lman

Hey Guys: I have 25 + years exp. in car resto but 0 exp. with boats. Bought my 1st boat last year (88 Formula 272). I am having the entire hatch (sunpad) upholstery redone. I took back the fiberglass hatch because I wanted to fix a couple of minor cracks around the bracket for the hydraulic lift in the center of the hatch. I read some of the threads under this forum but am still undecided on how to fix it. What material should I use in this stressful area? Can I blend a base coat and clear coat paint over the gel coat without having an lifting or adhering problems or should I spot it in with gel coat? Thanks in advance with your help on this issue!!

Audiofn

You can paint over Gel. I can not remember on that boat but is there enough room for a larger plate to top of the piston? This may not only cover up the cracks that you have but also distribute the load better.

lman

Thanks for the tip audiofn!! My brother works for a glass shop and gave me a piece of polished stainless. I ground out the crack and used REN (An old 2 part epoxy that was used a while back to glue Vette's together.) I wanted to strengthen the cracked area first before covering with a plate. Hopefully, it will work out. If I can't contain bodywork under the plate, I will spot in the area with basecoat clearcoat. But 1st, I need to find the paint that matches.

cuda

I ran a piece of quater inch aluminum stock to strengthen this area. It's quite common for them to break right there.

lman

Thanks for pics Cuda. I was a rookie boat owner last year and have alot of questions. This website has been good to me in answering my questions.