Restoring stained gelcoat

When I saw Freya for the first time, she was in poor cosmetic condition. It was clear the boat was structurally sound but also that she had been standing idle for quite a while. What’s more, the hull was stained with strange drips (I suspect they come from improperly applied teak oil, which ran down the toerail/rubstrake and attached to the gelcoat). The yard at Napa Valley Marina was confident the stains could be removed with some sanding and buffing. They were right! You will see below the result of applying very fine-grained (600 grit) sandpaper followed by buffing. The hull is now so shiny you can use it as a mirror. As long as there is gelcoat left on a boat, it’s worth trying sanding and buffing before considering a new paint job.