[Wayne Maybury]

The first thing to go into a mold is the release agent, next is the gelcoat, then comes the resin and glass. Most fiberglas boats that you see have a gelcoat finish. Some have a poly urethane paint finish.

I have been playing with boats for quite a few years and I have to admit that gelcoat is not my favorite finish to maintain. While it is easy to touch up and to buff out scratches, it is not very UV resistant so you have to constantly keep it protected, did I say wax on - wax off. For a Cobra that will not sit in the sun an awful lot, the UV problem probably will not come into play.

I have noticed that the quality of the gelcoat finish on newer boats appears to be superior to the product of 10 years ago. Molds that are used over and over must be cleaned perfectly between uses and buffed since the quality of the mold will determine the quality of the gelcoat finish to a large degree.

There is also "sanding gelcoat" which is not meant to be left unpainted. It is designed to be sanded then covered with primer, then painted. It is not very shiney and is quite easily scratched.

Wayne