Practical Boat Owner — January 2018

Practical Boat Owner January 2018 • http://www.pbo.co.uk 85

REPAIRING BIG AREAS OF DAMAGE

All the masking removed and her
topsides look good as new

Obvious damage is one thing but

it’s important to track any crazing

with a pen so you can get it all

ground away. Any cracks missed

will show through the paint in time

Crazing ground away and filled with

epoxy while the laminate was repaired

and strengthened from the inside

Glassed on the inside, epoxy filled and

faired on the outside after a third coat of

545 primer and, below, sharp as a rapier

The damaged areas are sanded hard

and the remaining gel coat is removed

from the area. This is especially true in

crazed areas so we can also check the

condition of the laminate.

We use two pack Nautix epoxy fillers

to fair and build up the damaged

areas. A long board is used to sand

and fair in order to ensure we get a

true shape as once the top coat is

applied any irregularities will stick out

like a sore thumb.

helps us identify the highs and lows. The
guide coat is applied slightly heavier in
areas that have been filled so we can
check for any filler shrinkage, which can
happen over a few days.
Filler and fairing repairs can just be seen
under the first coat of 545 epoxy primer.

Top coats and final touches
Everything is now washed, retaped and
care needs to be taken. For starters, the
“no entry” sign is put on the shed. Any
airflow from opening doors can easily
disturb the dust and ruin the finish,
undoing all those valuable man-hours
and hard work.
The first of three coats of Awlcraft 2000
topcoat can be applied. This paint is a
two-part acrylic urethane high gloss
which dries fast and seems to keep its
shine for a long time. It’s also buffable so
if you’re a bit late getting a fender in place
one day, you have half a chance to buff
out the marks.
Three coats were applied over a
four-hour period. Full cure takes a couple
of weeks, but the best time for us to spray
is on a Friday so it gets almost three days
undisturbed.
The final stage is a matter of applying
the new vinyl stripes and decals,
reattaching fittings, such as boarding
ladders, then getting her out of the shed in
one piece.

VIEW FROM THE BOATYARD