srpbaer

Just found a chip the size of an pencil eraser on the bow of by H2X...It actually isn't a chip, but look to be the damage due to an air bubble in the gelcoat...Should I use Marine Tex and fix it myself or go back to the dealer (02). My big concern is how to match it to the factory color...Any help is welcome...

H2Xmark

if you use marine tex it will cure a light yellow color and you will be able to see it, I would either leave it along are grind it open then mix some gelcoat to match, and fill, let cure then sand then compound, it is most likely best to let the dealer do it, because they have the factory color gel

later

if your only talkingthe size of a pencil, you can go to the dealers parts department they proply have a small amount they will sell or give ya in the color needed hopefully its in your white, take and open up the hole to create a crater sand the immediate area say with 220-320 mix up the gelcoat and fill the crater, a little higher than the surrounding area let it get hard over night, then take a paint stick or something flat and use it as a sanding block starting with 220 because it knocks the high spot down faster, once your close to level switch over to 400 wet then 600 wet and finish with 1000-1500 wet then you can get some rubbing compound and rub the gel coat to remove the sand scratches then use a polishing compound to remove the rubbing compound scratches and at that point if your gel is close in color you will hardly see your repair, there is hardly a boat that comes out of the mold that doesnt have some kind of imperfection repaired.
later.

oh yeh if its on the side or bottom you will have to add to your gel some thing to thicken it up (like cavasil) spelling, it does to gelcoat what flour does to gravy thickens it up.
good luck

ripride1

Later is right on! I had a Profile and the entire deck blistered. We were able to repair the small imperfections that way. Larger blisters take a lot more effort.
When finished and after several hours of buffing the deck looked flawless and blended fine. Good Luck

srpbaer

Thanks for the advice...I will take Later's advice and do it right....