Repairing hairline fiberglass deck cracks

[O_Barquinho]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a Catalina 27 and noticed a couple of hairline cracks on the deck near the starboard pulpit (image below). I'm concerned about water seeping in and possibly causing more damage over the winter with freezing. I'm a novice sailor and would very much appreciate any suggestions about how to make repairs. Thank you in advance.

 

[justsomeguy]

Capt. Tolley's creeping crack cure?

 

[dlochner]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a Catalina 27 and noticed a couple of hairline cracks on the deck near the starboard pulpit (image below). I'm concerned about water seeping in and possibly causing more damage over the winter with freezing. I'm a novice sailor and would very much appreciate any suggestions about how to make repairs. Thank you in advance.

Those look to be gelcoat cracks. Usually of little structural consequence. They are common in areas with tight turns or near the place where the coring ends and becomes all fiberglass.

Fiberglass and gelcoat have different flexing characteristics. Gelcoat tends to be stiff and brittle and fiberglass a bit more flexible. The underlying fiberglass flexes, the gelcoat doesn't and a crack develops.

You could have someone with a moisture meter check it, but there is little chance that any damage to the fiberglass has occurred or will occur there.

 

[Gunni]

That area of the deck is typically part of the hull flange and is not cored. Gelcoat is hard and brittle, the underlying laminate is flexible and not likely to be cracked. Even if it is, the area below is your anchor locker right? Relax, and don't run the bow into dock piles like the previous owner. Ask dock hands not to push your pulpit, place a foot on the toe rail instead.

 

[Ron20324]

... Ask dock hands not to push your pulpit, place a foot on the toe rail instead.

+1 to that, but don't put a foot between the boats! I always watch for people about to fend of by pushing the stanchions. One stanchion already bent and replaced, then I see the same deck area has a crack like the OP.

 

[Brian D]

I don't know, but I have read that you have to basically gouge out the crack a little and then fill with epoxy resin, sand, then paint. Or something like that. I was wondering if sanding the area first, then clean with acetone (to remove wax and whatnot) and then using a putty knife to force resin into the crack would work. At least it would seal the crack, but would it create more stress or cracks? And I guess color would have to be added to blend in with the deck color. JMHO

http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2011/december/diy.asp

 

[Ron20324]

... I was wondering if sanding the area first, then clean with acetone (to remove wax and whatnot) .... JMHO

You want to use the acetone BEFORE doing anything else. As Brian says, to remove wax and whatever, but remove it before you sand it into the surface and never get it out.

 

[Chief RA]

Yes, thoroughly preclean with acetone then I will use thinned, clear, resin on my few hairline cracks that are at the back of cockpit deck. I want to reseal all the way down to the glass. Then use thicker resin to fill and wipe away surface resin with an acetone damp rag. Job done! Chief

 

[nashuasteve]

Any suggestions on how to handle this in the Non Skid areas?

 

[dlochner]

It may be heresy, but frankly there are better things to spend time and money on than fixing gel coat cracks. But if you do,

Don't use epoxy unless you paint or gelcoat over the epoxy. UV from sunlight will degrade the epoxy and you'll get to do it over again.

Often the cracks will reappear in a few years because the underlying problem, flexing in the deck or the transition from core to uncured fiberglass will cause the cracks to reappear.

Minicraft (minicraft.com) has color matched gelcoat for many boats, so if you do spend the time and effort to fix the cracks using color matched gelcoat will make the job easier.

 

[Meriachee]

There are a few articles out there where people have made "rubber stamps" of the non skid in the general area to match the pattern. With a bit of gelcoat pressed into the slightly enlarged channel, the stamp is pressed into the curing gelcoat revealing the pattern. Having tried it on a few test pieces prior to experimenting on the boat, I can offer that it works, but it's probably the finickiest thing ever. My first actual application on the last boat was good but the there was a micron too much tint in the gel. (Or maybe I'm just too particular) Cheers Gary

 

[Chief RA]

In my case I am not trying to make the cracks invisible, only to reseal to keep out moisture. They do not show much anyway but that location is a water catching spot. To put in more resin every few years is not much of a problem.
Chief

 

[Indysailor]

There are a few articles out there where people have made "rubber stamps" of the non skid in the general area to match the pattern. With a bit of gelcoat pressed into the slightly enlarged channel, the stamp is pressed into the curing gelcoat revealing the pattern. Having tried it on a few test pieces prior to experimenting on the boat, I can offer that it works, but it's probably the finickiest thing ever. My first actual application on the last boat was good but the there was a micron too much tint in the gel. (Or maybe I'm just too particular) Cheers Gary

I have a sample of this stuff in my garage, a match for the old non skid on my boat. The way it works is that you clean, then wax the area. Use a roto tool to gouge the crack, apply gelcoat and use a flexible mold to pattern it. There are some instructional videos on it. Here is the website of the one that sent me a match.
http://gibcoflexmold.com/

Will I use it? Not likely on any cracks like the one here, but I have an old circular crack in the non skid of my cockpit floor that I'm going to fix in the Spring, before it causes intrusion into the core.

 

[Brian D]

My problem is not repairing the cracks, but trying to match the color of my deck. It is a light tan or beige. I also have what looks like a repair done on the port quarter and is a different color than the rest of the hull.

Trying to find a stain that I can apply to the gel coat in layers to try and match the color of the hull and/or deck. I am wondering if really thinned out paint would work and not look like paint.

Good luck to me. LOL

 

[Indysailor]

I've never tried this, but I have read of people using paint chips from a local paint store to match their gelcoat, then having the store tint their base resin to the correct color.

 

[Brian D]

I've never tried this, but I have read of people using paint chips from a local paint store to match their gelcoat, then having the store tint their base resin to the correct color.

That would have to be a gel coat chip since my hull is not painted. But I was thinking the same thing, take a sample in and see if they can match a stain for fiberglass.

 

[Meriachee]

The best thing to use is a fibreglass tint. An acrylic paint may compromise the mix.

 

[Bob22247]

gelcoat cracks

I have successfully used a gel coat repair kit that has white (or grey) gel coat and several tubes of tint. clean and dewax area. use dremel bit to widen the cracks and mask off next to the cracks. use plastic applicator and fill the cracks to level. When you remove the masking tape, you have a bit of sanding and rubbing out to do.

The haqrdest part is making a good match, since you have to use trial and error method.

I would check the backing of the fixture. It might might need some stregthening.

Patience.

 

[Indysailor]

That would have to be a gel coat chip since my hull is not painted. But I was thinking the same thing, take a sample in and see if they can match a stain for fiberglass.

My understanding is that paint tint is used to color the gel coat resin. But I haven't done this myself.

 

[jibes138]

My understanding is that paint tint is used to color the gel coat resin. But I haven't done this myself.

jamestown is selling colored gel coats premixed. You just add hardener. I used the cream on my O'Day and it is an exact match. You can likely find a match for your needs check it out.