Best option to buy gelcoat in larger quantity?

[nerd]

My bow pulpit took a nice beating during Sandy and has been chipping ever since. I'd like to take the time to fix it up right, giving it a good sanding, repairing any deeper gouges and then coating the whole thing in gelcoat.

I know you can buy gelcoat by the can but in colors that don't quite match. I've got an older (92) Explorer. Is there any way to get say a pint or quart of gelcoat color matched to use for this?

 

[DennisG01]

Try Spectrum Color.

 

[ROBERTH]

I have purchased all my Gelcoat from Grady dealer and color is matching perfectly. They ask for the VIN of the boat and year to ensure it is matching as best as possible.
They also don't charge an arm/leg for it from my experience, I guess that can depend upon the dealer.

I have gone through about 3 gallons since getting my boat a about 5 years ago, including redoing the entire bottom, removal of bottom paint, then spraying on the gel-coat. It has been great!

I had also re-cored my swim platform and re-gel coated about 4 years ago and it has been fine, but this season, right now I have removed the swim platform to repair some damage due to a trim tab coming off and beating the bottom up and bracket.

So decided to just paint it with Interlux Perfection as their Oyster White is a very close match.

Make sure with the gelcoat that you use the Duratec for better curing and many other benefits it provides.

 

[DennisG01]

On a side note... if you happen to still be around... your boat is 26 years old. Unless it has been immaculately cared for, any HIN-matched gelcoat you get from Spectrum or Grady is only going to match your boat as of 26 years ago. The existing gelcoat will have oxidized and even changed color over the years. The only way to get a TRUE match is to have a local gelcoater custom match it by eye. If you're not concerned about a perfect match, then the above two sources will provide the closest match.