Gel coat or paint?

[Ray O]

I had a little damage from Mathew mostly cosmetic. Our fuel doc broke lose, got between my port side and finger. Lots of deep scratches and dock rash maybe a hundred or more. I received my quotes from the yard and due to the age of my boat they are recommending considering painting the hull.(rub rail down) Blending the gel coat maybe challenging. A long time friend who raced sailboats also said about every boat he seen repaired may not show the difference the first few years but may show more later. What are your thoughts and experience on this? I have a meeting with him next week to discuss the pros and cons but want to get some opinions.

 

[JimT]

I agree that with colored hulls the repaired section will fade differently than the original gel coat and become noticeable. This happened on my blue 280DA. I would go with Awlgrip or something similar. Your boat will look like new and you don't need to wax it.

 

[bahamabreisus]

My only concern is, when painting an entire hull would be, when selling. People might think there was more damage than there actually was. If you decide to paint, take a lot of pics of the damage before painting. Paint will always look a little different than gel.

 

[fwebster]

Is your boat white? If it is, it should be Arctic White and there is no better color to match when doing repairs. A decent fiberglass guy should be able to match the color and blend the repairs........it will be a lot of work, but it should be fairly easy to do, more sanding and buffing than actual glass work. Painting would be a lot easier of a repair because it would just be smearing on some filler, sanding, and shooting paint. I think the future value of your boat would be negatively impacted because a painted hull screams "I've had a substantial repair done here". However, if you are just pining for a colored hull boat, pick an Awl Grip color and now's your chance..........but keep in mind that painted hulls generally need repainting at about 10-12 years.

Sorry for your storm damage, but good luck with the repairs...............

 

[JimFromMD]

I would go paint in a heart beat... especially if paid for by insurance. No fading, easy waxing, easy touch up of any future nicks. Then again, I have a green hull that gets several coats of wax per year, so I'm biased.

 

[sbw1]

Paint it for the reasons stated above. You have a good explanation at the time of re-sale as to why the boat is painted, especially with pictures. Modern paints are as good or better than gel coat and are offered as an expensive option today on new boats. Much easier to keep looking like new. Properly done, this should not detract from the value of your boat.

 

[Ray O]

Thanks guys! The hull is white which I like because its classic. I don't want sections wearing or shading different or having to worry about extra buffing/ blending later. So paint may just be the way to go. Sure looks nice on the Hatteras etc. Then I was thinking I don't want the hull bottom white to look to different from the topside. So now I am considering a color maybe the pewter or that tan shade that's in the pin stripe near the bridge. I like the looks on some of the ones I have seen. All I know at this point is as not going with any of the dark colors.

 

[dpmulvey]

Unless things have changed, you don't wax Awlgrip.

 

[Ray O]

Unless things have changed, you don't wax Awlgrip.

David,
Thats what I understand as well. Would be nice to only have to buff and wax the topside!

 

[ZZ13]

Ray, I definitely think you should go with the Orange and White checkerboard look.


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[Tonka Boater]

Thanks guys! The hull is white which I like because its classic. I don't want sections wearing or shading different or having to worry about extra buffing/ blending later. So paint may just be the way to go. Sure looks nice on the Hatteras etc. Then I was thinking I don't want the hull bottom white to look to different from the topside. So now I am considering a color maybe the pewter or that tan shade that's in the pin stripe near the bridge. I like the looks on some of the ones I have seen. All I know at this point is as not going with any of the dark colors.

I would follow Frank's advice being that you have a white hull -- unless you're looking at this as an opportunity to get some color. The previous owner of my last boat wore the gel down to the fiberglass on the keel and some sections of the chines from beaching the boat. The hull was solid but the wear was fairly extensive and required the whole bottom to be fixed. As a condition of the purchase, I had the dealer get the bottom re-gel'd. White bottom and white sides, it was blended flawlessly and looked brand new. Even the most discerning eye could not tell and the guy who I sold the boat to got a cherry.

I recommend gel coat if you keep it white.