Sealing a Fiberglass Hull with Hawk Epoxy - Sea Hawk Paints' state-of-the-art epoxy system

Part of a good solid boat hull bottom system is ensuring the fiberglass is blister-free and no cracks or holes exist. If your hull does have blisters, cracks or holes, Hawk Epoxy is the solution. This informative video goes over the step-by-step process of sealing your hull in preparation for primer and antifouling paint application. A "must watch" for all boat owners.

[@shawnp8429]

Sea Hawk is by far the best on the market.

[@todds5956]

I have a old Checkmate boat that is worn down to the metal flake and right into the fiberglass cloth. I want to seal it and paint over it. What should I use?

[@8halfnhalf8]

nice vid. Wish I owned a boat

[@carlos-ee6vv]

lol

[@brt-jn7kg]

I've a 1979 Sears 11ft boat that I'm wanting to freshing up. The sun has really taken toll on the hull. Would this work for the hull in my situation? When I go to gel coat should it be ok to roll and brush on. Then I'd wet sand to obtain the desired finish. I have never done this type work before but I have a semi strong back,a decent brain and time. I'm a disabled police officer and I boat and repair boat motors to stay busy. I would greatly appreciate any tips for products that you can advise. This is a mostly fresh water boating application. As a medically retired police officer I'm on a budget so please keep me in mind when advising products to use. Thank you and your videos are VERY helpful!!!

[@DaebakMonkey]

It should. I would sand the hull, clean with acetone, then put on 3 or 4 coats of primer and sand everything smooth and to contour. After that, clean thehull withmore acetone, then begin applying gelcoat. I would rent a handheld paint sprayer from Home Depot ($33 a day where I am in Oregon) to apply the layers of gelcoat as it will help keep everything even and will take less time. You could still use a rolled and brush to apply it though. Then buff out to the finish you want and wax. If you are using a roller then I would sand and then buff out.

[@DaebakMonkey]

And thank you for your service.

[@brt-jn7kg]

DaebakMonkey how long do I allow for primer to dry before spraying gelcoat? What type of printer do you recommend I use? Just regular paint primer? How long after I apply to gelcoat do I wait to sand and then buff? I really appreciate you giving your time and knowledge. I'm in Waco Tx yes where the Branch Davidian shootout happened. Yes I was there. Thanks

[@DaebakMonkey]

Not a problem! I love helping people out. I personally wait about 4-6 hours but I am in the PNW where it is super humid. For you I would wait about 4 hours just to be extra sure. Try to get the coats of primer in one day as the next day can be spent on sanding and contouring but don't rush it, I have seen too many boats where someone rushed the primer and it bubbles up. For the gelcoat I would wait about 6-8 hours to be sure, and make sure to used non-waxed gelcoat for the first few layers, then on the final layer put wax in it. If you put wax in all the layers then the gelcoat will take a long time to cure, and by a long time I mean 4+ years. The wax creates a barrier which is what helps keep the gelcoat looking shiny after a season or two. I usually do 2 coats a day, one at 11:00 AM and one at 5:00 PM. Here is the link to a good primer: www.fisheriessupply.com/sea-hawk-paints-1277-barrier-coat-primer-1277-1 Here is the link to a good gelcoat: www.fisheriessupply.com/sea-hawk-paints-gel-coat These aren't top-of-the-line products, but if you wanted top-of-the-line products you would be looking at about $200+ a gallon.

[@LandoLeavesLand]

DaebakMonkey gel coat to finish the hull? I’m confused, learning myself. I thought gel coat was just used to finish topside above water line. I thought you finished the hull with Antifouling Bottom paint and that is different than gel coat isn’t it?