CS36T Owner’s Manual
Page 23
life. Do not expose gelcoat to freezing temperatures. Useful shelf life is 6 months to 1 year.
1.
Sand around the edges of the damaged area with #80 grit sandpaper to key the surface for a
proper gelcoat bond. After sanding, clean off the area with acetone so no dirt or loose chips
remain.
2.
Use masking tape to tape around the area to be patched so gelcoat will contact only the area to
be repaired.
3.
The catalyst to be used with the gelcoat should be a Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide 60% active
oxidizing agent. This material can be obtained from most marine hardware stores. Caution
should be exercised with the material as it is highly toxic and flammable.
4.
On a piece of cardboard or Arborite, add an appropriate amount of gelcoat. This should be
catalyzed at the rate of about 5 drops of catalyst to one tablespoon of gelcoat. It will then have
a gel time of about 1/2 hour at room temperature. Do not over catalyze as it could discolor the
gelcoat. In cooler weather one or two drops more will maintain the same gel time. Mix catalyst
and gelcoat thoroughly. Patching should not be carried out below 450F.
5.
Apply the gelcoat to the damaged area with a flexible spatula or putty knife and work well into
the area. Leave the gelcoat patch slightly higher than the finished surface as the material shrinks
somewhat as it cures and also will leave enough material to sand.
6.
Allow the patch to cure about 2 to 4 hours depending on the ambient temperature, and then
remove the tape around the patch and any excess gelcoat. Water sand the patch using a
Styrofoam block and water sandpaper stores. The area should be sanded first with about a 240-
grit paper until smooth with the existing surface then it should he re-sanded with 400 grit and
600 sandpaper. If any flaws still exist, re-patch them at this point.
7.
Once sanding is complete, polish the area with a rubbing compound such as M.G.M. #1 until the
scratches are buffed out and the shine is restored. Rubbing compound is also available at most
hardware stores.
8.
To protect the newly repaired area, a coat of wax should be applied and polished.
For major repair work such as damage which penetrates into the glass layers, a competent marine yard
or factory should be contacted.
10.2
Care of Hatches and Ports
All hatches and ports on CS boats are glazed with smoked plexiglass of 1/2" thickness which are impact-
resistant and very durable. On certain yachts the optional non-opening Gebo Holland ports are made of
tempered glass and are more scratch resistant.
All hatch frames are cast aluminum with an epoxy coat or anodized finish.
