Restorations
Our technicians are masters at making old boats look brand new (and even better). With W.O.T., you'll get the restoration that your boat deserves.
Fiberglass and gel coat restoration is one of four departments at W.O.T. Marine, alongside service and repairs, Mercury engine repowers, and custom rigging and fabrication. Our shop is at 1241 Distribution Way in Vista, and we serve boat owners across North County San Diego, greater San Diego County and the Inland Empire.
Gel coat is the pigmented resin layer on the outside of a fiberglass boat. Sun breaks it down over time, leaving a chalky, faded surface. Restoring it means cutting back the oxidized layer until we reach sound material, repairing any damage in the laminate, then polishing and protecting what is left. Unlike a wrap or a paint job, a gel coat restoration brings back the boat's original surface, and that surface stays repairable later.
A restoration can include compounding and polishing oxidized gel coat back to gloss; cosmetic gel coat repairs, color-matched to the weathered surface and checked in daylight; structural fiberglass repairs, ground back to sound laminate and rebuilt; and fairing and refinishing, including sprayed gel coat or a marine paint system when the original gel coat is worn through.
The Best Restorations in SoCal
We'll make your boat run and look brand new - from bow to stern. Contact us today to let us know how we can help give your boat new life!
How we decide what your boat needs
Whether a hull can be restored comes down to how much sound gel coat is still there. We test a section first. If compounding brings it back to gloss, restoration is usually the better option because it keeps the original surface. If the gel coat is worn through, crazed or too porous, new sprayed gel coat or a marine paint system is the realistic path, and we'll tell you that up front.
Photo and video updates
Restoration work is slow, and owners don't see it happening. That's why Kyle sends photo and video updates through a long restoration: the grind, the layup, the fairing, the first coat. You watch your boat come back instead of waiting on a phone call.
Timelines
Every restoration is different. The time it takes depends on the size of the boat, how far the surface has gone and whether structural repairs are needed. We'll walk through the scope with you before work starts and keep you informed at every step.
Restoration plus repower
Since opening in 2009, W.O.T. Marine has grown from a small garage-based business into a 5,000 square foot indoor repair facility. As a Mercury Authorized Service Center, we can handle the mechanical side of an older boat at the same time, from service and repairs to a complete Mercury repower.
Restoration FAQs
Can oxidized gel coat be restored, or does the boat need paint? It depends on remaining thickness. If compounding brings a test section back to gloss, restoration is the better option because it uses the boat's original surface and stays repairable. If the gel coat is worn through, crazed or too porous, new sprayed gel coat or a marine paint system is the realistic path.
Is a wrap a good alternative? A wrap changes appearance and can protect the surface, but it covers the existing condition rather than correcting it.
What areas do you serve? We're at 1241 Distribution Way in Vista, CA, and serve boaters throughout North County San Diego, greater San Diego County and the Inland Empire.
Learn more in our guide to fiberglass and gel coat boat restoration, or call (760) 804-2766.
