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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Old Gelcoat

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T O P I C R E V I E W
RobLes	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 00:33:14 My old boat has old, yellowed, what's supposed to be white gelcoat on the deck. I did a test. I could sand it off, it isn't very deep. It would be a ton a work and would spend gelcoat. I'm not aware of any other way to get UV damaged gelcoat back to original. Repairs look real ugly with this mix of fresh gelcoat underneath, old yeller, and matched gelcoat paste.
11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
sethp001	Posted - 10/09/2019 : 21:02:28 quote: Originally posted by islander quote: Folks have told me that it�s probably because the ketchup has vinegar in it, it�s slightly acidic. Yep, That's the magic ingredient. Really anything like vinegar or lemon juice that is acidic should do the same thing but I understand the ketchup will cling. No! It's the onion and garlic ingredients!
Stinkpotter	Posted - 09/29/2019 : 08:14:17 quote: Originally posted by RobLes ..Well you guys convinced me not to try to beautify it... What did we say?? I agree with trying some things to brighten her up. Paint should be a last resort--if it cracks or peels later, it pretty much has to be completely stripped off and done over. I've walked away from some boats that had been painted by amateurs--didn't need to get within 20' of them.
islander	Posted - 09/29/2019 : 07:16:01 quote: Folks have told me that it�s probably because the ketchup has vinegar in it, it�s slightly acidic. Yep, That's the magic ingredient. Really anything like vinegar or lemon juice that is acidic should do the same thing but I understand the ketchup will cling.
bigelowp	Posted - 09/29/2019 : 06:08:24 The ketchup trick I have seen for years used by dingy sailers to clean the bottom before racing -- works great and is simple and safe. I would not water it down however. PoliGlo, if not stripped every few years, can build up a yellowish-tan stain that, over time, can be difficult to completely clean so stripping and reapplying every couple of years as Bruce does is the way to go.
Voyager	Posted - 09/29/2019 : 04:45:01 This may sound totally weird but sometimes things go that way. Have you tried using ketchup? Yes, really, ketchup. It�s an old trick that I�ve used to bleach the gel coat white. The gel coat on my 1985 C25 Passage is turning �graciously golden� as she ages. I have always, since 2006, used PoliGlo to keep her shiny - easier than wax - but that�s a whole different thread. I strip and reapply PoliGlo every 1-2 years, depending on the prior season. During the process, I clean off the old PoliGlo with PoliPrep, then I wash the surface with a dish detergent and water, then a spray of Clorox bleach using the toilet cleanup gel formulation, then rinse. Next I mix ketchup 50-50 with water and brush it on. I let it sit for 20 mins but mist it with the hose sprayer so it doesn�t dry out. Afterwards I scrub and rinse that off. The ketchup makes the hull as white as she�ll ever get. Folks have told me that it�s probably because the ketchup has vinegar in it, it�s slightly acidic. They advise that I could use oxalic acid instead. I�ve tried oxalic acid on spots, but for me it�s too runny. The ketchup is sticky so I can get a more uniform coating. So perhaps before you get too far down the pike, try a mild acid on your deck gel coat. No need to PoliGlo the deck. First clean with soap, clorox and water. On a wet deck, smear it up with ketchup plus water, maybe add some vinegar. Let it sit awhile. Keep it wet. But do it uniformly so you don�t end up with a patchwork. I used a roller pan and a long-handled deck brush to apply it in large areas. You might try all forward the cabintop, then the cabintop and sideboards/gunwales, then the cockpit, gunwales and transom. It could not hurt.
RobLes	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 23:37:07 Alright. Well you guys convinced me not to try to beautify it. The artist in me wishes I could. I'll just scrub the deck with Starbrite nonskid and apply some polish on the cabin sides.
Stinkpotter	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 08:34:09 So Steve is saying essentially what I said, only better. (...as usual.)
Steve Milby	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 08:18:05 Until Kiwi Grip came along, non-skid was restored by mixing sand or similar grit into paint. The problem with it was that, when walked on, the paint eroded fairly quickly, leaving the bare sand exposed, leaving the surface looking dirty. Kiwi Grip doesn't have grit mixed in with it. The paint is applied with a special roller that pulls up tiny peaks of paint, and it hardens that way. The peaks consist of pure paint, and as the peaks wear away over the years, the color underneath is the same as the surface color, so it doesn't change. Preparation for applying Kiwi Grip is not complicated.
Stinkpotter	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 08:01:31 From all I've heard, KiwiGrip and Awlgrip are different animals... For nonskid on a deck that doesn't have the pattern molded in, Awlgrip would need something like a special sand mixed in, which I've heard is problematic. Kiwigrip is formulated to be applied with a roller that creates the non-skid pattern of your choice--it sets up as a solid polymer. That's its purpose--Awlgrip is for making shiny hulls. I don't know whether you would need to sand the deck to a flat surface first... And you might want to mask the deck so you're not doing non-skid along the toe rail areas, near the cabin sides, and such. I might want to be able to do those limited areas separately in a way that makes a flat surface, maybe in a contrasting color (maybe with a 2-part polyurethane), sort of like it looked from the factory. But now I'm straying far beyond my first-hand knowledge...
bigelowp	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 06:34:55 I agree that restoring non-skid is not realistic. I have a similar issue on the foredeck where the non-skid is now smooth and a dark brown color is bleeding through. I am looking at various non-skid options and it appears that Kiwi-Grip or Awlgrip are the two most recommended. Both require excellent preparation of surface, and can be rolled on. Both are big DIY projects however, requiring time and covered location to do the work for best results. I believe if you search the archives a couple years ago someone posted their deck refinishing project with details and pictures. Good luck!
Steve Milby	Posted - 09/28/2019 : 06:04:13 IMO, restoring it to original is unrealistic. I know of no way to restore the original non-skid pattern over a large area. It's too much work requiring too much skill. What is important is to improve it aesthetically and leave the deck with a good non-skid surface so that it's safe to work on the foredeck when it's wet and the boat is heeling. Lots of old boats are restored around the Chesapeake Bay, and the most common treatment for non-skid areas is to paint them with Kiwi Grip. It comes in a variety of colors, looks good, is easy to apply and leaves a non-skid surface. It's not necessary to remove the old gelcoat.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.