Fender rash

D

Doryman

New member
If you live in the PNW you know that we have experienced record wind and rain. Here in Anacortes winds were recorded up to 74 mph. We had the Lori Ann in the water but had no significant problems other than the radio aerials are now listing to port by 45 degrees (they are clamped to horizontal tubes in the radar arch, and the wind rotated them off center. Easily fixed.)

I did discover, however, that the movement of the boat against the fenders has created dull spots on the trim stripe. I am not sure if this is gelcoat that has worn away or simply something that needs to be polished. I'd appreciate tips on what this might be, how to fix it, and how to avoid the problem in the future.

Thanks,
Warren
 
Warren,

Discovery has the same dull spots in the gelcoat. Four places, two on each side. They match exactly with where the fenders rest against the hull. It looks as if the gelcoat is abraded. Discovery has green trim. What color is Lori Ann? I don't think simply polishing well restore the shine.
 
Lori Ann's trim stripe is black. That's a bummer that you have the rash as well. I'm hoping another member will have a solution!

Warren
 
I think you can polish out the dullness. I have done some minor gelcoat repairs on C-Cakes, due to my less than expert docking, and have obtained an (almost) factory finish using 400 then 600 grit wet-dry sandpaper followed by buffing with white automotive rubbing compound and "Gel Gloss" polish/wax. It was surprisingly easy. To get help I went on-line using "gelcoat repair" as a search term and found quite a few more or less detailed instructions.
 
Thanks for the polishing tip. I've seen posts here discussing canvas covers for fenders. Would they prevent the problem?

Warren
 
I always wondered why they have those soft coverings for fenders. Maybe it it to allow a washable, soft surface? ...to get that fine dust and sand off the fender contacts? John
 
The fender covers are for a variety of reasons. They tend to keep pollutants off of the fender, keep the UV off the fender, provide a less damaging surface to the hull and can be washed. However we don't usually use them. I have found that most of the time the dullness from fenders will polish out. The gel coat is fairly thick--and until you wear thru it, you can still polish the boat back to it's luster. I would start with one of the combination polish waxes. 3M finesset is a good polishing compound used by many professionals.

While on the subject of fenders, we clean ours with organge citrius hand cleaner with paumice Go JO. Get it a gallon at a time. Same for power cords. Afterward spray with Aerospace protectorant 303 for vinly. Keeps the fenders from getting sticky. Never use acetone or laquor thinner on fenders. The will become very sticky.
 
Sounds like pretty tough stuff. Have you ever used this tape before? I am wondering how difficult it is to remove if you wanted to replace it or whatever.

Thanks,
Warren
 
Regarding how to prevent that in the future. We went to a thrift store and purchased several pair of sweat pants and cut them off the length of fenders. Left the part with the elastic and put that portion at the top of the fender. One could sew the other end closed, but we just leave them open to breath easier. Once a yr they are washed. When docked where there maybe creasote it keeps that off the fenders.
 
Warren, have not used the tape on the boat yet but have used it on the truck.
The stuff is tough as nails and will stick to any clean surface. You can use a water dish soap mix in a spray bottle to wet the surface and float the tape into place then squeegee to make it stick. Best if applied on a warm day and can be stretched and formed to curves if needed.

For removal you need to let it heat up in the sun or use a heat gun. Any adhesive that is left can be removed with mineral spirits.

It's a lot like tie-wrap's and duct tape, once you start using the stuff you find a number of applications for it.

stevej
 
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