Broom Restoration tips

[Rodg98133]

I have decided that once this season is out the way i am going to give my boat a good tidy up. The main thing being a full repaint. Couple of questions

. The gelcoat is cracked and chipped in places. Whats the best way to repair this? Do i use epoxy putty or a special gelcoat repair kit? Obviously colour wont matter as i will be painting it all.

. Whats the best method to paint it? Roll and tip or spray? Is t best to leave it on the trailor to paint or am i best doing it some other way?

. Is it best to remove the engine or can renovation be done with it in place? If need removing, how easy is it to remove an outboard? Is it just a case of disconnecting steering and controls etc then unbolting the engine?

Im sure i will have plenty more questions as im only at the planning stage so far.

Thanks in advance
Will

[Rapier]

Hi, my boat bible is 'Fibreglass Boats' by Hugo du Plessis - first published 45 years ago...He's a proper surveyor and explains gelcoat and fibreglass like no other, with easy to read prose and illustrations of damage and how to fix.

Having sprayed a boat, I prefer the roller and tip method and have done that by shifting the boat back and forth on the trailer, but there are easier ways if you've labour to help you shift it around. Engine removal is as you say, sometimes the saddle will be bolted through the transom.

Also take a look at BroomBroom's blog...has many useful tips. http://broomspeedboat.blogspot.co.uk/