Nova Craft BlueSteel Repair

[Sweetfancymoses]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Dear Experts: [/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I have two about 5" long scratches in the gel coat of my canoe which expose the fabric but without fraying it. Is this: [/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]http://www.rutabaga.com/northwest-canoe-co-gel-coat-repair-kit[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]what I need?[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Also, would West System's 105 Resin and 207 Special Clear Hardener fix the deeper scratches and do an overall refinishing job on the entire hull?[/FONT]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Thank you for your help.[/FONT]

 

[sailsman63]

The type of product you link looks to be a good start. I'll wait for those who have maintained gel-coats to chime in on specific brands/products.

Be aware that if you choose to coat the entire hull with epoxy, such as the West System, you are essentially giving up on the gel coat. Epoxy needs a UV-blocking topcoat, either a varnish of some sort, or a marine paint. This might be an option if you have gel-coat in horrible condition that can't really be salvaged, or if you intend to paint over the hull anyway. There are some repair threads around here discussing that. The West System special clear, in particular tends to be a rather amber color. (compared to other clear epoxies) Think rather like a traditional, oil-based varnish.

If the primary problems with your gel are the two scratches, with perhaps some light oxidation/exposure aging: Use a repair kit as above, (or from whatever alternatives eventually get suggested here) then follow up with polishing and waxing the hull, using stuff similar to what is on this page:

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

Be aware that if you choose to coat the entire hull with epoxy, such as the West System, you are essentially giving up on the gel coat... :

Thank you sailsman63. Good advice. I'm glad I asked.

 

[charlie wilson]

It seems preferable to affect an easy clear gel repair rather than introduce another family of chemical agents to the hull. Nova will surely sell a pint or less of their clear gel. MEKPT Hardener is available for under $5 at Canadian Tire; email me at charliewilson77@gmail.com for a step by step repair protocol.