Cracks in Gel Coat
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6896
Printed Date: May-16-2024 at 1:16am
Topic: Cracks in Gel Coat
Posted By: 04Avant
Subject: Cracks in Gel Coat
Date Posted: May-31-2007 at 7:33am
Just unwrapped my 1997 Ski Nautique and as I was washing it I noticed 5 vertical cracks in the gel coat on the right side of the stern below the rub rail. The boat was perfect before I had it wrapped for the winter. My Nautique has less than 200 hours on it, is meticulously maintained and is usually kept on the trailer.
Anyone else have or have seen this problem?
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Replies:
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: May-31-2007 at 9:18am
yeah, I have a boat here with cracks on the port side all the way through, except i know what caused it, a waverunner hit the side and there is still some hair in the cracks, did he survive.... I dont know, its cracked through into the inside
Eric
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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Posted By: 04Avant
Date Posted: May-31-2007 at 5:38pm
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These cracks weren't caused by anything hitting the boat. Boat was fine when it was wrapped and put away for the winter last October.
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Posted By: SkiBum
Date Posted: June-01-2007 at 3:06pm
Stress cracks and spider cracks are a common problem. With a 97 they can be related to structural issues like stringers and the floor. Could be from trailering or a number of things. Problemis the cracks in the gel are what you see on the outside when there are cracks in the glass inside.
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Bill
http://www.freewebs.com/billsboatworks - http://www.freewebs.com/billsboatworks
www.freewebs.com/billsboatworks 1987 SN Rebuild Project
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Posted By: 04Avant
Date Posted: June-08-2007 at 9:20pm
Looking at the cracks. They appear only in the stripe colors (green and tan). They don't extend beyond the stripes and into the hull color.
I wonder if when the boat was wrapped, they overheated the area when they were heating the plastic.
As far as trailering too much, I tow it from Jersey to the Adirondacks in the beginning of the summer and trailer it home after Labor Day, about 600 miles each year.I leave it on the trailer at the marina during the week and put it in the water for the weekend. I don't think I'm trailering it too much.
What's the fix for cracks in the gel coat?
Lousy way to start the season.
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Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-09-2007 at 7:35am
04, If you are lucky that the cracks are only in the dark color gel and don't go farther (structural like skibum mentioned) you can grind them out and try color matching in new gel. You will however never match the color exactly and you have said you are a meticulous person.
I doubt that the heat gun from the shrink wrapping had anything to do with the cracking. A dark color will heat up more in the sun than the brief time the heat gun is used.
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Keep it original, Pete
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Posted By: David F
Date Posted: June-12-2007 at 8:38am
Probably just one of those things. Gelcoat far more brittle than the modified epoxy resins that CC uses. Probably, the cold temps caused the problem and the cracks originated from a screw hole under the rub rail. Gel cracks are a part of life and every boat will suffer from them eventually.
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