GELCOAT
POLISHING
Restoring your vessel's gelcoat is a delicate process. Boats can be a challenge to detail properly due to the unique gelcoat applied to the exterior. Gelcoats provide the very smooth & shiny look that gives them that mirror-like effect on the water. Over time, exposure to the sun’s UV rays combined with water pollution, animal droppings, corrosion from salt and other organic buildups will fade & discolour the gel coat. Unlike car painted surfaces, detailing marine gelcoat requires different grades of compounds and sometimes even sanding. After years, the gelcoat becomes porous and stained. The good news here is, by using your marine professionals like us here at Shoreline, is that almost all gel coat can be restored.
We use Rupes dual action polishing machines to safely and efficiently refine your gelcoat, achieving "like-new" results.
Pride of Ownership
Owner apathy and dull, tired gelcoat go hand in hand. In the opinion of some owners, bright, shiny boats don’t sail any better or catch more fish, so why bother with maintenance? But keep in mind that maintaining your boat’s gelcoat will help you “catch” more customers should you ever want to sell.
If You Have a New Boat
If you happen to be the owner of a fresh-out-of-the-mould, brand-spanking-new boat, you are in luck. Why? Because unlike other owners, all you need to do is wash your boat and apply a quality protective coating. This will protect that like-new look and head off a time-consuming restoration project down the line.
About Gelcoat
Gelcoat is the coating sprayed up against a highly polished mould at the beginning of the fiberglass layup process. This process results in the smooth, mirror-like finish typical of new boats. With the passage of time, unprotected gelcoat will oxidize and eventually take on a chalky appearance. As part of this process, it becomes porous. The more porous it becomes, the more readily it will stain. The process continues until the boat becomes one of the dilapidated wallflowers that we have all seen at the dock. The good news is that nearly all gelcoat can be restored, provided it is not completely worn through.