Keel gelcoat repair!

[CamD]

I completed the gelcoat repair on the keel of my newly acquired Current Designs Solstice GT. As some may recall I dropped the boat in -30°C while loading it when I picked it up from the previous owner, and the gelcoat did not love the blow… I built up a set of stands last week and finally got after the repair yesterday and completed it today!! Was very happy with the result. Started by cleaning up the chipped and cracked areas around the main damage with rotary Dremel and then Acetone and taped it off preparing for gel coat application.

The first coat of gelcoat dabbed on with a wooden popsicle stick and then used parchment paper to help form it. First coat had a fairly large void at the high point of the keel which was not surprising, considering the parchment form. I removed any sharp edges around the edges of the void prior to doing the final coat and then applying parchment paper again to form it.

After the second coat I removed the parchment and it was ready for rough sanding/shaping with 200grit…

Worked my way through 400, 600 and finally wet sanded with 1500 and 2000 followed with some polishing compound.

There are a few imperfections but considering the condition of the rest of the hull I didn’t get to worked up about it and called it a success.

 

[LAM]

Every good kayak needs a good kayak repair story!

 

[ProfG]

@CamD, Thanks for documenting and posting. Are you able to share what brand of gelcoat you used? I too recently acquired a Current Designs Solstice GT that also appears to have been dropped. ...not as deep/wide as yours, but regardless, I have some chips to attend to.

 

[red kite]

@CamD, Thanks for documenting and posting. Are you able to share what brand of gelcoat you used? I too recently acquired a Current Designs Solstice GT that also appears to have been dropped. ...not as deep/wide as yours, but regardless, I have some chips to attend to.

On the risk of falling for a troll or worse here...

Any marine grade gelcoat should do the trick. Depending on age of the kayak, colour matching is the trickier part.
Being in the States you could also get the gelcoat directly from Current Designs: https://cdkayak.com/kayak-gel-coat-repair-kit/ (Like Wenonah, the previous owners, Sandborn doesn't ship gelcoat to Canada).

 

[CamD]

@CamD, Thanks for documenting and posting. Are you able to share what brand of gelcoat you used? I too recently acquired a Current Designs Solstice GT that also appears to have been dropped. ...not as deep/wide as yours, but regardless, I have some chips to attend to.

Because I wanted to color match and didn't know if white was just white no matter who the gel coat supplier was... I did order gel coat from Current Designs/Sandborn. they do indeed ship Gel Coat to Canada but not the Catalyst. I just picked up MEKP catalyst from my local Rona hardware store. However any brand of MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide) will work.

 

[CamD]

On the risk of falling for a troll or worse here...

Any marine grade gelcoat should do the trick. Depending on age of the kayak, colour matching is the trickier part.
Being in the States you could also get the gelcoat directly from Current Designs: https://cdkayak.com/kayak-gel-coat-repair-kit/ (Like Wenonah, the previous owners, Sandborn doesn't ship gelcoat to Canada).

I did order my gel coat from Current Designs/Sandborn. They do indeed ship Gel Coat to Canada but not the Catalyst. I just picked up MEKP catalyst from my local Rona hardware store.

 

[red kite]

I did order my gel coat from Current Designs/Sandborn. They do indeed ship Gel Coat to Canada but not the Catalyst. I just picked up MEKP catalyst from my local Rona hardware store.

Hm, definitely different experience here.
I've tried something like two dozen times - beginning in 2011 when I still worked at the local CD dealer, when they could have literally put it on their own delivery rig, no commercial carrier involved. I've gotten the same negative reply from Wenonah as well as Sandborn time and time again. The last time I worked with CD OEM gelcoat, the customer had it shipped to their relative in Bellingham and brought it across the border themselves.

 

[CPS]

Last time I did a CD gel repair with their colour matched gel they sent the wrong shade of blue anyways. So... good luck!

 

[CamD]

Hm, definitely different experience here.
I've tried something like two dozen times - beginning in 2011 when I still worked at the local CD dealer, when they could have literally put it on their own delivery rig, no commercial carrier involved. I've gotten the same negative reply from Wenonah as well as Sandborn time and time again. The last time I worked with CD OEM gelcoat, the customer had it shipped to their relative in Bellingham and brought it across the border themselves.

That is very interesting!! Adam Carlson the sales manger at Sandborn was who helped me out with my order.