Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Matching paint can be a difficult task, even for professionals. What appears to be a white hull paint may be an off-white or an eggshell color. Sometimes, even using the same paint your boat left the factory with will not match if the boat has been out in the sun for a few years. In order to properly match gelcoat you will have to repair the damaged area and check that the gelcoat matches after it dries. But, instead of starting over with a new paint job there are a few techniques that can help you match your white gelcoat.
Go to your local boat supply store and borrow a color sample card for gelcoat paint.
Match the color of your boat with the nearest matching color swatch on the color sample card by holding up each sample card to an area near the scratch and determining which white on the card matches best.
Return to the boat supply store and either purchase the matching gelcoat paste or put in an order for a gelcoat paste that matches your white. Return the color sample card.
Put on your work gloves and safety glasses. Use the putty knife to widen the open scratch into a "V" shape. Gelcoat paste is too thick to fill small scratches. Wipe the scratch with styrene to activate any remaining gelcoat. This will better bond the new gelcoat into the scratch.
Catalyze your gelcoat paste using the hardener included in your gelcoat kit. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to catalyze your gelcoat. This will activate your gelcoat, so do not catalyze your gelcoat unless you are prepared to fill the scratch immediately. The mix should start to set in about 30 minutes, so you have to work quickly.
Use the plastic spreader to work the gelcoat paste into the scratch. The paste should form a slight ridge as it is applied to the crack. This is okay. The paste will shrink as it hardens. You will be able to remove any excess paste in later steps.
Remove any excess paste in the work area that is not applied to the scratch. Cover the scratch with the sealing film and allow to set for at least 24 hours.
Remove the plastic. Lightly touch the repair to ensure that the paste has hardened. If the scratch was grossly overfilled, then it may still be wet and you will have to wait longer for it to set, or remove the paste and start over.
Sand the repair down with your 150-grit sandpaper block. Continue to sand until the repair is flush with the surrounding area. Continue to sand with progressively finer grit sandpaper until the area is smooth and scratch-free to the touch.
Pour rubbing compound onto a clean cloth and work the compound into the cloth. Gently rub the sanded repair in a circular motion until the area becomes glossy. Continue to work the rubbing compound into the repair area.
Compare the repair area to the rest of the painted area on the boat. The new gelcoat should be a close match. The repair area will become less noticeable over time as it weathers.