keel damage

[bigeasybu]

on the keel near the bow i have no gel coat left.there was a keel protector on it but it was peeling off.when i removed it i found 2 places where the gelcoat is missing and there is i guess tan/grey/brown material showing. the area is about 1.25" wide by 10" long.is this something i can paint over or will i need proffessional repair?

[Mike00LXI]

on the keel near the bow i have no gel coat left.there was a keel protector on it but it was peeling off.when i removed it i found 2 places where the gelcoat is missing and there is i guess tan/grey/brown material showing. the area is about 1.25" wide by 10" long.is this something i can paint over or will i need proffessional repair?

As long as you seal it you should be fine. If it's properly sealed it will be cosmetic. The material you are seeing is the fiberglass and you definately don't want that in contact with water. Best thing to do would be to repair the gelcoat by a professional but if you don't want to spend the money they do sell gel coat repair kits you can buy from Overtons or West Marine and do it yourself or just cover it with a waterproof sealant but the last two options won't be as cosmetically appealing as having it repaired by a pro.

[99response]

Or just use the ugly sealant with a new keel guard...

-Chris

[obski]

I've used Marine Tex on areas like that before to seal it and it has worked fine. You can sand it and have it looking ok, but not as nice as a professional job, but it is quick, easy, cheap and effective.

[98mallybu]

i've used marine tex before too, it's really easy to work with. I was impressed how it turned out

[mrothwell]

get it re-gelcoated and stop beaching it.

[bigeasybu]

gonna try the marine tex looks like just what im looking for thanks.