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I own a 2001 246, dark red in color. Our local Cobalt marina says that the current red gel coat is about worn through and it now needs to either be painted or re gel coated. Any opinions on which option would be preferable? Obviously, painting is somewhat less expensive than the gel coat......but not that much. I love the boat and the low engine hours. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.

I would get a second opinion before investing any large amount of money. How much are we talking? $1000 or $5000 or $10,000?

If the gelcoat really is getting thin, which would be odd for such a young Cobalt, I would seriously consider having the boat wrapped instead of painted or gel coated.

bobrann wrote: Tue Sep 27, 2022 6:36 pm I own a 2001 246, dark red in color. Our local Cobalt marina says that the current red gel coat is about worn through and it now needs to either be painted or re gel coated. Any opinions on which option would be preferable? Obviously, painting is somewhat less expensive than the gel coat......but not that much. I love the boat and the low engine hours. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Hey bobrann. So glad you found us.

Very surprised to hear about your gel coat being worn through. Cobalt has some of the thickest gel coat in the industry. Do you have any pics of this? It may help folks here diagnose your issue.

How is your 246 powered?

And welcome aboard mate!
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7.4 have no closeup pictures of the boat, however, you can see a darker color starting to show through the surface of the gel coat, in certain areas. Powered by 7.4 Merc with a Bravo 3.

Was the boat compounded or wet sanded very often?

Yes, compounded and wet sanded multiple times, over the years. I have had three, professional, reputable, opinions... all being the same. Each of them stated (along with Cobalt corporate) that the red colors are the first to degrade. Either way, I am trying to find out which method is preferable, at this point, paint or gel coat. Quoted $2500-$3000....Gel coat $3500-$4000. Thank you.

How much would a wrap cost? There is a fellow over in Europe with a 240 who had his boat wrapped.

viewtopic.php?p=105650&hilit=Europe#p105650

Unfortunately, I don't think a wrap is available, locally....

Consider what you might have to do it with any future, even minor, repairs.
With Paint/Clearcoat, not much you can do if you get scratched through the clear;
with Gel, you at least have options regarding polishing (although that too depends on how much gel goes on there)
Do both quotes include final polishing post-application? I've seen Detailing alone quotes be about half of that!!

Yes, both quotes include complete jobs. I'm leaning toward the gel coat for repair ability, alone. Thank you for your response.

I have a friend that has a red Cobalt (actually a member on here) that the boat has been painted over. This was done by the previous owner. I will say that with the paint, there are some advantages. No matter what I do to mine, his boat always seems to be shinier, or slicker looking than mine. He can get a great reflection in his, almost like a mirror, when I have to really work to get the same result.
Of course the downside to that is that a little scratch on his painted surface shows through to the original gel coat, and it's not as forgiving. Looks wise though, if it's taken care of, I'd prefer the look of paint.

Thank you for your input, Mr Weasel........decisions, decisions!

Gel coat all day long. Think resale. I'd much prefer buying your used boat with a fresh gel coat than paint but that is just me. I like things to be closer to original factory. If I mod it from there thats my decision.