Obnoxious yellow stains in gelcoat

M

mengel60

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exMember
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Jan 1, 2000
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2343
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42
Took the shrinkwrap off this past spring and there were several large yellow stains in the gelcoat that weren't there when we put the boat away. Tried several things, heavy oxidation remover, cleaner wax, acetone, someone even suggested WD40, but nothing would touch it. Big mystery where they came from, but they are large and small, on both sides of the hull. None topside, only on the hull. The hull and other areas of the gelcoat seem fine, shine up okay, but these mysterious yellowish stains seem impervious. It is an old boat, 1979 36ft Searay T-Top Express, that we've owned about a year. It's been suggested that such an old boat may just need to be Imron'd, but I'm not thrilled to expend that kind of money on a boat so old. I'm really hoping there are some products that will work much cheaper. Boat is in the water now since we were holding up other's launches, and had no solution in sight, so we're pretty much living with an ugly hull right now. Any ideas on where these yellowish stains may have come from, or what to do about them?
 
Before you do anything else, try something simple such as FSR which is nothing more than oxalic acid in a gel formation. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes before taking it off and see what happens.
 
I would try ON-OFF. Get the gel type and use gloves. You can get it at West Marine
Van
 
think your shrink wrapper may have BURNED your gel?
 
Wizard's Lite Cut Compound on a powered buffer will take that right out. You can find Wizards at most NAPA stores.
 
I think mine yellow spot is an old gel coat repair and I have tryed everything. I tried buffing and many other clearners. Someone said try to wet sand and then buff. I may try this in a small spot.
 
Actually, it had occurred to me that the shrinkwrapper may have done something to it, but how do you prove that was my next thought. I don't know. I was told that I could pay a professional maybe a thousand dollars, and they'd have that hull looking great. I suppose that someone with more knowledge, equipment, and products could do this.
 
Sounds like it could have been burned when it was wrapped. You may want to discuss this issue with whomever wrapped your boat and your insurance company. One problem you have is you noticed it in the spring but didn't question it until Aug 11? are you sure the hull wasn't painted before? That could present a problem with shrink wrapping.
 
Not asking the shrinkwrapper at the time was definitely a tactical error on my part. Don't think the boat was previously painted, but don't know for sure. The shrinkwrapper I used was recommended by folks on this forum, which doesn't make him 100% error free, but I would hope it wasn't him. My thought at the time was that if it was him, there would have been more damage than just discoloration. I may have been wrong in that line of thought, but that was my thinking at the time. Either way I should have talked to him at the time, but I didn't. I may discuss it with him, before I use him again though. It is an old boat. Would that make it more vulnerable to damage during shrinkwrapping? Don't know a lot about gelcoat, and damage repair to it, but I would think it could be repaired relatively easily by someone who does. Of course, easily doesn't necessarily translate to inexpensively.
 
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