Beneteau 361 travel tower gel coat cracks.

[Fiftybucks]

Looking at 2001 Bene 361 Love the boat layout size etc. it has gel coat cracks around each traveler mount either side of companion way. No moisture checked with high quality meter. Do 361s normally stress crack there? Should I just move on? There are some othe cracks at mast base but also no moisture.

 

[Gunni]

Fifty, like scars on fine, well-used leather.

 

[FastOlson]

I would worry (some) more about cracks in a high stress area like the mast base... check to see if this model has any history of support weakness on the inside. (there was a Ben 361 that used to club race all the time out of our YC, and it never had any problems.)
As for traveler mounts, if the cracks are where the plinth makes a vertical turn up from the cabin surface, those are sometimes areas with thicker gel coat on many boats and thicker areas will show show some cosmetic cracks as the surface continues to cure and slightly shrink over the decades.
I would not be put off; it's stuff for a surveyor to look closer at among all of the areas he/she will inspect. Do you have some pix or a link to post?

Here is a link to a great surveyor site.
http://www.almsurvey.com

And a detailed list of things to check on. I find it useful, over the years.
http://www.almsurvey.com/faults-7/common_faluts.html

 

[Stu Jackson]

Tiny little cracks like that are best dealt with by using Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Or by re-glassing. Tolley's is great stuff.

 

[BigEasy]

I have some crazing on the traveler mount also. Cosmetic only; no worry.

 

[Fiftybucks]

Thx all. I have captain trolleys looking Gori to. My garage. Hope has long shelf life

 

[NYSail]

Tiny little cracks like that are best dealt with by using Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. Or by re-glassing. Tolley's is great stuff.

Our experience several years ago with the "Captain" was that it would turn black after a while...... Again this was several years ago and maybe the formula has changed.

Greg