Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by Jeff on 12/31/08 - 7:18 PM

Kim,

Both Spectrum and Minicraft sell gelcoat patch kits as well as gel coat by the quart. While both companies product is color coded to the factory spec color they may not match 100% perfect. This is because Whaler's gelcoat may be ever so slightly different for one lot to another. All factory manufactured boats are like this. Though I would expect a 95% - 97%% match. I believe the outside of your hull should be closest to the Light Grey color and not Desert Tan. No matter what you have to tint the base color from spectrum to get it near perfect. I have used EverCoat tint agents. I have Black, White, Brown, and Yellow to help get their Desert Tan as well as Light Grey to match my classic hulls. I mix in very, very little at a time till the color is perfect and then add the catalyst and apply.

In my honest opinion I have found the patch kits to be a waste of money. They cost a lot and always go bad in a hurry. Also shipping is spendy because of the Haz Mat shipping need. So if you order a patch kit you can get 4 shipped for the same price as one. At that point though you may as well buy a quart. This is the route I have gone for all of my repairs as of late. This way if I ever need to do a spray repair I can, and if I need to do a small nick / scratch repair I can use the liquid gelcoat for these as well by using a little trick. For doing small nick / scratch repairs I use Evercoat Polyester Gel Paste and mix in the liquid gelcoat 50/50, tint as needed, add the catalyst and apply. It goes on better and cures faster, harder, and with a better finish surface than the Spectrum gel coat repair kit paste alone. Also, the liquid I found has a MUCH longer shelf life.

For fixing the scracthes you should use 220 wet sand paper and sand the scratch and just a bit around it. Next mix up your gel coat repair and fill it in with a plastic spreader. Try and clean up any access that may be sitting around the scratch that is not part of the repair. A straight razor blade works great for this and it will help with sanding later. Let it cure for a day them wrap a small block (1/2" or 3/4" thick x 3" wide x 6" long - approx.) of wood with 220 wet sand paper and lightly wet sand out the high spots. If there are still any low spots refill them and let it cure and repeat the sanding of only the highspots. If there are no low spots move to 400 - 600 grit sand paper and quickly smooth the area. Lastly finish with a quick shot of 1000 grit, use a rubbing compound over the area, and put a good wax on it. Should barely be able to be seen after that.

Edited by Jeff on 12/31/08 - 7:49 PM

Posted by Tom W Clark on 01/01/09 - 10:16 AM

For a 1981 Montauk you want Spectrum Color's 1972-1993 Desert Tan for the interior of the hull. You want 1972-1984 Lt. Grey for the exterior of the hull.

I have found the Spectrum Color patch paste kits to be excellent. I have used them for over 20 years to good effect. The color may not always match perfectly for the reasons Jeff mentions, but the tint can easily be adjusted if perfection is desired.

You can order the patch paste kits directly from Spectrum Color or from any of numerous chandleries that carry their product. The kits cost about $20 and are very easy to use..

Edited by Tom W Clark on 01/01/09 - 10:17 AM

Posted by Guts on 01/01/09 - 7:01 PM

Tom W Clark thank you for the reply.The reason I ask for the color for the hull was Spectrum dose not have a "patch kit" only quarts. I called them and asked about a ("patch kit") I was told to ask B/W for the color code or the color#
It's like you and Jeff said Lt Gray. Now I am a little confused looking at Spectrum's web site. The quarts look to be a gel coat like a resin or paint if you will, and the patch kit is thicker like a paste/with consistency being thicker than the quarts? I just don't know could you help me,I'm confused.
Jeff thank for your reply. When you use EverCoat tint agents. which tint do you use to get Light Grey to match my classic hull. If I go this way would you recommend getting Black, White, Brown, and Yellow tints. The hull is all I working right now. They do seem to be affordable although, and would brake the bank.
It would have to be the first owner had but some kind of patch on the hull, It must have been put on between 1981-86 and was never sanded out. I have sanded one small place(there are two/three more that were done also) looks great you have to look very hard to find it and it isn't buffed yet. Going to hit it with 1000 wet&dry then use a power buffer with heavy duty compound. I have one side done what a difference.The boat has never been rubbed out and is coming back to life. I'm very pleased with results. Using a Makita 9227c buffer/sander with a foam pad that has slots in it to let the heat out. This is my first experience with a power buffer. I was a little scared at first, think I might burn or cut circles in the hull.After 15/20 minuets I got the feel for it and learned what speed to use.Sorry I'm just rambleing on now.

Posted by Jeff on 01/01/09 - 8:24 PM

Guts,

Yes spectrum does not sell patch kits of Light Grey neither does minicraft. That is why I buy the liquid gel coat by the quart and mix it 50/50 with the evercoat paste. I have found this method to be much better than just using the Patch Kits anyway.

The colors you use will depend on your hull and the color batch you get from spectrum. Like I said I keep all of them handy as it seems the hulls with Light Grey exteriors have a completely different color that is closer to Desert Tan for the interior color.

When mixing the tints in remember a little goes a LONG WAY. For example when I mix patches up for a batch about the size of a silver dollar I add a bit of tint about half the size of a BB at a time. If you over color then you can add more base to thin the color out however, once you start adding base it becomes wasteful as you may not need all of it.

Edited by Jeff on 01/01/09 - 8:25 PM