Before Posting, Please Read Our Posting Guidelines Below.
1. Use the full 4 digit year for everything you are asking your question about. Example: 1962, 1988, 2000, 2011 2. Include the correct name of your Whaler model. Example: Montauk 17, Montauk 170, Outrage 26, Outrage 260 3. Include the length when necessary. Example: 16, 17, 18, 20, 22 4. Do not post your email address anywhere on this site as it is already in your user profile.
I recently brushed up against a dock piling with barnacles and it scratched the gunwale in a couple of places below the waterline. I painted my 13 sport with Interlux Perfection over old gel coat.
Does anyone have any thoughts as to how best repair and have the new paint blend or will I have to live with a patch look?
You started this thread becuase you don`t want to live with the scratch. Same here, a similar scratch happened to my newly Awlgripped 13 footer a couple of years ago. The general knowledge is that it is impossible to repair Awlgrip, my scratch was in a very noticeable place on the side of my boat, and here is what I did. I taped around the scratch approx. 2 inches on each side of the scratch. Then I sanded the scratch(by hand) smooth so I couldn`t feel it when I rubbed my hand over it. Then I removed the tape,(the reason for the tape is only so that you don`t sand too big of an area.) I wiped down the area with acetone. then I mixed up a small amount of the extra Awlgrip I saved from the paint job. Using the roller shown below I rolled on a thin coat and let it tack up to where I could touch it, and no paint came off on my finger. I repeated this process untill there was enough paint applied that the repaired area disappeared. Make the final coats over a little larger area, so it all blends in. The repainted area will be a little shiny-er than the rest of the boat, but it will dull out slightly and match in very good in a couple of weeks. This roller shown will give you a very smooth paint job approaching a spray job. As far as I know the only other alternative to this method is to repaint the scratched side of the boat. Who wants to do that. (and who wants to live with that scratch.)
Oh, by the way, if you want to try this and are using Awlgrip, you probably will need to use Brushing Catalyst, as I did. I sprayed the boat with spraying catalyst of course, but later on I rolled the floor and sprinkled a sand finish on it, so I had some of the brushing catalyst left over. It probably would work on a small area with the spray catalyst, (it sets up very quickly) but if it doesn`t you could always buy a qt. of the brushing catayst for about $25.
I appreciate the input. I used Interlux Perfection but I'm sure your method will work. I had already started sanding the area just around the scratches as you described to smooth them out. I should attempt the rolling of paint in a day or two. I used the roll and tip method on the entire boat anyway. I'll let you know of the outcome.
Thanks again for the reply and for understanding my need to fix the scratch.
