We recently purchased a 2001 Necky Amaruk composite kayak (Kevlar layup). The hatch covers have UV damage to the black color (milky) and since the kayak is in pristine condition I would like to remedy this minor problem.
My question is, do I add a coat of black gelcoat to them or do I paint them with some special paint? Any suggestions are welcome. Here is a picture of one of the covers:
303 You could try spraying 303 on, then wiping it off. I tried that with the stern hatch cover on my Eddyline. Improved it somewhat, but the cover is still kind of beat up - including a surface crack across the top (no idea how the previous owner managed that).
You have two possibilities Either you have to sand off the oxidized material or paint them.
If they’re fiberglass, you can try fine wet sanding and buffing the gelcoat, but it may not be thick enough to permit it without the glass showing through. You could re-coat them with gelcoat, but on a hatch cover it doesn’t offer much benefit vs. paint and it’s a lot more work.
Finer than rubbing compound but stronger than wax. If anyone sees a problem with this please let me know, I've been using it on gelcoat to minimize small scratches and bring back shine.
Yes, the covers are fiberglass (or a kevlar mix) and I have tried 303 on them already but it did not give me the result I am after. I will try and buff them to see what I can get that way. Again, thanks!