Taking the plunge

[Derek Dodds]

Hi all. New here to the forum. I'm thinking of jumping into a very large restoration project of a express 31. One question I have about these hulls. Where they ever gel coated at the factory or are they just fiberglass and paint? I'll have lots more question in the future I'm sure.

Thanks
Derek

[ianupton]

Welcome.

All came with gel coat. If any came with paint from factory, it was probably a custom last minute color change.

Ian.

[Derek Dodds]

So this project boat I'm thinking of buying has a hull that looks like it's then then gel coat that's peeling because it's down to the fiberglass. Would the whole hull then need to be stripped down to the fiberglass and have a new coat of gel coat or just paint the whole thing with awl grip

[mike ohlstein]

Doesn't sound right.

Take some pictures, open a photobucket (or equivalent) account, and post a few......

[1962 31]

behind the reg numbers this is an old pic the spot is much larger now peeling off its my other boat he came and checked it out yesterday

[Navatech]

Hi all. New here to the forum.

Hi Derek,

Welcome!...

I'm thinking of jumping into a very large restoration project of a express 31.

I could think of worse things to spend my money and time on... Having said that, double the money amount and triple the time you think you're going to have to put into this (at least)... And that's if you're going to do most of it yourself... If you're going to have a lot of things done by contractors, triple the money and double the time...

Where they ever gel coated at the factory or are they just fiberglass and paint?

A short (and very basic) lesson in industrial (as opposed to custom) fiberglass production... You start with a mold... Then the interior of the mold is polished and waxed with a release agent (you want to be able to "pull" the product from the mold)... Then the interior of the mold is sprayed with the gel coat (in the desired color)... Then the fiberglass (mat, fabric and/or chopped fiber) is laid up (as designed by the product's engineer) with resin against the gel coat... Then the finished product (boat hull, car body, dock box, whatever) gets "pulled" from the mold and the process can start over... Both the gel coat and the fiberglassing may be multiple step parts of process...

I intentionally did not go into mold fabrication, cores, reinforcements (stringers etc) to keep it simple... There's a gazillion places on the web where you can learn more about the process if you wish to do so... My point was that the gel coat is an integral part of the process so the answer to your question is that all Berty's left the factory with an exterior layer of gel coat over all fiberglass parts (hull, house, FB, decks, hatches, engine boxes etc)...

It's possible some got a paint job over the gel coat... Either at the factory (less likely) or by owner (more likely)...

[Navatech]

behind the reg numbers this is an old pic the spot is much larger now peeling off its my other boat he came and checked it out yesterday

I think a few close up pictures are called for... This, relatively, long shot picture doesn't show any detail of the damage...

[Tony Meola]

It looks like it may have been a repaired area. All fixable. You are probably going to have to paint her. We have seen worse. Look for the thread on "Susies Pissed". A Katrina survibor before and after pics.

After seeing them you will realize how tough these boats are.

[mike ohlstein]

[Tony Meola]

https://mahoneysalbums.shutterfly.com/121

Sorry I could not copy this but this link is to Marshall's pictures of the after. That is after the repair. These boats are just like a timex. Take a lickin and keep on ticken.

[Derek Dodds]

Thanks tony. That certainly gives me a lot of encouragement

[Pete Fallon]

Derek,
What year is your express? Mine was 1961 hull number 85. Back in the early days of production Bertram applied between 21& 23 Mils of gel coat over the fiberglass boat cloth. Today the standard is between 19 and 21 mils the gel doesn't spider crack as much with thinner layers of gel coat. If your having an issue with painted or gel coated surfaces peeling off I suspect it was repaired then painted over. Gel usually doesn't come off in large pieces. If I were you I would get a good gel coat guy(very expensive $100 to 120 per foot) or someone that is a good marine painter paint jobs run anywhere from $80.00 per foot to $100.00 per foot depending on where and what yard is doing the work. The winter time is a good time to get a painter, they are usually slow and looking for work to keep them going during the winter months, but you will need a heated building or shed. If I were you I would do all the heavy interior work that needs to be done first then paint so you don't drop things on your new paint job. Make sure that the old surfaces are sanded well, so the spider cracking doesn't come back. My decks and house were done with Dura tech a high build primer and shot with Imron that lasted for 12 years before the cracking started to show through, the gel coat still looked good after almost 19 years. It's all in the prep work so get it done right the first time so you don't spend any additional money in a few years.
Where is the boat located?, I am in the North Shore of Boston for a few years until I get my knee fixed.
Pete Fallon