Part 1 restoring gel coat on 2003 26M

[Québec 1]

Got a quick training course on gel coat restoration from a pro and started, using the professional tools, a complete gel coat restore for my blue hulled 26M.
before sanding:

after sanding and first polish following application of soapy water for the new name.( final cleaning and wax not yet applied):

tools:

wet application of 1200 grit sandpaper followed by wet application 2000 grit sand paper and in deep grooved nicks wet application of 600 grit sand paper followed by wet application of 1200 grit sandpaper followed by wet application 2000 grit sand paper followed by seapol compound applied and buffed as quickly as possible and once the boat is done a special wash , wax no water need product to give the clear gloss finish.
Looks like it is going to take a week to restore the boat to new condition.
Q1

[Divecoz]

God Bless Ya ..Best of luck... Yes it will take a LOT of time. Did you say you work at or own a body shop? Be careful on and around the edges. Just in case your not a Pro I will mention that even with 1200 and 2000 you could go thru enough blue gel coat to show the white structure underneath

[Québec 1]

First 4 hours of work on the most scratched part of Le Zephyr.

Q1

p.s. I have a friend who owns a garage who use to do body work. He lets me use all his body work equipment and watches me constantly as I progress on the boat. He has advised me that I am a fast learner and once I finished the boat he would have no problem giving me polishing contracts. He estimates that the job I am doing would cost from 7oo to 1000$ and more depending on the level of perfection I wished to get. I assured him that I would take contracts for no less than 100$ an hour...cause it is hard work demanding a high level of constant attention to very fine details. As far as knowing the dept of the gel coat....I have a scratch that goes to the black and I can see the thickness of the gel coat. Seems pretty thick.

[Divecoz]

Interesting Your saying in photo #1 Post #1. Those scratches are not through the Gel coat?

[Québec 1]

Interesting Your saying in photo #1 Post #1. Those scratches are not through the Gel coat?

Not even close! When I scratch them with my nails some of the light blue goes away. The Gel Coat Is pretty thick and from my experience on Friday significant scratches can be sanded and buffed out of existence with out leaving a hole. Mind you I will be able to ascertain the thickness of the gel coat at the end of the week. My first observation seems to indicate that the gel coat is not the same thickness everywhere on the boat but I may be wrong. My second observation seems to indicate that the blue gel coat is thinner under the white stripe running under the rub rail ..but then the white stripe seems to also be white gel coat and added to the thickness of the blue could be equal to the regular thickness of the blue gel coat.
Q1

[Divecoz]

Well Quebec 1 what your finding is better than what most of us suspicion, concerning the gel coat thickness on Blue Ms. I have watched the video numerous times, the one of them laying up a boat but I could never tell how thick they shot the gel coat or even how thick the material was they were shooting.
I couldn't imagine it being a thin as car paint but you never know until the FACTS are presented. Now back to work the sailing season is upon us!

[MadMacX]

You know Quebec that all that work you are putting into that blue hull should just be a test run for a white hull. Now, if you will just tell me where to deliver the white hull, I'd be happy to oblige. Hey....you already have all the tools and supplies, no sense in me having to buy all that stuff and learn how to use it, ya' think?

You are doing a great job, can't wait to see the finished product.

[Québec 1]

You know Quebec that all that work you are putting into that blue hull should just be a test run for a white hull. Now, if you will just tell me where to deliver the white hull, I'd be happy to oblige. Hey....you already have all the tools and supplies, no sense in me having to buy all that stuff and learn how to use it, ya' think?

You are doing a great job, can't wait to see the finished product.

With the scratches I put on my blue hull the second time I tried to put my Mac on the trailer during low tide with a 3.5 knot cross current and strong cross winds pushing against the currents 6 times before finally managing to scratch Le Zephyr onto my trailer I might be down to a white hull by the time I'm finished sanding the blue hull


MadMacX......Haul your white aft X up here and at 100$ bucks an hour I'll give you a shiner you'll never forget
Q1

[Steviejay]

We recently bought a Macgregor 26M and have some damage to the front hull. We can see the black fiberglass on the damages. Where do you purchase gel coat? Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks

[Québec 1]

Bought a can from Russells Marine in Maine who got it from the Macgregor factory. so I guess any Mac dealer can get you a can.
Q1

[Québec 1]

Doing a hull restoration is a 9 day job for a retired civil servant:
1. The Blue gelcoat is not the same thickness everywhere...watch when you sand. Seems the middle of the hull has the thinness gelcoat;
2. To get rid of big scratches I pressure washed the scratch, To apply the blue paint from the factory I first mixed the blue resin with hardener like you get with a fiberglass repair kit and it turned the perfect colour blue and applied layer after layer with the non red tip of a regular paper match, wet sanded with 600, 1200 and 2000 then buffed 3 layers of compound on to the scratch, applied no water wash wax product and it disappeared completely;
3. The black stripes are black gelcoat and can be sanded and buffed to perfect state;
4. The method that works is wet sand with the 3 papers, buff 3 layers of compound and apply no water wash wax product;
5. Sanding takes at least 15 minutes to 30 minutes of applying major pressure on the wet sandpaper or more per scratch...its a man's job;
The results look like this:

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii12 ... a1/010.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii12 ... a1/011.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii12 ... /015-1.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii12 ... a1/003.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii12 ... a1/006.jpg


Q1 5 year old Blue Hull

p.s. I renamed my boat Le Zephyr and put her Canadian numbers on too

Le Zephyr means a western wind in old Greek and a soft gentle breeze in modern Greek

[Divecoz]

It sure came out very nice, to say the very least. A lot of work ...9 days worth.
I was not surprised to hear you found the gel coat varied in thickness from here to there.
The slightest hesitation while spraying makes it thicker and changing the angle of the gun and moving a little faster here or there could make it a little to a lot thinner ..... here and there. But again she sure look nice now!

[Highlander]

Bertrand

Very nice work ! now you have to cover her up because you gotta lot of rain heading your way

J

[J.Teixeira]

Bertrand

That is very strange...



After all that work you still have a lot of ugly blue dirt all over your beautiful WHITE hull.



- - - - -

Jose

PS: Nice work Man.