Fiberglass repair around windows

[Roxanne]

I have verticle cracks in the fiberglass above and below both the port windows on my 22. The cracks are at the ends of each of the windows. Have removed the windows to repair the cracks. Any advice on repairing my cracks?

 

[Tony Carlisle]

More detail may help

Roxanne,I noticed that no one had responded to your e-mail after a day....which is pretty unusual on this site. You may not have received any responses yet because of the vagueness of the work "crack" in your description. Are the cracks microsized cracks in the gelcoat or substantial cracks in the fiberglass that could be a structural problem. I'll bet that if you provide a bit more detail about the cracks around your boats windows that you'll get a helpful response from someone on this site who is knowledgeable about fiberglass. Unfortunately, I'm not that person as I know zilch about fiberglass repair.Good luck with your boat. I've had mine for about six months and really enjoy it.Thanks.Tony CarlisleJackson, MississippiPeggy J

 

[Roxanne]

More detail provided

Thanks for the suggestion Tony!The cracks appear to be deeper than the gel coat. They are definitly more pronounced than microsized cracks in the gel coat. Previous owner appears to have painted over the problem. Cracks look worse on the outside than on the inside. Is this a job for a professional?Thanks

 

[Randy K]

I'd have a pro take a look

If the cracks go all the way through (outside to inside) that seems fairly significant since it would involve the structural fiberglass layer in addition to the exterior gelcoat and interior finish. At one end of the spectrum it could indicate that the compression post (under the mast) has some sort of problem that is putting weight on the cabin (although the cracks might be expected to be horizontal). On the other hand it could turn out to be more cosmetic and not so serious. I'd be cautious and have a pro look to figure out what is the root cause.