Small hairline cracks in hull of my fiberglass boat

The number of boats that develop serious blister problems is extremely small. These small cracks can turn into very large cracks in a small amount of time if they are not addressed. The cracks can also point to a structural defect that must be corrected. Ill be taking the boat out of the water after each use, and storing inside. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Hairline crack on transom moderated discussion areas. Obviously major scratches and holes will be filled but i have plenty of hairline cracks in the deckcap of the hull as shown in the photos below. A dented transom from a dockside collision could be the outward sign of a split sternpost propeller shaft. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for.

There is a series of vertical hairline cracks in the port side about 12 wide that look like something bashed into the sides of the boat. Gluvit is a waterproof epoxy sealer used to find, fill and seal leaks. Instead, modern fiberglass boat hulls relay on a limited number of major girders. If a small wave lifts the boat a few inches and drops it on the corner of a trailer bracket or some thin it will easy burst right through a hull that probably be chopper gun built. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and. The fiberglass can take a lot of that flexing and twisting, but the gel coat is so brittle it sort of wants to just, well, snap. In addition, the hard protective coating flexes with hull. How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in. Its a good idea, by the way, to mix up a couple of small batches of. Application is easy and in a few seconds, even a novice handyman can repair small holes, chips and cavities in the hull of their boat. I still would like to address it before the season officially begins. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. I had this issue on the chine corners on my 226ssi exposed by the lift bull at the dry stack marina, but due to mold deficiency at the factory. The gel coat cracks are simply cracks in the cosmetic layer thats put over the top to keep the rv looking shiny.

Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks. Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. Just got my triton back from the factory after having some of those fixed. Online article on hull design defects by david pascoe, marine surveyor, namscms.

Any crack that goes deeper than the gelcoat definitely needs attention. The collision had compressed the hull and, while it had appeared to pop back into shape, the main bulkhead had been badly damaged. As i said, the cracks are on the outside of the boat and. The boat is in pretty good condition for its age in my opinion, but the hull does have some minor hairline stress cracks. The proper proceedure for filling a hairline crack in boat gelcoat is quite a pita. The other great thing about magicezy, is the strength and flexibility of the patented formula. Stringer to transom and hairline hull crack repair. When that happens, the gelcoat cant flex with the fiberglass, it just cracks. How to repair a fibreglass crack for beginners youtube. Yet, because the surveyor encounters so many boats with stress cracks on. Magicezy hairline fix quickly and easily repairs gelcoat cracks on your boatwithout having to grind them out.

There is a crack in the gelcoat in the bottom keel downt he center of the hull on either side of the daggerboard slot. The hull flexes a ton and his boat has quite a few hairline cracks in the gel coat. If you are not racing, a small bump wont affect the performance of the boat. Hairlike fibers and synthetic resins of glass are the principal materials used in creating a fiberglass boat hull. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. Dear boat doctor, id like to start sailing my older mfg pintail daysailer.

The cracks go all the way through the hull and are about 2 feet long. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. We have a fiberglass bathshower insert that has a few small hairline cracks on the bottom tub portion.

Life is way too short to invest countless hours in doing it the purist way. My question is how frequently do people experience a hairline crack on their transoms, or is this the first one. I have a 92 tuffy walleye rampage and the other day i noticed that it has a few hairlinestress cracks in the hull, it doesnt take on any water, is it just in the jell coat or could they be a little deeper. If you want to get them fixed, take it to a good fiberglass repair place. If not managed, these small cosmetic annoyances can. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat.

I have a 10 livingston with a bunch a tiny hairline fishers like that. Gelcoat maintenance and repair tips crownline boats. If you can see black in the cracks that is the base coat. Hairline cracks in fiberglass hull my friend, mine has the 200hp straight six, what a sound when that thing is running. These are the easiest cracks to fix as theyre not very deep.

Now for the bad news, mt used some poor quality gelcoat during their production run, and i have seen 5 where the entire hull had the cracks. To match the color exactly, specify boat model, name, color and year manufactured. This type of repair is necessary if you run aground, run into a rock, or have some of crack caused by age and use. This colored filler comes in 11 popular boat colors and is readytouse straight from the tube. The chip blew out of the laminate because the stringers inside the boat were not robustly laminated and broke loose. I purchased an old fiberglass bathtub type boat because i wanted the trailer it was on. These fiberglass cracks can be purely cosmetic, or can severely degrade the boats ability to stay afloat. The last boat yard failed to prep the first 2 at all and the paint fell right off after about 3 months. Just wondering could you fill the cracks in with bondo or something else. Then use thicker resin to fill and wipe away surface resin with an acetone damp rag. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are.

This can range from small defects that need a little patching up to. How to repair gelcoat, chips, scrapes and gouges yourself. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague. It is about 4 inches on either side of the motor mounts. Hairline cracks, stress cracks or spider cracks star cracks that occur in gelcoat surfaces on fiberglass boats or other water craft are often seen as a cosmetic issue. Hair line cracks are common on all molded fiberglass boats. It also repairs cracks in ceramic tiles and scratches on household appliances. A fiberglass boat can be susceptible to small cracks in the hull if you do a lot of sailing in rough water, or like to beach your boat for land excursions. Weve put together an easy to follow guide specifically aimed at those new to fibreglass. Hairline fix is the easiest, most durable way to repair scratches, scrapes, stress cracks, spider fractures, and crazing in fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. The hull has original gelcoat circa 70s era and i intend to dewax the hull, followed by sanding back with 80120grit filling as required prior to priming with international brand interprotect. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip paint. I have not had the boat for a while, i got it through a trade. All about fiberglass boat stress cracks fiberglass boat.

This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Hull refit and upgrade systems tip of the month sportfishing. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Gelcoat that matches the color of your crownline can be purchased at your crownline dealer or at. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat. Spider cracks in hull boat talk chaparral boats owners.

Crack cure sealant at the official west marine online store. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into the fiberglass and cause more serious damage. If you can see white, that could be the fiberglass matting, and that needs to be fixed to prevent water intrusion into the hull. The gray field is the bottom paint and the white area in the center is a chipped out section of the fiberglass hull. The boat is complete but it has a couple cracks in the hull. This sudden resistance causes a bend to occur with a very short radius, and it is the. I am now thinking of trying to restore the boat cosmetically and give it to my dad. How to repair big holes in grp boats practical boat owner. Since we got our so 35 i was troubled by the many hairline cracks in the gelcoat in visible and less visible areas. While a damaged wood boat requires expensive and intricate work, a fiberglass one can usually be repaired with just a few materials, even by people with only basic knowledge and skills. Check out our new website its pretty flippin awesome.

Make sure that the fiberglass cloth is flat on the surface. Hence you get these little hairline cracks in the gel coat surface itself. Finally, apply the finish coating or sealer thats included in your kit. Repairing a brokencracked fiberglass hull rc groups. Most common location for these to occur is on corners and radiuss where the layup of fiberglass is typically thinner, and the amount of resin is usually more than what it should be.

We hope that you learned how to fix hairline crack in fiberglass tub through our blog today. Main crack is about 10 inches long with approximate 3 inch branch crack. Small fiberglass crack jet boaters community forum. Repairing hairline fiberglass deck cracks sailboat. If the crack is deep or larger than a hairline crack, youll need to take your boat to a professional to have it restored. The keel is cast iron married to the hull or bolted to the fiberglass stub portion as seen in the pictures where the horizontal line is refereed to as a crack but is not. Once you have done this, get a small fiberglass tape over the crack on the inside. I am waiting till i pick up another boat to put the engine and od in. I chemically striped the antifouling paint back to gelcoat to see if the previous owners has applied a barrier coat the boat was on a lake, now is on the sea and was surprised with the many hairline cracks in the gelcoat primarily in the p bracket and outside the. Hull repair is fairly easy for someone who owns a small fiberglass boat of their own. Use it on cracks in fiberglass, metal, and wood on your boat or in your home.

And while an aircraft isnt subjected to the same type of forces as a boat hull, the fuselage is the hull and must be strong in different ways. Repairing a fibreglass crack doesnt have to be daunting. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. My 30 years of experience suggests that fairly large numbers of boats sustain. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. One of the things that the basic boat owner should have some knowledge about is boat hull repair. Its a good idea, by the way, to mix up a couple of small batches of gelcoat to. Im in the middle of my resto, and ive come across what i thought was just craze cracking.

Follow the instructions on the epoxy for repairing the cracks. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglass which ones the best. While i was cleaning my boat yesterday i discovered this small 2x2 inch light spider crack on the hull of my boat. The hull has original gelcoat circa 70s era and i intend to. Well i noticed a wet spot on the ground and looked up. If you find small, hairline cracks in your boat, you can repair it yourself by using epoxy. When looking at cracks you may find that there are generally two different types. In your reply you said how difficult it would be to match the boat painting and i agree, my idea was to actually paint the whole hull not just the cracked and repaired. Our 15 year old 16sl has developed a hairline crack on the transom. Gelcoat hairline cracks a proper solution jeanneau. 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 structural integrity. Anyone who has ever seen airframe construction, particularly jet aircraft, understands why aircraft can be built with skins that are extremely thin.

My hull is in great condition with only a few very small blisters. If there are hairline cracks in the hull, do these have to be repaired. The boat seemed fine apart from a small hole in the side, which the owner had patched with a dollop of plastic padding. The boat has small cracks in the outershell of the fiberglass all over. Stress cracks can be identified as longer parallel surface cracks on the hull or deck. There are hairline cracks all over the place on the boat hull. Fixing cracks in a hullkeel sailboat owners forums. We discovered a fiberglass tub repair kit online but am wondering if thats the best route to follow.

Most are fairly small, and like craze cracking, they go in all kinds of. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. Bear in mind that a small fiberglass hull surface blemish may hide a deep inner flaw. One of the best qualities of a fiberglass boat is how easy it is to repair. Application results in a hard, impact and abrasion resistant protective barrier coat that minimizes fiberglass blistering and corrosion. The discovery of hull blisters elicits a mental oh no. Fiberglass epoxy is available at most boat supply stores. Mix catalyst into the gelcoat following the instructions on. You can accomplish this easily with a fiberglass repair kit. If you can tolerate a small repair blemish that is the correct color then you could do a small repair on the cracks and sand flat, then brush the paint on. It was only inside that we saw the true extent of the impact.