Fixing up my 1970 mirror

Submitted by A71011 on Sun, 03/23/2025 - 10:55

Forums:

Hi yesterday I towed my mirror dingy home the 5 miles from the garden she has been in for 9 years she seems in good condition for the price (free) but definitely needs a coat of paint a lot of it is coming off as is what I assume is some kind of gel coat so assume I will need to go back to the wood and reapply the coat and the paint but am new to all this so any advice you can give me will be gratefully received

PuffinInTegel's picture

PuffinInTegel

Sun, 03/30/2025 - 18:23

Welcome to the Mirrorists' online hideout and clubhouse!
We'd have to know whether your boat has a wooden or a fibreglass hull before we can offer further advice.
A wooden hull that has been stored outdoors fro nine years, even if under a tarpaulin, would have to be inspected for rot very closely. This is done by tapping it with a hard object at closely-spaced locations (~ 5 cm spacing). There should be sharp knocking sounds, dull thuds indicate soft wood i.e. rot which would call for cutting out the rotted sections and patching the holes.
Once that's been cleared, you can either just remove all loose paint and fairing compound (e.g. body filler), re-fair (if you like a better finish), sandpaper and re-paint the hull OR strip all paint off before sanding and repainting. The latter is worth doing if you intend to use the boat for longer.
What's your boat's hull number?
Wishing you success, whichever way you go.
Cheers,
Gernot H.