a challenge. However that is usually just a cosmetic issue and not a structural issue. Assuming the boat has never been repaired, a good wet sanding by an experienced detailer, followed by proper compounding, polishing and waxing, and you should be able to see your reflection in the hull. Any deal killers will most likely be in the engine room and related to the condition of the stringers, transom or mechanicals. Problems in those areas can cost more to repair than the boat is worth. Gel coat problems are usually straightforward and comparatively easy to resolve.
 
the fellow i am buying it from is the second owner......he has owned it since 2011, is getting rid of it as they don't use it anymore.............engine area looked good.............i intend to have pro's check engine, out drive, hull, transom, charging system, etc......i didn't see any cracks, and the cockpit area seats are pristine..........i know it needs two new batteries, but i can factor that into my offer.............you have been most helpful, i appreciate it......
 
tiara in the snow 01.JPG
As an aside, I helped a friend detail a 21 foot sailboat that was not properly cared for for a number of years. It is a beautiful boat with classic lines. The color is Forest Green, but it was badly chalked. We spent about 5 hours compounding, polishing and waxing it. It looked brand new when we finished. He was amazed and pleased with the outcome. Achieving a similar result with a 21 year old boat is not out of the question. Keep in mind, however, that highly polished hulls reflect not only light but also imperfections such as hull dings. White hulls are the easiest to maintain and most forgiving. Dark hulls are more difficult.
 
this boat is white like yours...................
 
WV 320 Dancer said:
If you could post up a couple of pictures that would be really helpful. Rubbing compounds start at a very aggressive stage and work their way down. My own personnel preference if Buff Magic by Shurhold. Go to their website they have a series of video’s showing how to buff out your boat.
Click to expand...

+1 on the Buff Magic. Also when compounding use a rotary with wool pad. The DA buffers will not cut it for the heavy cutting. Just keep the pad level and moving. Work in small defined sections using a horizontal and vertical overlapping pattern. The Shurhold site has videos of this pattern.

-Kevin
 
KevinC said:
+1 on the Buff Magic. Also when compounding use a rotary with wool pad. The DA buffers will not cut it for the heavy cutting. Just keep the pad level and moving. Work in small defined sections using a horizontal and vertical overlapping pattern. The Shurhold site has videos of this pattern.

-Kevin
Click to expand...
thanks for responding.........i will keep these posts for future reference...........
 
Nice looking boat,love the lines of all SeaRays from this era!
 
Looks nice from the pictures. Can’t really tell about the condition of the gel coat. Unlike a car, just about any gelcoat can be brought back through various methods. Anywhere from wet sanding to compounding, polish and wax. Hard to tell from a picture but the overall condition looks pretty good.
 
jssearay, I am an expert on buffing fiberglass :) -- I'm lying too :) -- But I have just finished buffing and polishing an older SR and it's not a bad job. It's work, but very doable with the right products and a good buffer. For me, the dull gelcoat wouldn't be a deal breaker.

Good Luck
 
A friend that details boats and helps me with mine, uses Presta products with a final coat of Collonite #885 paste fleetwax. I've seen some badly oxidized hulls that he's made look like new. My old 300DA wasn't ever in terrible condition but he sure did put a deep shine on that hull. There's a big difference between getting just a shine over the oxidized surface vs. that true deep wet look gloss.
DSCF1885.JPG
 
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