Gelcoat repair or those damn furry tailed rats...

[Leprechaun]

Yeah, because the damage seemed to be confined to the edge and a small bit underneath, I’m thinkin’ PC-11 marine epoxy putty as a filler. I like that stuff and have had good success using it in other similar boat situations.

Then I think I’ll construct a curved edge guard for each curved rear corner out of a nice piece of 1/2” thick white Starboard sheet I happen to have, and hold them on with counter-sunk screws and 3M 4000 UV. I already know that Starboard can be custom curved with the judicious use of my heat gun. Anyway, that’s my plan - as of now, I guess.

lf it goes well, I might just add a third piece straight across the rear edge of the platform, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, as backing into my slip can have the boat rubbing up against my dock’s white rubber bumpers - which leaves schmutz on the rear edge of the platform that’s a PITA to remove.

 

[DarthBaiter]

Marine tex is basically thickened epoxy. Great for repairing small dings and dents. ?
I forget if it's UV stable or not. Just scrub it real good with a scotch pad if you want to gelcoat or paint over it. Helps them adhere to the marine tex better.

 

[Leprechaun]

The problem I have observed with Marine-Tex is that turns a very nice shade of light tan from UV exposure. Good to know that it can be top coated with gelcoat, I wasn't aware that GC would stick to it, over the long term. However, covering it with gelcoat would not be an issue here, nor would there be concerns about UV exposure. But I do know that PC-11 doesn't seem to suffer from the same darkening issue, from lots of hands-on experience. This is why I keep a supply of PC-11 on hand - just a more versatile product, to my mind. Plus its available at any ACE hardware store, for an easy-to-take price.

Again, this darkening thing will probably not be an issue for what I need to do, as my repair will be covered by my proposed Starboard edge guards. But I do have a goodly amount of PC-11 on hand, so that's what I think (at this point) I will use.

 

[DarthBaiter]

Because it's epoxy, it will form amine blush. A good scrubbing with some Dawn and a scotch green pad or some sanding should get rid of it so you can gelcoat it.

Mas and a few other epoxy companies make amine blush free epoxy, a bit more costly, but sometimes it's worth it to avoid any problems with gelcoat down the road.

 

[Leprechaun]

I agree, but I don't think I'll need to apply any gelcoat. I'll have a better idea of exactly what's what in a few months.

Man, that's a looong time. My Florida-dwelling friends can't believe that we go thru all the trouble, drama and expense of running a boat, when "we can only use them a half of a year."

They do have a point, when you think about it. . .

 

[live bait]

Have some spots that need to be attended to, below the water line, due to a mishap with the trailer. Thought that if PC-11 was endorsed by Mr Leprechaun it was sure worth a try. I haven't made the repair yet, but have been experimenting, & found that it will take color from the Evercoat kit if used carefully & small amounts of color. I'm impressed with the stuff.
John

 

[DarthBaiter]

PC-11 is great for repairs but it is not UV stable. If it gets any amount of sun light on it, paint it or gel coat it so it doesn't degrade. ?

 

[Leprechaun]

Darth - that doesn’t seem to be the case, according to my in-use observations. I do know MarineTex suffers from that problem.

 

[DarthBaiter]

You are right, Pete.

"Will PC-11® yellow in direct sunlight?
Yes, PC-11® yellows in direct sunlight. PC-11® resists ultra violet light but will still gradually change color. Prime and paint if the color is important."

?

And also, gel coat will not adhere to it so it should be painted. ?

 

[Leprechaun]

I don’t doubt the “official” product literature, but haven’t seen this on the minor repairs In which I’ve used PC-11. Maybe in the tropics or somewhere the sun really beats down. I do know from personal experience that MarineTex will turn light brown, so I suppose its also a possibility with PC-11.

Companies have to CTA’s for every possible detrimental condition and situation, so to minimize exposure to liability claims. Corporate legal departments demand it.

Think: McDonald’s “Hot Coffee Warnings,” or how’s about those “Do Not Eat” labels on the little dessicant packets packed with electronics and the like? There’s some real dummies out there, for sure.

Not to mention warning tags on mattresses that cannot be removed “under penalty of legal action.”

All I can relate is my own experiences, gathered from 50 seasons of working on my own boats. I share it for free, and now that I think about it, my advice is probably worth no more than I charge for it. ?

 

[Leprechaun]

My swim platform repair is almost complete - going well. Pix to follow.