Fiberglass and Gelcoat

Here we are headed into March, the beginning of the busy warm-weather fishing season. Your boat is running great and you are ready to hit the water, thanks to careful attention to detail in your preventive maintenance plan. So, let’s shift gears in this month’s article and discuss some cosmetic touches you might be thinking to add to make your boat look as great as it runs. Fiberglass and gelcoat, and some of the professionals who understand the art and science of everything from complete reconstruction to cosmetic repair.

Some boats today are built totally of composite materials and some manufacturers continue to rely on high-grade marine lumber covered with fiberglass and/or a combination of composite materials. No matter the basic construction, a common denominator remains and that is the quality and brilliance of the finishes.

Whether you own an incredible Shallow Stalker, Shallow Sport X3, Eric Simmons Custom, El Pescador Cat, Blue Wave Pure Bay, Majek or Dargel, all these boat builders use the highest quality materials to give you not just a boat but a great experience on the water.

Let’s say you’re either loading the boat on the trailer and have a minor mishap or someone drops the anchor on the deck. Or maybe you’re coming into the dock a little hot and misjudge the distance and chip, scratch, ding, or gouge the finish.

Or maybe you own an older boat that belonged to your dad or grandfather, or perhaps considering purchasing a pre-owned boat to beat the depreciation curve. Any of these scenarios could have you thinking of sharpening your rig’s appearance. You’d like to take it back to the builder but the factory may be too far away, maybe no longer in business. Where should you turn for a complete makeover, adding accent colors, or just removing a few dings?

Over the years, Coastal Bend Marine has been using two great vendors of these services and I want to share them with you.

Down south around the Corpus Christi area, FiberTex and Supply owned by Kevin Shaw, is one of Texas’ premier fiberglass repair facilities. You may know FiberTex as the maker of the famed Stiffy-Brand pushpole. Kevin and his team of professionals turn out some amazing work ranging from complete reconstruction to repair of minor gelcoat dings. They are located at: 1501 Road B, Corpus Christi, Texas Phone: (361) 991-5956.

We have another great vendor here locally, just up the road in Seadrift, TX. Beck & David’s Fiberglass Repair are relatively unknown fiberglass artists who have been in business for a few years and produce some of the most beautiful work I have ever seen. They are located at: 1611 West St. Louis Avenue, Seadrift, TX 77983 Phone:361-489-1361.

When quality people produce consistently high-quality work products, we call them professionals. I assure you these folks are my trusted sources for fiberglass repair of all types and they are the embodiment of professionalism.

Thank you and have a great spring fishing and boating season!

Chris Mapp

Coast Bend Marine – Port O’Connor, TX
coastalbendmarine.com – 361-983-4841