The number of boats that develop serious blister problems is extremely small. Spectrum color provides various quantities of factory color matched gel coat and additional products to boat dealers, boat repair facilities, and to individuals for the repair of gouges, cracks, nicks, scrapes. If you can see black in the cracks that is the base coat. If the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. To fill in damaged areas, start by sanding them with coarse 36 grit sandpaper to remove any. The gelcoat can then be sanded smooth, finer and finer to 1500 grit and then polished out. Theres no really way of telling whether your boat has enough protection other than applying another coat. The easiest repair method is to sand the surface heavily and roll on two coats of epoxy primer followed by two coats of twopart linear. There is one 00 2300v limited that im particularly interested in, but it has the same problem. In the manufacturing process it is the first layer of the hull, sprayed against the inner. The same resin mix used in a gel coat is used but no coloring has been added. They were upset about fit and finish problems, also gel coat cracks appearing shortly after taking delivery on their boats. In larger cracks the bonding problem of gel coat to cured epoxy becomes an issue. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare.
You need a special three component spray gun which would be difficult to get in spain, it could be shipped from the u. Like most fiberglass bass boats, legend boats have a tendency to suffer from cracked or damaged hulls. Gel coats iso gel coats in 3 sizes, kits and color. Keep in mind that the cracks you are seeing are in the gel coat, and not the base resin. Hopefully the situation gets worked out, i love my boat and have had no complaints in the over two years ive had mine. Choose from traditional gel coats including white, clear, and neutral, as well as tooling gel coats in orange and black. Surface gelcoat scratches can be buffed with polishing compound, and deeper scratches can be filled.
Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Then other stuff is added like pigments, uv stabilizers and thixotropic agents. Boats are painted first, as the gelcoat is sprayed into the mold and will harden as soon as the air is taken away. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. Legend boats ltd warrants to the first retail purchaser of a legend boat, to repair or replace defects in materials or workmanship that are reported within the applicable warranty periods, subject to the. Skin coated boats are lighter than gel coated ones but are also more subject to porosity which can allow moisture to penetrate into the structural layup and cause deterioration. Jan 21, 2020 epoxy filler, although a great product is not suitable for a gelcote top coat. Also there is a hole in front where it looks like it hit or rubbed something for a long time. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gel coat layers than newer boats. I have used that white epoxy filler called marinetex with limited success and painted over that. Warranty period runs one year 1 from the date of delivery to the.
Gel coat chip or crack sea hunt boats owners group. Here you can learn about what is needed to apply a gel coat. Tough to say if these cracks are limited to just the gel coat, or if they involve the laminate under. This premium marine grade gel coat may be as gecloat for boats, gelcoat for pools or many other applications. Learn how to fix stress cracks, dock dings and other fiberglass injuries. Nov 16, 20 learn about propellers, be a hero not a zero, propeller for sale st cloud minnesota boat dealer duration. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. Legend boats ltd warrants to the first retail purchaser of a legend boat, to repair or replace defects in materials or workmanship that are reported within the applicable warranty periods, subject to the what is not covered section below and other limitations set out in this limited warranty. I tried a 40 grit 6 sanding pad but it was going to slow.
Gelcoats are modified resins which are applied to moulds in the liquid state. Spectrum color provides various quantities of factory color matched gel coat and additional products to boat dealers, boat repair facilities, and to individuals for the repair of gouges, cracks, nicks, scrapes, dock dings, blisters, and other cosmetic problems. Anyone who has ever seen airframe construction, particularly jet aircraft, understands why aircraft can be built with skins. If not managed, these small cosmetic annoyances can. While docking the other day, a gust of wind shoved the boat against the finger dock which left a 1 long by probably 14 chip out of the gel coat. They may still look great, but august is a good month to think about applying a new coat. I recently bought a 1988 j 24 and while i was compounding the hull, i noticed 4 2 sets of 2 small vertical hairline cracks in the gel coat. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gel coat of a boat. If that is too painful, take a dremel tool or similar and open the cracks up so you can get a. When i was looking at boats, all of the cracks were around the tower legs and near the swim platform brackets. Extensive spider cracking common on older boats is due to aging of the gelcoat.
Jun, 2015 the areas that were covered are raised a bit from the rest of the gel coat. Most cracks found on fiberglass boats are gel coat cracks commonly known as crazing. Given it as gifts to sons to polish cars and boats. Currency all prices are in aud currency all prices are in aud. I have some gel coat cracks where the deck meets the sides of the seats and a few on the gunnel where other boats came too close in a race or was it me who was too close to them. I spent 6 hours straight yesterday removing gelcoat. If youre a boat nut perusing the internet for boat maintenance tipsand since youre here on, were guessing that you areyouve probably come across our videos on getting tough stains out of gel coat, and how to restore faded gel coat. Gel coat cracks 1996 javelin 400 te bass boat page. That new gel coat under the stickers just stays shiny longer. As for painting above the waterline, the light blue interior and white exterior gel coat need refinishing. Once the gel coat has reached a full cure, progressively sand the area to a polish. Cracking, crazing, fading, chalking, blistering or discoloration of gelcoat finishes. Cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web. I looked in some past threads but could not find it.
See more ideas about boat, bottom paint and 2010 malibu. I really dont recommend this except the smallest of hairline cracks on the older, thick gel coat boats. Gel coats iso gel coats in 3 sizes, kits and color options. The boat is in pretty good condition for its age in my opinion, but the hull does have some minor hairline stress cracks. Premium polyester gel coats deliver top cosmetics and lasting durability for parts and molds. The value of a boat with gel coat cracks is hundreds of thousands of. Epoxy filler, although a great product is not suitable for a gelcote top coat. Aug 05, 2008 if the gel coat is too thick, the permanent fix is to grind the gel coat down to the frp lay up. Gelcoat is basically a relatively thick layer of resin with colorant added. I sprayed and new clear gel coat on a stratos 285 pro and i will never gel coat another. The gel coat can then be sanded smooth, finer and finer to 1500 grit and then polished out. Follow along as i attempt to repair a damaged section of our boat s gel coat.
Feb 11, 2011 you need a special three component spray gun which would be difficult to get in spain, it could be shipped from the u. Aug 27, 2012 i have lots of hair line cracks in the gelcoat. Spider cracks in hull boat talk chaparral boats owners. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable. Polyester gelcotes will not chemically bond to epoxy. Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass, your fix can be.
When i returned the boat to him after i had cleaned entire boat top to bottom, he called about 4 days later and said he had something to show me so i went over to his house and to my surprise the entire port side of boat was full of gel stress cracks, long story. Dec 27, 2014 i have some gel coat cracks where the deck meets the sides of the seats and a few on the gunnel where other boats came too close in a race or was it me who was too close to them. Camper nicholson 31 owner repairs cracks and crazing in the gelcoat on the hull. Sep 28, 2018 follow along as i attempt to repair a damaged section of our boat s gel coat. They can appear as a single line, a series of parallel lines, or a spider web originating at the center of an impact. Hi, i went to a tige dealership, and notices that their used 20002001 models have gel coat cracks from one end to another on the bottom of the hull. The surface crack or two i have in my gel coat are minor, barely feel them with a fingernail. If you own a boat, you may know that it is important to give your boat a gelcoat cover to help protect it from leaks and cracks. All gel coat fades, but on a colored hull boat, it is much more noticeable. Defects in the exterior cosmetic gelcoat finish cracks or crazing and upholstery imperfections. Online article on hull design defects by david pascoe, marine surveyor, namscms. I use it to renew shine on almost everything from metal to gel coat and it works beautifully. The gel coat is in pretty rough shape cracked, chipped and pitted. Prep the area removing all of the damaged gel coat keep the repair as small as possible.
Youll want to take care of any damage on the fiberglass first. Hull showing cracks skeeter boats indepth outdoors. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks. Gelcoat used to patch existing gelcoat, fiberglass repairs, and for new construction and projects. All of these boats had some type of gel coat cracking going on.
This premium colored gel coat finish is designed to give excellent protection against varying weather conditions and uv light while retaining gloss and color. Theres a hole in my boat how to apply gelcoat youtube. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. This premium colored gel coat finish is designed to give. The fiberglass underneath was not cut of gouged just the gel coat. If the gel coat cracks are on a bass boat, that is a common occurrence. You would also need to import the product from the u. I really dont recommend this except the smallest of hairline cracks on the older, thick gelcoat boats. On small parts you could use a pressure pot, but its not like. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired.
Gel coat cracks 1996 javelin 400 te bass boat gelcoat is made from nearly the same resin as the laminating resin. Most people that use there boat eventually will develop some type of stress cracks in there gel coat. Ive owned both a colored hull and several white hull boats. Fortunately, with the right tools most anyone can conduct this process, allowing you to save money from hiring a professional to do it. Extend each coat farther than the previous one, with the last coat out to the tape line. If the gelcoat is in good condition, it will continue to shine long after the last wax has worn off. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Gelcoat can also be rolled or applied by foam brush in patch areas, but spraying tends to yield best results with the least amount of followup sanding. For certain, they reflect the parts flexing to a greater degree than the. White gel coat, precolored gel coat, clear gel coat, neutral tintable gelcoats. If the surface of your boat looks like a cracked eggshell, the gelcoat is suffering from crazing sometimes called alligatoring. If that is too painful, take a dremel tool or similar and open the cracks up so you can get a thickened epoxy resin filler into the cracks. There is one 00 2300v limited that im particularly.
My plan is to remove the many coats of antifouling paint below the waterline, then apply three coats of the west system epoxy and repaint it. Its a hellava lot of work, and after about three years, it started getting dull, turning loose and flaking off. The most common gelcoats are thermosetting polymers based on epoxy or. Apr 10, 2007 if the gel coat cracks are on a bass boat, that is a common occurrence. If you believe white hulls do not fade, just look under a boot stripe tape and you will see a different white color. Painting over cracked and chipped gel coat moderated. On small parts you could use a pressure pot, but its not like spraying normal gel coat, so some training is needed. The most common gelcoats are thermosetting polymers based on epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin chemistry. My plan is to remove the many coats of antifouling paint below the waterline, then apply three coats of the west system epoxy and repaint.
If the gel coat is too thick, the permanent fix is to grind the gel coat down to the frp lay up. Jury snubs yacht makers in cracking gel coat trial. Im guessing that wet sanding would help, but just not sure i want to remove that much gel. Marine services, srq marine services, llc sarasota, fl gelcoat. Most of the time they are just cracks in the finish and do not bother the structural integrity. I am looking to sand or remove the gel coat and finish the boat myself. It looks like the gel coat got pushed in between two. Choose from traditional gel coats including white, clear, and neutral, as well as tooling gel coats in orange and. It can crack, peel, blister, change color, wrinkle or distort. Gelcoat or gel coat is a material used to provide a highquality finish on the visible surface of a fibrereinforced composite. To diagnose spider cracks, inspect your boat and look for the following. I switched to a 36 flapper disk and that took it off faster, but i had to be real.
Youll need an under 3,000rpm disk grinderpolisher with a foam pad to grind the epoxy smooth after it sets. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. Sea hawk black gelcoat that is marine grade and easy to apply for the doityourselfer, and superior leveling and air release for the professional. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Learn about propellers, be a hero not a zero, propeller for sale st cloud minnesota boat dealer duration. The areas that were covered are raised a bit from the rest of the gel coat. We also carry products that make short work of minor surface damage.
The thix agents are added to allow the gelcoat to hang on a vertical surface without sagging at thicknesss up to 18 mils or so. For easy, yet permanent repairs on hairline cracks, small scratches, and chips in fiberglass. Question about gelcoat fading boat talk chaparral boats. Please subscribe, leave a comment and give us a thumbs up. For certain, they reflect the parts flexing to a greater degree than the material can take without cracking. They arent as noticeable in the spring after i buff, polish and wax, but by fall they are quite noticeable again. Fortunately, with the right tools most anyone can conduct this process. Legend boats ltd warrants to the first retail purchaser of a legend boat. Boats in good condition overallcracks in gel coat but thats as far as they gotransom solidsome fading on boatcarpet has wear but in good conditionseats in good conditionhas hot foothas. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks.
If you believe white hulls do not fade, just look under a boot stripe tape and. A very small quantity of catalytic hardener is used at this stage, just enough to start the curing process and if the freshly sprayed gel. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats. Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. All of our gel coats offer incredible durability, and resist uv degradation and water absorption.
Youll want to take care of any damage on the fiberglass first so you have a smooth surface to apply the gelcoat to. If youre a boat nut perusing the internet for boat maintenance tipsand since youre here on, were guessing that you areyouve probably come across our videos on getting tough stains out of gel. Gel coat repair bass boats, canoes, kayaks and more. Surface gelcoat scratches can be buffed with polishing compound, and deeper.