Battle Scars

[thechadmiller]

So... I've been using my C-22 pretty hard since getting it in February. Learning a ton and having gobs of fun and relaxation.

That being said, I've had some... learning experiences, and I have a few scrapes/gouges in the gel coat. Like, I can see a bit of grey peaking through the white.

Is that something I need to prioritize and fix, or more a cosmetic issue? Is there an easy fix? Nothing is too bad or large.

thanks

[ssobol]

I have a few as well. IME, scrapes that do not go through the gelcoat (i.e. expose the fibers in the fiberglass) can be left alone. Experience marks that expose the fibers need to be addressed. If you don't care (or the repair is in a place not visible), you can get a gelcoat repair kit in whatever color is available and apply it. If you want to match the gelcoat you need a repair kit that has colors for mixing to get a match.

While you can get repair kits in some C-Dory colors, if your boat is "experienced" it is probable that the factory colors no longer match and mixing will be required anyway.

There are numerous videos and documents online on how to do gelcoat repairs. I got up against some rocks once and damaged the gelcoat on the edges of the hull where the sharp angles are on the bottom. I used a kit like this and got good results. Being below the water line, it was not an issue if the match was not perfect (but I got it pretty good), it was more important that the gouges were sealed though.

https://express.google.com/product/10001200441253489605_4221188309345191218_118724597?mall=WashingtonDC&directCheckout=1&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=product_ads&utm_campaign=gsx&utm_content=control_45_60

Perhaps before I sell the boat (it'll happen someday) I'll get a pro to fix any gelcoat damage that remains. But it's probably not worth it (so far....)