I painted at Robertsons of Woodbridge on
October 17. With night temperatures
sometimes below 10°C but seldom below
5°C, early to mid-October can be good for
painting. The ground is dust free and
autumn has many days of light breeze.1
First, the lettering was teased it off with
a well-used putty knife. Sticky remains
were wiped off using cellulose spirit (paint
thinners) from an auto-part shop.2
It’s essential to eliminate silicone
deposited from previous polishes from
the hull surface with a thorough
degreasing with cellulose thinners.3
Three small dings were then filled with
a polyester resin. Epoxy might have
been used but since gelcoat is also
polyester I decided to fill with the same. It
was, of course, to be totally covered in
paint subsequently.4
The gelcoat surface was cut back very
easily by hand using 160-grit abrasive
on a Siafast Velcro sanding block...5
... to key the surface to be painted.
Dust was brushed then wiped with a
damp cloth and allowed to dry.Although it polished up surprisingly well, Keppel’s 17-year-old
careworn blue gelcoat had suffered from years of strong UV.Tip: use a
snug press-close bag
to keep your tray clean.
Most chandlers have
them. Large bags can
be problematic as they
can ruck up around
the roller.
PRACTICAL
Somewhere to paint
Preparing the gelcoat