Sealing Gelcoat ?

Is there a way to do this without painting after I've already sanded it ?
I was planning on painting the bottom of our Trinka with antifoul paint . I went ahead and sanded below the waterline with 80 grit . The gelcoat still looks good and I've decided I don't want to paint it . Have I already gone to far and have to paint it now or do I have an option The dinghy has never been painted

West Marine sells a product called interlux 2000 which is formulated to seal the gel coat. Instructions call for three to five coats, if memory serves correct.

Gordon J said:

West Marine sells a product called interlux 2000 which is formulated to seal the gel coat. Instructions call for three to five coats, if memory serves correct.

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Thanks for the info . I noticed that this a primer . Do you think I will be ok with this alone or will I still need to paint over it ? I was hoping to just seal the gel coat with something white and not have to paint over it . The gel coat is in good shape and no blisters . The dinghy is hanging from davits most of the time .

In this picture you can see where I sanded below the waterline. Now I'm thinking I should have just cleaned it good and put on a good coat of wax . Have I gone to far by sanding it to just put on a good coat of wax ? The dinghy is in fresh water .

Interlux 2000 is an epoxy primer and sealer designed to stop water intrusion that causes blistering. Epoxy paints are generally not good when exposed to UV. They need a top coat of paint, usually bottom paint. I would guess that your best bet would be to sand the gelcoat with progressively finer grit paper then wax the bottom. You may end up going through the gel coat by the tie you are finished. Good luck.

Comodave said:

...I would guess that your best bet would be to sand the gelcoat with progressively finer grit paper then wax the bottom. You may end up going through the gel coat by the tie you are finished. Good luck.

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That's what I would do. Do a small test area on the back bottom somewhere. Start with 600, then 800, 1200 and 1500 wet sanding. If you want it to look new, then buff with a rubbing compound and then wax. You'll know if your too aggressive in your sanding. You should be OK although I am always the optimist. Keep us posted.

A way to keep track so you don't spend too much effort in one area is a lead pencil. Mark up the area to be done. When the marks are all gone stop and move up to the next grit.

Larry M said:

That's what I would do. Do a small test area on the back bottom somewhere. Start with 600, then 800, 1200 and 1500 wet sanding. If you want it to look new, then buff with a rubbing compound and then wax. You'll know if your too aggressive in your sanding. You should be OK although I am always the optimist. Keep us posted.

A way to keep track so you don't spend too much effort in one area is a lead pencil. Mark up the area to be done. When the marks are all gone stop and move up to the next grit.

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Ok thanks , I think this is what I'm doing. The gel coat is in good shape and I hate to start painting if it's not needed yet . Maybe I can get a new stripe and decal from Trinka .

One thing I don't understand - is this a dinghy for your trawler, and if so, will it stay in the water for any length of time. When we toured the Caribbean on our sailboat, we usually towed the dinghy. It had to be regularly scrubbed of growth. If you are taking it out of the water after every use, than the growth will not be bad.

You will not want an ablative paint if you are always handling the boat. Interlux 2000 will not inhibit growth.

Gordon J said:

One thing I don't understand - is this a dinghy for your trawler, and if so, will it stay in the water for any length of time. When we toured the Caribbean on our sailboat, we usually towed the dinghy. It had to be regularly scrubbed of growth. If you are taking it out of the water after every use, than the growth will not be bad.

You will not want an ablative paint if you are always handling the boat. Interlux 2000 will not inhibit growth.

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The dinghy is for our trawler . It may sit in the water in the slip next to the trawler for a week or so , but most of the time it will hang on davits . I want to get sail kit for it also but I still don't think it will sit more than a week at a time in fresh water .

I don't know how much growth occurs in fresh water. If this were in saltwater a week at time you would definitely want bottom paint.