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February - March 2017 February - March 2017 80 81 boatingonthehudson.com Find Us On Facebook at Boating On The Hudson
Dave Weakley is the owner of American Boat Restoration and has been helping
Northeastern boaters keep their boats in fine trim and good repair for over 40 years.
Dr. Gel
by Dave Weakley
Ask
2006 • Over a Decade with Dr. Gel • 2017
“Email me or call me with your questions! I’ll be happy to help you out”
americanboatrestoration.com / email: / Office: 413.665.7424 / Cell: 518.577.7799
From a professional repairer’s point of view and for ease
of repair the best color boat to buy would be one that is
white. One reason is white reflects the heat from the sun
far better than any other high pigmented color. There is
less fade, it’s easier to match and has fewer pigments in
it. In southern states, e.g. Florida you will see the majority
of boats docked are white. Darker colors especially dark
navy blues, dark reds and greens absorb more heat. In
addition the more complicated the color schemes the
more challenging and longer it takes to repair thus
increasing the repair cost. In the past we have removed
darker colored gelcoat samples off older boats to have
a computer match done to mix gelcoat and even a
computer sometimes cannot get a perfect match. It may
match one spot on the boat but not in another area. A
good color match also depends greatly on how well the
boat has been cared for and how much sun exposure it
has had. During my repair process I always color restore
the repair area(s) by compounding and if needed wet
sand to get the original color back as best as possible.
Often the entire sides of the boat are done. This helps to
insure the new gelcoat will blend with the original and
“With the coming of spring, I am calm again”
Gustav Mahler
“I should buy a boat!”
If that’s what you’re thinking there are important
things to consider when choosing the color boat you
want whether it is new or pre-owned. I have advised
many people over the years on this subject and feel
it’s important to bring up again as we look to another
boating season!
WHITE VS. blue-red-yelow-orange-green-black-grey
What’s the best choice?
My answer is white. My boat is white…
Color restoration
complete.
Chalked with light
scratches.
Unfortunate storm damage on
well kept 2007 Chaparral.
helps to achieve a good color match
and avoid blotches.
The most common material boats
are built with is polyester resin. The
material is inexpensive and lighter in
weight than epoxy resin. Polyesters
never stop curing and get brittle with
age. The more exposure to the sun a
boat gets themore brittle and bleached
it becomes.
All gelcoat is porous; It needs regular
maintenance. I’ve written this many
times. You can clearly see boats on the
water that are well maintained and
those that are neglected. The suns UV
rays will penetrate the porous gelcoat
quickly. The damage from sunrays
can be slowed down by periodically
applying a gelcoat sealer glaze followed
by a good marine UV protecting wax.
The best way to protect gelcoat is to
keep it covered. Consider full canvas,
roofed boat lifts, indoor storage, etc.
Your investment is expensive protect it
as best as possible.
In the spring when boats are prepped
for summer use the owners uncover
them and they are washed down; some
use soaps such as Dawn liquid dish
washing detergent. While it’s good
for grease and dishes, it’s not a good
choice to clean porous gelcoat. It strips
the wax and the sealer glaze making
the gelcoat vulnerable to UV light
penetration and fade. The best cleaner
to use to wash your gelcoat is a good
boat soap made especially for boats.
There are situations when a harsh
cleaner is needed such as “On-Off” an
acid cleaner that removes waterline
stains, algae, rust and gas stains. This
type of cleaner will definitely remove
the protecting sealer glaze and wax.
The hull will be susceptible to water
seepage and osmotic blistering.
There are two ways to help eliminate
this problem. The first is to apply Epoxy
barrier on the hull starting at the
waterline down. Epoxy barrier paint is
as close to impervious of a paint you
can apply to protect the hull fromwater
intrusion as you are going to get. You
can also acid wash the epoxy barriered
hull and not worry about any damage
that may occur. An alternative way to