During the Winter and Spring of 2018 I spent much time sanding and prepping the cabin deck and side decks for fiberglass and gel coat work. The work performed on the cockpit last year resulted in a brand new look; I needed to continue my effort on the remaining sections of the boat. It is not unusual for a boat deck to show signs of wear in the gel coat, and dings and scratched from drops of gear and other items.
Tiny cracks in the gel coat that would typically reveal a void - air under the gel coat. It is my thought that the boat when built was not vacuum sealed when laminated and air got trapped in between the gelcoat and glass while in the form during the build stage.
The collar for the mizzen mast had voids and cracks as well. The clay and release agents used to create the blocking for the free standing masts were noticeable on the column; much clean up work needed here. Hardware will be removed as well for gel coat and body work.
Check out the side deck body work that will be needed -- picture on the right. Once I start a discovery on a crack I do not let up until I reveal a clear picture and complete understanding of the area for repair. It is not uncommon to find a small hair line crack and discover underneath the crack is a void that is the much larger than you expect. Follow the crack and remove weak areas. Create a place for body work to fill the area in order to provide a solid surface for the new gel coat.
In the picture on the left one may notice the shiny gel coat in the foreground, which was sprayed last year. I will perform the body work and prep from the cockpit onward to the bow. Much sanding, grinding, sanding, body work to be performed. Gel coat application will be made during the Spring of 2018. All the port lights will be removed and covered and taped off. The non skid will be covered and taped off in order to spray gel coat on areas between the non skid areas.
Wow, so many voids and dings here along the port deck. Each areas needs to be inspected and given attention. Here the gel coat is also thin. Once the areas is dressed and prepped then new gel coat can be applied. Making the boat look new from the look int his picture look is well worth the work to me.
Working in tight spaces is challenging. Notice the work that needs to be performed against the hatch support. It is on the edge; shaping and spraying gel coat will be performed with extra care. The goal is have a repair completed without any signs of repairs. --
I was never here is the thinking.
The photo on the right is a close up of a mast collar. This collar had to be built with epoxy/glass and filler because of the structural function of the collar. Sanding will be made to follow the curve and shape of the collar. Often when working on body work one will revisit an area several times to ensure that the work is perfect. Slapping in filler and one time sand is not the way to get the result that is most favorable.
A medium picture of the desk from the bow. Little dings and voids. Note that I sanded the non skid along the edge as well -- approximately 3/8 inch on each edge from the old gel coat. Having non skid applied over a new gelcoat area will make for a clean looking edge rather than having to meet the gel coat to the non skid along its edge.
The picture from the companionway toward the bow; here we see the white winter cover, which allows sun light to pass through, and a small propane heater. When working under a tarp is is important to have ventilation when using a propane heater. Working on the warmer days of winter in the northeast is better than frigid cold and helps with the curing behavior of the filler; work in temperatures of the products recommendations for the best results.
All this work is to improve the look of the boat and protect the lamination and resin underneath. Most folks would typically decide to paint the boat, but, I chose to gel coat the boat because it is what I do. It is something I enjoy doing, and something I am good at. It is a lot of work, and doing this on someone else's boat would not be worth the cost as a result of the amount of labor.
Future posts will have additional pictures of the results of the body work and gel coat work.
