Gelcoat is applied too thick in high stress areas of a part or parts are demoulded when they are too green. This 26 formula came in from maine with the bottom covered in gel coat blisters. These premium quality isophthalic npg gel coats are. This ski nautique is in good condition and includes a full length ski nautique cover. Then you can apply new gelcoat and be done with it. I make my mark on the masking tape, then take a very small bit and rotate it by hand to establish a pilot point through the masking tape and into the gelcoat before drilling. A little gut wrenching on a new boat with 9 hours on it.
Unless the scratch goes through to the glass matting it wont harm the boat. Overview of are fiberglasss and gelcoat boat repairs. I repaire a chip in my gelcoat and the following cracks using this kit. The fiberglass is still there, but water leaks through it ever so slowly. Used on dash of correct craft boats from 1986 to 1999. I imported a 87 that had spider cracking in the gel on both sides of the boat. But they also know that what they get paid for is the finish. My nautique has less than 200 hours on it, is meticulously maintained and is usually kept on the trailer. Shop our inventory of gel coat boat repair kits at nautique parts.
The ski nautique is a longrunning brand by the correct craft product line. Gelcoat is a liquid that hardens to form a thick layer thats used to protect fiberglass and give it a shiny, smooth finish. I would not advise even towing an inflatable from it as they can plow at times and cause a. Spectrum color crownline, 19922015, moonstone color boat gel coat. Anyways, i took the ski out last weekend along with my other ski, and rode around all day. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. The next time you are cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gelcoat. 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 actionsuited design of correct craft boats have been accepted as the official towboats for a series of major skiing and wakeboard events. Buy magicezy hairline fix navy blue boat gelcoat crack repair fills and colors fast. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip paint. Boatus magazines mark corke shows you how to easily repair those pesky spider cracks that show up in your boats fiberglass gelcoat. There are minor cracks on gunnel top gel coat and on bottom from normal boating, but rest of hull looks excellent. The repair guy said the hull is not gel coated but painted.
To repair it you would need to grind down to the fiberglass, feathering outward. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. Gelcoat used to patch existing gelcoat, fiberglass repairs, and for new construction and projects. But, in my absence, i had some photos taken to track the progress and now im back at the yard. I use it on top of west epoxy as a tie coat and have had excellent bonding results. I am looking at a 73f32 during my inspection i noticed curved cracks in the hulls gelcoat right at the end of the house right around the quater. If your boat is more than a few years old, youll probably be surprised at the number you find. It is also uv resistant so any uv that might penetrate the gelcoat is stopped before the west epoxy which is not uv resistant.
How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. I am trying to gelcoat some areas on our boat where the gel coat has rubbed off due to beaching the boat. Thinking it may be from the house shifting while underway or from the fenders. The next time youre cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gel coat. In service, these result from high stresses such as flexing, impact, or vibration in the laminate. The most common gelcoats are thermosetting polymers based on epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin chemistry. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Dealer made a few calls and found us a reasonable price for repairs. Buy magicezy hairline fix burgundy boat gelcoat crack repair fills and colors fast. When ever i have to drill into gelcoat, i use a piece of masking tape over the area where the will be drilled. If your boat has a case of dock rash it could be time to think about repairing and refreshing your gelcoat. The best way i can describe them is about 1218 long, gelcoat only, kinda on top of each other and 1 or 2 that go vertical about 4 or so inches. Ive been on the road for the last several weeks and unable to track our nonskid and gelcoat repair project.
We offer a wide selection of boat seating from helm chairs and captain chairs to folding fishing seats. Check with us first for an excellent deal on a classic ski nautique from correct craft, an immaculately kept mastercraft prostar, an open bow ski centurion heritage, and so many others. Odds are the crazing is from a mild impact with something that didnt necessarily. Used this product to make a repair to boat gel coat after fixing some minor fiber. A twopart system consisting of polyester resin and catalyst, gelcoats the first thing into the mold during manufacture. You have chosen a boat that is unequaled on the waters of the world for waterskiing and wakeboarding.
In the following episodes well cover everything from surface prep, fiberglass repair, gelcoat color matching, application, blending and finishing. He has a 11 yer old class a, good brandi dont want to talk bad about the brand who is still in business, and he has these small cracks in the gelcoat, mostly where the darker colors are located. To use these breakers on a 1985 boat only you need to convert the ends of your current wires to spade type connectors. Gelcoat repair chips and scratches composite mouldings duration. Mach boats fiberglass repair fix damage to your hull. Tough to say if these cracks are limited to just the gel coat, or if they involve the laminate under. If the surface of your boat looks like a cracked eggshell, the gelcoat is suffering from crazing sometimes called alligatoring. Was probably the reason this boat had been painted. Friend rode our new ultra lx and hit a rather large rock just off a point on a local lake. I had an older boat with quite a bit of gelcoat cracking. Im not sure if the whole boat really needs to be redone. Gelcoat is a thin, brittle coating, not unlike an eggshell.
We had similar gelcoat cracking issues on one of boats built to our designs. Have you fallen behind on your boat maintenance schedule. Your gel coat will be the first part of the vessel to show visible signs of your neglect. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. Correct craft ski nautique air sv211 boats for sale. Magicezy hairline fix burgundy boat gelcoat crack repair. Gel coat repairs and star cracks skuk sea kayaking uk. I second andys comment on including a layer of glass beneath. This is an opportunity to own an excellent ski nautique that runs and looks as good as new. Restoring your gelcoat can help restore the shine of your boat and protect its surface.
We stripped off the gelcoat and made sure the laminate was dry and then faired and recoated the bottom with epoxy barrier coatings and a epoxyteflon top coat for a protected bottom that repels growth. Creating small but powerful, the boats of correct craft are ideally acquainted with water sport activities. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which. Take a look at this 1996 correct craft ski nautique powered by a pro boss gt 40 engine, full cover, 2010 trail master trailer, 653. I like tim have also heard that this was common in 87 models. White gel coat, precolored gel coat, clear gel coat, neutral tintable gelcoats. Gelcoat crazing seemed to be a particular problem when the company first began using desert tan gelcoat in the 1973 to 1977 outrage models. As it cures, gelcoat bonds to the layers of structural fiberglass laid on it to create a smooth, shiny. Wholesale marine wants to help increase passenger comfort and preserve the value of your craft with quality boat seats from attwood, coleman, garelick, sea dog marine, taylor made products, tempress, wise, and other top brands. Apply gelcoat use a small wood or plastic putty knife to spread the gelcoat smoothly over the gelcoat repair. Fiberglass repair fix scuffs from the dock to get your boat back in shape. Gelcoat crack and crazing repair moderated discussion areas. How much time inbetween applications should i wait.
Many of these are minor and limited to the gelcoat that smooth, shiny outer layer of the. It has released numerous product lines, ranging from closeddeck speedboats to. Parallel gelcoat cracking in boat decks summary campion marine is the last remaining openmould glass fibre reinforced polymer gfrp manufacturer of luxury boats in canada, and has been active for over 36 years. The top of the seats have some cracking but overall the upholstery is in pretty good shape. First, we identify the source and scope of the problem. If you simply attempt to drill a hole into the fiberglass, you will have extreme difficulty in drilling holes without cracking the gelcoat. When it was time to sell i hired mach boats to fix the cracking and color. Before and after gallery white mountain fiberglass.
Combination switchcircuit breaker slide on spade terminals. A thin layer of gel coat isnt structurally strong enough to prevent itself cracking off. Chip fix snow white fills and colors deep damage fast epoxy fiberglass filler. This premium marine grade gel coat may be as gecloat for boats, gelcoat for pools or many other applications. Gel coat repair is pretty easy if you know how to spot the nicks. Its 10 years old, and has some spidercracking in areas. Almost looks the size of a jet ski that was possible sandwiched between two boats while rafted.
Crazing usually indicates a gelcoat which is too thick and has crazed during flexing of the hull figure 45. The secret to a good finish is to apply gel coat properly. You should have about 10 to 15 minutes of working time after adding the catalyst before it starts to harden and is no longer fluid. My 1975 outrage 19 has some minor crazing on the desert tan interior gelcoat, but not on the outrage gray exterior gelcoat, and later desert tan boats do. There is some minor vinyl cracking on the stitching in one of the bow seat cushions. Gelcoat or gel coat is a material used to provide a highquality finish on the visible surface of a fibrereinforced composite. Over time and with use, the gelcoat on your boat can become dull, making your boat look old. Fixing your chipped gel coat is easier than ever before. My 83 had been used to tow with before i bought it and it was bent.
The clear exterior coat on fiberglass boats is formed by a substance known as gelcoat. Below you will find a detailed gel coat preparation guide on how to apply gelcoat to your boat, rv or other surface. If the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. In this scenario, the gases created by water reacting with resins simply escape through the lesions in the gelcoat. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. Hey, i have a 97xp that has a hole in the gelcoat on the bottom. Odds are the crazing is from a mild impact with something that didnt necessarily do any significant damage other than cracking the gel. At this point, i think its not in danger of really causing any issues but, its a huge annoyance to me.
The boat was perfect before i had it wrapped for the winter. In many older vessels you may only see crazing or cracking of the gelcoat. Quick question, anyone have a rough idea of what it would cost to professionally redo the gelcoat on a 22 ft cabin cruiser. For certain, they reflect the parts flexing to a greater degree than the material can take without cracking. Professional applicators know that the preparation and priming stages of any paint job covered in last months issue are the most important and will take 80 percent of the time spent on a paint job. Applying gelcoat to fiberglass is simple if you have the right tools and take care to. Either deepen the scratch using a small blade or grinder, or leave it. This is what the bottom of my project boat looks like.
The boat also had some cracking of the gel coat on the observer side of the boat around the water line that ran length ways. How to prepare your boat for painting a gelcoat part ii. They are very fine cracks and are only in that one spot on both sides. Discussion in general discussion started by unclebob, jan 26, 2009. I have experience with boats and gel coats, but not jet skis.
How to repair a flaking clear coat on a fiberglass boat. When i got home, i noticed water leaking from the bottom of the xp. Well the ring wasnt bent, the threaded rod that secures it to the transom was bent. Rear tow pylon it is not recommended to tow from the lift ring. I got the gelcoat repair stuff and mixed it up and patched the hole up. No matter how careful you are, fiberglass boats collect dings and gouges over time. The application of gelcoat and by pretty straight forward when you follow this guide.
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