I had a similar problem. I'm lucky to live in San Diego, where it's pretty
dry and the hull of my trailered boat dires out well. I learned how to do
fiberglass repair - it wasn't difficult, then sanded it to get the surface
smooth before applying Keel Shield/Guard. That was easy, too. Now I can keep
beaching without worrying about it. Had I known, I would have installled the
Shield when I first bought the boat.

"HLAviation" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Stanley Barthfarkle" wrote in message
gy.com...
Hi all,

I'm wet sanding the scratches on the hull of my 19' fiberglass hull
(mostly
on the underside along the keel) and I've noticed that a few of the
deeper
gouges have gone all the way through the gel coat, showing the charcoal
gray
of the fiberglass underneath.

My first question is- what is the best way to fill the gouges and deeper
scratches, and what coating should I put on the repair to help it last?
Would some sort of barrier coat be tough enough to withstand occasional
beaching?

There's nothing you can paint on that'll work, however, 3M makes a plastic
sheeting that aircraft use on their nose radomes that is tough as all
hell.
I'd give it a try, but I bet it's not cheap.

I've also heard about a PVC "keel guard" product that looks
interesting,
albeit a bit expensive.. Any thoughts from those who have experience
with
this product? Can it be applied over existing gouges, or should repairs
be
made first?
You should always repair the damages first.

Lastly, how does one check to make sure that water has not penetrated
into
the fiberglass layer?

A moisture meter, check with a surveyor, he should have one.