Simple clearcoat for old fiberglass boat?

Question

I have an old 70's Ted Williams 12' fiberglass Gamefisher boat that I bought for $50. I use it just to paddle around in the beaver pond behind my house. The hull has been patched with fiberglass and appears to be holding up fine, although I may scuff a couple spots and add a layer or two of fiberglass here and there. The major problem is that whatever clearcoat or gelcoat that may have been on it is long gone. I have no problem with the cosmetics but if I come in contact with it I get all itchy like I've been handling fiberglass insulation.... it's like it's shedding. I would like to clearcoat it with something, preferably something I can just brush on. I know there are pros and cons with epoxy paints, urethanes and all that, but understand this isn't a Chris Craft and the fix need not be perfect. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Gel coat can be brush applied. I'm sure it would seal the olf fibreglass alot better and be alot more abrasion resistant than paint. Just make sure the fibreglass is dry and has not soaked up water. exposed fibreglass can suffer from osmosis and it will make your boat alot heavier than it should be.

Answer 2

My Mother has the same exact boat and it had the same problem. I sanded the entire hull and coated it with a deep blue epoxy paint. I brushed it on and it turned out really nice. In the inside I painted it with gray Desothane. A two part paint used by the military. Its very durable and will last for years.

Answer 3

I would go with the epoxy paint as has already been suggested. Gel coat is not waterproof, cracks easily, and is terrible to work with. You can sand the hull and roll on the epoxy barrier coat or paint, then overcoat with a urethane if desired. The epoxy is stronger, waterproof, and much easier to apply. It will last until the hull falls apart with minimum maintenance.

Answer 4

Get hold of some of the marine paint suppliers and go from there