Hatch repair

[patrick16]

I am attempting to repair the stern hatches (top of stern) on my 2004 232. There are pieces which cracked on the corners and edges and came off. I am trying to figure out what the best material will be for the repairs and adhesion. I have done repairs before and they come off again after 1 - 2 years.

Should I use fiberglass resin with fibers, fiberglass cloth, bondo with strong adhesion, or something else?

Thank for any help.

Patrick

 

[SkunkBoat]

Grind it clean with 60 grit on a grinder.
I would throw away the chunks.
Build up with chopped glass mat & resin
then use filler to shape & smooth

You have a choice of polyester resin or epoxy.
Poly is cheap. Bondo is poly with filler for fairing. It can't be thick.

IMO epoxy is easier to mix and work with but much more expensive. If you use epoxy, you have to stick with epoxy.
You can get high density filler as well as a fairing density filler.

Next question is color. You can prep and paint the entire hatch.
You can gelcoat the entire hatch (if you used poly resin not epoxy)
You could color the epoxy or use Marine Tex as your finish layer.

 

[Fishtales]

I believe those are what GW calls Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) covers. The edges are actually fairing compound (bondo). It is worked into the mold corners and then the glass and resin are added. As stated, you can do the quick and dirty (use bondo, build up layers and then sand) method or do it properly (a bit more work, with glass and resin).
It was noted that the RTM parts do not do well in uncovered boats in cold climates. The material can absorb water and when things freeze and thaw, you can have chipping. The edge material also chips from rough handing or closing a hatch on something that contacts an edge. In the cold areas best to wrap the boat or ensure it is covered. The same process is used on the hardtop edges and other lids in the boat to give the piece a clean edge and nice attributes. Unfortunately, it isn't the best from a durability perspective.

 

[patrick16]

Thank you. I have the gel coat for that year. How can I tint it to match the color of the boat (slightly faded). Also, is there something I can use to spray the gel coat on to get a smooth finish?