caseyl wrote:I am just confused about paint or gelcoat for this boat application.
I don't have any experience is applying an entirely new layer of gel coat resin as a top coat. My expectation is that you would not be able to get the thickness and smoothness in the gel coat as exists now. The existing gel coat was applied as the first layer into a contact female mold for the hull part and could be easily built up in thickness. Nor would you get the strength of the original primary bond between the gel coat layer and the subsequent laminate layers that was created as those layers cured together. Spraying all new gel coat onto the existing hull would probably mean a lot of sanding and smoothing, and perhaps more than one coat in order to build up the gel coat layer to the usual 0.020-inch or greater thickness.
caseyl wrote:Q1: should the boat be left as-is and just run the boat, and only minor fiberglass repairs be done?
From the two images provided, this 54-year-old 13-footer appears to be in really good condition. If there are minor dings in the hull, you can easily repair them. Generally the gel coat on a Boston Whaler boat can be restored to a very good finish, rather than completely eliminating the original top coat and covering with paint.
For some guidance on restoring a really old 13-footer, see this article from the FAQ:
Q5: how is damage to a Unibond hull repaired?https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q5If the damage is minor and can be repairs with just a bit of resin and a small area of gel coat, you should be able to get a very good, very low visibility repair. Also, often the hull damage is to areas that are underwater, so no one can really see the repairs except when the boat is on the trailer.
Also see this CETACEA page:
Grandfather's Whalerhttps://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetac ... age51.htmlcaseyl wrote:Q2: will restoring this 1969 13-footer ruin the boat as a time capsule example of the classic Boston Whaler boat?
In my opinion, there would be more interest in the boat with its original gel coat restored to a nice shine compared to having the original finish covered with a new paint finish. Before deciding which path, try restoring a small area of the original gel coat finish. Very lightly wet sand the gel coat with 800-grit, but go easy--54-year-old gel coat can be removed extremely rapidly with any aggressive abrasion; apply a gel coat restoring compound which will restore some oils into the gel coat; apply a high-gloss polish and buff to high lustre; and then apply wax. See if the result is acceptable for your concept of a restoration.
caseyl wrote:Q3: should only the white hull be painted and the blue interior be left unrestored?
Again, I would favor attempting to make a few spot repairs to the hull and bringing back the original gel coat to a nice finish
caseyl wrote:Q4: what path [or method] for repainting the underside of the hull is recommended?
If you decide to abandon the original gel coat finish on the hull, then you must abrade the hull to give the new paint a surface that it can attach itself. Once you take sandpaper to the gel coat, you will not be able to alter you restoration; you will be committed to an entirely new top coat surface. Also the surface to receive the paint must be perfectly smooth and fair. You cannot sand out any paint defects or fill low spots with paint. The preparation must be immaculate.
caseyl wrote:Q5: are products made by TOTAL BOAT what everyone recommends to repaint the underside of the hull?
In the last ten years or so the TotalBoat company has become very prominent for their boat products, such as epoxy resins, fillers, and two-part paints. I have no idea if
everyone would recommend them, but there is certainly no reason to avoid them. On the other hand, if you wanted the highest-quality boat paint finish, you would look at much more expensive products like AWLGRIP.
caseyl wrote:ASIDE: This is my first post.
Welcome to the forum.
Where in New England were those photographs taken?
