Hi Guys.  Against all recommendations, I took my new Triton on a particular floating-log filled river impoundment (Holt Lake, Alabama) and ran over a submerged piling (or someting)  >.  I have a acratch running all the way down the hull now, just deep enough to feel with your fingernail.  How do I repair this?  If this gelcoat on the hulls is very thick, I know I could wet-sand and polish, but I just don't know how thick it actually is, or if there is clearcoat involved.  A book or article recommendation would be fine.  I've worked with autobody filler, etc, but I don't know anything about gelcoat, and hear it is quite different than urethane paints.  Seems there should be a two-part, color-matched gelcoat repair that is easy to use.  Anyway, any guidance would be greatly appreciated.  THANKS!  

Get a new Ranger. That'll fix it!  

Kidding aside - is the scratch white, or is it just a hairline scratch?  The difference means two different approaches to fixing it.

Thanks, Glenn.  I actually did want a Ranger, but there were no nearly-new used ones around when I got this one, and the new ones were, well, EXPENSIVE!

As far as the scratch, it ranges from scuff to rough. There is nothing that would be considered a gouge.  I can't imagine using a gelcoat paste to fill it because it is so shallow, but you can indeed feel your fingernail catch in the scrape quite a bit.  If it was a car, I would say most of the scrape is below the clearcoat and would not sand/buff it. However, I don't know if bass boat hulls have clearcoat, and I don't know how thick the gelcoat is!

If there is no clear, and gelcoat is several times thicker than auto paint, I would not hesitate sanding with 1000, then 1500, then 2000 grit paper, and then using rubbing compound on a wheel and finishing with wax.

So, I guess I need to know 1) how thick is the gelcoat, and 2) whether there is clearcoat.

Gelcoat thickness varies but it ain't much.  Like maybe a 1/8 of an inch to as much as 1/4 or a little more  thereabouts.

Your idea with wetsanding with the grits listed is a good one.  There are some gloss urethane based clearcoats like MinWax Spar Helmsman, available at Walmart, that would work.  Those are brush on and self leveling.