I hate gelcoat. But what I hate more is it's the best option.

I'm a little speechless, Honestly I was waiting for you to drop the ball in process, that not only never happened but you went beyond industry standard, I've worked for several industry leaders and their finishing techniques fall short of your process, seriously impressed.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, that’s a appreciated compliment.

Thanks for producing this very informative video George, and appreciate the top tips at the end. Never leave the sanding out, it’s like lulling others into a false sense of security 😂

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

The sanding….. oh God the never ending sanding….. 😆

I would appreciate a separate video about polishing with the machine as it’s something I always seem to make wrong. Thanks for the good show - I did not skip any second of the sanding part :)

Outstandingly beautiful job!

Fantastic job! Thank you for the tips!

One of the best I’ve seen. Thanks

Another fantastic video George. Thank you.

amazing result, nicely done!

Outstanding job!

Watched it all. Including the sanding.

Such well presented and educational. Thx you so much. Awesome quality workmanship!

Great video on Gelcoat polishing!

full of good data about applying Gelcoat on a boat ! Nice one.

Thanks for explaining gel coat application. Very cool and looking forward to trying.

First class advice, first class job and first class video. Thank you.

The tip of using the marker for you guide coat is brilliant. Thanks for that. Very informative video.

Thank you so much for this tutorial. Ready to get cracking on my poor gel coat.

Great tip on the practice board gel coat!

Thanks! Makes me want to get parts of my boat done.

Thank you George for a very informative video. I have a big job coming up so will adopt your techniques.

top VIDEO, have seen it from the begginning until the end, a lot of work, when the result shout look like proffessional work. Thank you for all the Tipps of your VIDEOS.

Awesome information on how to properly paint on gel coat. Im ready to start my 1987 Four Winns 170 Horizon. Thanks so much.

Thank you very much! Great vidéo!

Thanks George, very helpful and informative. Yes, I did watch all the sanding!

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Well that makes 4 of you, well done 😆

A great video on gelcoast repair....for the first time I understand it....thank-you!

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

I love sanding gelcoat. I could watch it for hours! And great work!

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

I think you need professional help 😂

I have to do this to the topside of my boat...and it's long overdue. Great work by the way. I now feel confident on how to take the work on. Just as an FYI, in the states (US) most of us non-professionals use the roll-&-tip method. We roll on the gel coat and then use a very good fine brush to smooth everything out. Because we're out of shape are absolutely obsessed with NOT sanding this much by hand. Some guys who do this dockside for a living, are really good at it. Your final product is better than what we get, so I'm thinking I'll split the baby here and do more sanding, along with the roll and tip.

Muito obrigado pela ótima aula sobre gel coat. Abraço do Brazil

Hey George, really enjoyed this video and yes, I enjoy the sanding

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

If you enjoy sanding do you want a job? Haha

Great video on re-gelcoating coachroof

Thank you for making these videos. You make it look like I can take on some of this work myself. Current project is a 1965 Islander 33. Thanks again!

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment, best of luck!

Thanks for this video and explanations.

I did skip forward on the sanding but as I have done so much sanding over the years I felt that it was OK to do so, It also brings back bad memories, LOL.

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

That’s fair 😂

Great video Very informative and concise Really appreciated this post

@RefitandSail

4 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Well done! The information and techniques you've presented match that of an American I've been following for a dozen years or so, so you've added to my confidence that I can do this when the time comes. And ... what? No "Oh Glorious Sanding" videos? 😁 That's okay. There's a Danish DIYer who provides me with enough of those.

your idea of doing a small test is a great idea thanks mate !

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Well worth doing if it’s your first time using gelcoat

Very helpful and I an especially like and thankful that you take extra care of the environment by using a dust extraction even when dry hand sanding. Pro tip using the marker and aceton

I do enjoy a good sanding in the evening. So yes, still watching. :)

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

Haha, that’s at least one viewer all the way though then 😂

Thank you! Best video ever😊

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Nicely led through, no shortcuts eh with the grades ! This will inspire people to up their refurb game , thank you .

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Thanks

Great how to vid. Thanks.

Thanks for this video. I have a very small area of gel coating to do to repair a damaged area on my boat, so this has given me a better idea of what to do. I appreciate the work you put into these videos and your sharing your knowledge and expertise.

@RefitandSail

5 ай бұрын

Glad it helped

Great vid. Lots of work in the finish

Great George - beginning to end very informative and helpful incl final tips. Thank you for sharing such insightful content! BW Ulrich

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and the continued support!

Apply a thin CA glue to the base of the brush and let it cure. Then you won't get any hairs in the new gel coat. Model airplane folks use this trick all the time.

That is one of the best videos I have seen:- really good, clear explanations and full of great tips ( that professionals tend to keep ‘secret’ !) It also demonstrates why some apparently ‘simple jobs anyone can do ‘ do cost real money. Why? Because these guys have learnt their skills over many,many years and many almost identical jobs. Well done -nice job!!!

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks! Pleased you thought it was good

As always...well done!!

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

Thanks

I’m not sure of your views or experience with rolling 2K paint on topsides, decks and cabin sides, but it’s becoming a popular option for both budget refits and the fact some yards don’t allow spray painting these days. I’d be very keen to see you demonstrate the technique in an upcoming video, cheers.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Yes you can get some really excellent results with some of the recently produced paints and if you get enough on it can be polished back to an excellent finish. I have a couple of hull repaints coming up but they will probably be sprayed.

Great video as always, thanks for the info.

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

Thanks

Enjoyable video. . . A lot of process/graft it seems. The results look great. I recognise the pub in the background 🙂 . . . Jack Rolfe's favourite!

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

Haha, indeed it is, well spotted! I go there occasionally

Great channel, thanks for all of the interesting content. Sent you two beers from Florida! Sean McGee

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

That’s very kind, many thanks Sean!

That's a bit of alright! nice finish!

Excellent. TFS.

Great, informative video. Thanks

Fantastic finish, I didn't see any water for the wet sanding. Thanks for showing us.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Water was in the bucket, only need enough to lubricate the abrasive.

Enjoyed the episode….miss the Hamble, The Jolly Sailor, Whyte Hart….have some gelcoat work to do on my cat here in Florida, so a timely video! Thanks, Andrew

wow, what a job.

Great video, I want to re gel coat the cockpit of my Westerly. Your video clearly explains what I need to do but just the thought of all that sanding makes me want to cry.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

That’s a pretty standard westerly gelcoat issue unfortunately, mine is the same.

Excellent thankyou.

Very helpful. I’m about to do some gel coat repairs on my boat. So this was helpful to me. You used gel coat, which surprised me. From what I have ‘read’, I would have thought ‘flowcoat’ is for use like you used it.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Flow coat is just gelcoat with wax in it that rises to the surface when curing so you don’t have a sticky finish.

Yes, watching the sanding. At 32:!7 quite some flex in that deck.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

I think the Timelapse makes the deck look like it’s flexing more that it is somehow. It’s solid laminate (not cored) + stringers so there is some flex but not excessive.

I think you should explain the difference between flow coat and gel coat, because gel coat NEVER FULLY CURES WHEN EXPOSED, as you did explain the fifth layer with wax added but 99.99% people will not understand it.

@johnbspringer

10 күн бұрын

"NEVER FULLY CURES WHEN EXPOSED," ... but is that true if using a Hardener such as MEKP?

Good vid!

excellent

I AM watching the sanding because i wanted to know how you worked your way around gelcoat and sanding. As it turns out I have been using the almost exact same procedure. Applying the gelcoat by brush, sanding with 120 grit at the very uneven spots by hand and using an orbital sander with 320 grit on the plane surfaces - but i only gave it four coats and I haven´t sanded through yet. Next time I think that five coats is safer. Thank you for posting this at the right time 😂

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

4 should be plenty of applied thickly but 5 gives a bit of margin for error in the sanding so no harm. I tired to do it with 3 coats once and it’s just not enough, 4 minimum, 5 ideal.

oh glorious sanding

@manuelve1998

7 күн бұрын

A ‘mads’ reference?

I have watched hours of videos and got more confused on what product to use, this one actually covers exactly what I need to do! I have an ancient Invicta 26 and the top side is horrible, I can see daylight in parts from the inside. So I tested gelcoat on my repaired Laser dagger board and that was a disaster, I didnt realise the gelcoat remains tacky (I didnt know its meant as a mould product where there is no oxygen) so then tried PVA to dry it. Anyway made a mess of it with runs and dead flies, grit, etc. Ended up sanding virtually everything off, gave up and just painted it! So this gives me confidence to have a go on the boat with Gelcoat so I get some depth in the material that I wouldn't with paint.

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

Pleased it was helpful, best of luck with the project.

@simonroyle2806

8 ай бұрын

@@RefitandSail Reading below I realise I used the wrong PVA (mine was from Wickes so is wood glue), it certainly allowed the gelcoat to dry but what a mess! Sanding it off clogged up the sanding belt in no time and I ended up removing virtually everything I had applied.

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

@@simonroyle2806 example of the pva www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/blue-gloss-pva-release-agent

Thanks, 😊

Suggest you wear knee protection in future! I speak from experience😉 I went for the paint option on my R36, but everything, only the toerail was left on. The deck and coachroof were in v poor shape. Four epoxy primer coats, 2 high build, 2 normal, 4 two-comp topcoats. Has lasted really well, but even if it gets scratched, repair is easy.

Still watching you sanding but glad it’s not normal speed 😂

Yes still watching😂

Yes, I’m still watching you sand. You make this look fun, but don’t try this at home my knees hurt just watching you work.

yupp, still watching the sanding :)

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

That makes you the third person 😆

It's hard to accept you as a pro when I see you crawl around with your bare knees on a non-skid surface without knee-pads. It's not the skin of your knees that gets damaged so much as it is damage to the knee-joint itself. Your career will be shorter without pads. Taking the gel-coat above and below the outside and inside corners results in a much better look for the boat. Nice change. That second coat was cute...paint porn, complete with appropriate music. This video is informative and so are your responses to many of the comments. I appreciate it. I know...that don't buy beer.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

No worries about the beer-tokens, that’s optional but always appreciated. I do normally use a kneeling pad (as I don’t like having pads attached to my knees. Fortunately the non-slip on this deck is very worn and due to be replaced (likely in a future video). Thanks for the comment.

@dariososic1623

3 ай бұрын

Forget the knee pads, but sanding those poisons without a face mask is so smart. That will retire him earlier. I could understand if you do this once a year in your own boat, but if you do this for a living, that I can't comprehend.

Thanks for this, very usefull info. Some links for the products you use would be handy. As a rough idea how much gelcoat would you need to do this to the hull (on a 32ft boat) assuming 3 or 4 coats?

Some say he's still looking for that elusive black sharpie. Fun fact, green is actually harder for the human eye to see. In graphics "RGB" (Red/Green/Blue primary colours) is generally set as "565" so the green level is higher to compensate for natural human eyes vs graphics on a screen.

@waterboy8999

7 ай бұрын

Interesting, thanks.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

I never knew that about Green, will stick to black and blue maybe. Thanks for the tip!

Hello, thanks for your video. Just curious about how you prepared the surface initially - how did you deal with any spider cracks or voids? What product did you use to fill any repairs or do you make your own body fillers? My aim is to restore the entire hull of a 20 year old 17’ Sea Kayak with 21” beam, with white gel coat. There are many gouges, some cracks and glazing from the years plus old field repairs. Your thoughts would be appreciated, cheers. Erik

Great video George. That demo section looked brand new. Do you ever spray gel coat? Would be great to see that if you do. 👍

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

You definitely can spray gelcoat, no issues with that but it also requires a lot more prep, on the positive side for spraying is that the refinishing is quicker as what is applied is flatter but on the downside you have to do a lot of masking/covering and the boat needs to be inside with all the necessary safety/extraction equipment. The process I use probably leaves a thicker coating of new gel and can be done outside (if the weather plays ball) and no overspray but a fair bit more sanding. So pro’s and con’s for both.

thanks for the video, I have not worked with a gel coat, After watching a few times I noticed that the gel coat was used to get a smooth finish by removing most of the coats of gel coat, In autobody we want the coatings to remain as level and thick as possible since it is the protective coating and allows for a sand and recoat of just the finish layer. would it not be easier and cheaper to use resin and fiberglass as a paste to create the perfect flat surface, using the guide coats on the fiberglass will allow a lot less sanding of the gel coat while leaving more of the protective layer this also removes the chances of breaking through the gel coat in the less than perfect areas?

Thanks for the video, good to see how a professional is doing the regelcoating. I wonder: In the beginning you are mentioning that this method leads to a "factory finish" but in my opinion this is not really true. In the factory building process of the hull it has been started with the outer gelcoat layer and the glasfiber/polyester resin was applied on the sticky gelcoat, which resulted in a chemical bonding between the layers. When you apply new gelcoat on old gelcoat there is, as I understand, no chemical bonding but rather a physical to the sanded structure of the old gelcoat. Would you agree to this statement? I am talking from own experience: I regelcoated the transome of my Mini 6.5 in a similar process and am quite satisfied with the finish. But I noticed that this new gelcoat layer is much more prone to punctual dents than the factory finished. Or did I just do bad prep-work? What is your experience?

Thank you for the very informative video. We also have a Contessa 32 from 1979 and I would like to renew the top with gelcoat. Is it possible? Have you ever renewed the tread? How do you get the anti-slip surfaces like the original? With a texture roller and then sanding the tips? I would be very grateful for an answer. Best regards Anne also Bochum Germany

Thank you so much George! This will greatly help refitting my 35yo deck. Are you tackling the anti-slip in the next video?

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Not the next video but will prob be in the future

Nice job! can you put just a topcoat or flowcoat just straight on to a sanded and filled old gelcoat surface or would you need at least one coat of Gelcoat? How much would you charge for just that that part of the deck roughly?

Hi George, thanks for the tutorial. At the end was the new gelcoat sticking out more compare to before, I'm asking you because I will love to regelcoat my Westerly and I was wondering if it was possible to do it in the same way. Cheers

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

It looks good, wouldn’t say it stands out because I chose to use a slight off-white. It just looks shiny and new. I’d like to do my Westerly but I’m not sure I have the time as she’s a lot bigger than this co32. Unfortunately the gelcoat used by westerly in the 80’s wasn’t the finest quality so lots of boats have problems.

I would like to buy "knees" like yours to do this job in my boat !!! :) great job , thanks

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

You don’t want my knees, but a kneeling pad from the garden centre makes it all a lot more comfortable!

Very nicely explained. Do you have a Link were I can oder collored GelCoat? I do have as well a very smal Sailing Boot from the 1980 which I would like to refit.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

I have responded to your email

Have you used (thin) high viscosity cyano acrylate glue on cracked gelcoat prior to the gelcoat process? Ive had good results in light stress to moderate stress crack repairs...it seeps well into the glass fiber voids repairing the area.

Great video showing the process. We need to do our transom including the corners. How would you get a good blend between the new gel coat on the back and good existing gel coat in the sides? Overlap by a few cm's then sand to flush? (With a big assumption we can get a reasonable colour match). Thanks

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

If it’s a sharp corner you can just gel up to the corner and as long as it’s a close colour match the corner (and therefore the change in angle to any light source will hide any slight variation.

So four coats of gel coat with no wax the last and fifth coat with wax? Is that right? Thank you for the great content.

❤❤❤

Hi there. i am busy repairing a fibreglass bonnet for a car. i had to do a lot of work to it and there are some areas where i had to remove all the gel coat and other areas where there is some left. What would you advise to do? Should i give it a fresh new gel coat all over, block sand it and then paint it with epoxy primer? Or should i just paint it with epoxy primer? The bonnet will be the same final colour as the rest of the car when we have finished.

My 32 foot 1973 cabin cruiser hull has a fine crazing all over. (worse in some areas than others) I have been considering re-gelcoating at some point. How do you deal with the crazing? Thanks Steve

Nice work, but, wow! That's a lot of sanding and masking.. Looks like you are at Deacons boatyard?

Two questions…assuming you could get her indoors, 1.) is there an advantage to spraying on the gelcoat, and 2.) would a vinylester gel coat provide more durability and UV protection?

Excellent 101. I know i can't be arsed to do this on my boat (paint instead) but it was helpful in case i ever decide something needs to look nicer. Btw the one missing bit of information was how much /what type of wax/addictive for the last coat? Cheers.

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, yea there is a reason that most folk go for paint. Even my own boat had paint because of lack of time and needing to tidy it. I think it’s the same with builders but my boat never seems to get the love that my clients boats get 🙄

Really informative. If your working on the hull topsides, do you section it off and do one at a time?

@RefitandSail

7 ай бұрын

Depends on the size of the boat, I may do one side at a time on a smaller boat or I may coat with new gel to the centreline and then continue. If you leave a tapered edge (in terms of the thickness of new gel) the. It makes a nicer job with you continue on that side. Hope that makes sense

Do you have to use a new brush for each gelcoat layer or can brushes be cleaned or stored in an appropriate solvent?

Hi, I am just about to re gelcoat the transom on my yacht, do I sand between coats or do I leave it to the end if I apply the coats whilst still tacky. Cheers, looking forward to the live stream 😊

@RefitandSail

2 ай бұрын

Apply all the coats then sand, you need to build up the thickness of the gel so it can then be sanded back and refinished

Great vidoe George, thanks that was a piece of Work! I'll definitely be having ago at this, I've had this stuff for 4 years, I'm thinking its no longer safe to eat? Shame it's not so warm at 56° north...

@RefitandSail

8 ай бұрын

If your gelcoat is 4 years old is definitely recommend buying some new before you give it a go. I have tried some older gel and it’s been ok and others not so much and it’s cheap enough to buy. Good luck.

@waterboy8999

8 ай бұрын

@@RefitandSail thanks, that's what I thought.