Chips in gel coat. Are they necessary to repair?

Hey all!

I purchased my boat last year and have had no issues. It’s a 1989 Celebrity 208 SE.

Here is my question.. there are many chips in the gel coat along the bottom of the hull. You can actually see the fiberglass in some of them. I have some pictures I’ll post.

My mechanic can patch them but he charges around 100$ an hour. They’re only noticeable when the boat is trailered. My worry is that they are letting water up inbetween the gel coat and fiberglass which might eventually cause water damage.

Another mechanic told me to not worry about them and that they’re only cosmetic currently.

What do you guys think? Should I have these repaired before docking the boat this year?

Thanks!

This look like more than chips. Those are deep gouges. In order to repair those properly they have to be ground out to a shallow bowl shape which will allow filling with glass mat. This is surfaced with fairing compound and finish sanded flush. Gel coat is applied and the whole area final sanded and polished.
That's about a thousand bucks worth of damage there at least.

Agreed more than chips...at a minimum, I would roughen them up and fill them with marine-tex, to seal the hull...the cosmetic finishes are optional...depending upon your wallet's content...

I realize this is an older thread, but for those who see this late-

you can buy small gelcoat repair kits from Spectrum Color- they'll need the Hull ID number for the color code. You can do this repair, but I would recommend watching some videos so you can get the idea behind it.
The color may not match exactly because your boat has been exposed to UV and other stuff that can stain the surface, but if you want to make it look its best, a good cut/polish/wax wouldn't hurt it. You might not enjoy it, but it really makes a difference.