"bob, after having been a boatbuilder for 18 odd years, there is no way i would shoot gel out of mold except for small repairs. i would not do a whole boat. to shoot the whole boat with gel and have it look good you need to sand the whole boat to get the gel to stick, spray the gel, wet sand the gel with 320, 400, 600, then buff. somewhere in there you will sand through. no doubt about it, no mater how good you are or think you are, you will sand through. so you need to scuff it back up where you will need to blow it back in. then you start to sand in again. well, [censored] chances are you will sand through somewhere close to the repair again."

Sorry, I just finished re-gel-coating my 24' Seabird inside and out...that was like doing 6 twenty foot cats at the same time...it can be done, and is done...I don't know if you are familiar with, or have used the Duratec products, but they changed the whole viability of using gelcoat for refinishing. I am not trying to dismiss your boatbuilding experience, but I have been using fiberglass for 41 years, and have also been in professional boatbuilding.

It may not be the most popular way to refinish; it certainly is a viable alternative to paint.

Regards, Bob
Here is my proof...does this look like the side of a 1972 hull that has baked in the Florida sun its entire life? Please excuse the dirt on the hull...I just poped outside to take this picture and didn't have a chance to wash the boat first....