Gelcoat crack repair

[Ross]

DanH, I just finished painting my boat for the grand price of 60

dollars and four days of labor about three hours per day with two people working. You can't finish the whole job at once because of drying times. Boats have been painted ever since paint was created. The best argument against gelcoat is put forward in this thread, it cracks. The industry needs to come up with a more flexible material to replace gelcoat.

 

[Dan H]

Sure Ross, but the gelcoat lasted 30 years

I think we can agree that the prep is the hardest part and also the most important part. It's all about the prep.So after all the prep, why not spray on a coat of something that will last 30 more years instead of something that will last 5 years? In my opinion, an Allied Mistress 39 is not a candidate for a paint job. An Allied Mistress 39 needs a finish that adds value. New gelcoat does that. Paint does not. Ross, I'm sure your boat is gorgeous and the paint job is perfect. Maybe paint is appropriate for your boat, only you know that answer to that. But I don't feel a paint job is appropriate for this boat. However, considering the effort involved, a a paint job might be appropriate. Only the owner can decide that. I'm just throwing it out as an option. There are some very valuable boats with paint on them though.

 

[Ross]

DanH you say the gelcoat lasted 30 years

and then it developed cracks or did the first crack show up years earlier and when they became too numerous to ignore the gelcoat was failed? Yesterday someone posted a complaint about a new boat with numerous gelcoat cracks. There is a fly in the ointment here somewhere. Either gelcoat is not an ideal product or the application of it in the manufacture of boats needs to be improved. Gelcoat is inflexible and it is used as a finish for flexible substrates. I know that there are many type of gelcoat cracks. Some happen as a result of load stress where the hull flexes and the gelcoat cracks. Impact cracks are easy to identify. But the general wide spread alligatoring that often shows seems to be an age related thing.

 

[Dan H]

I think...

Good question Ross. So when does a finish fail? Does it fail with the first crack? I think gelcoat is better than paint becasue it can be polished for a longer period of time. The thickness of gelcoat allows for more maintenance than paint does. Once the finish has been polished or weathered through, the finish is done.

 

[Ross]

DanH, you are very much correct in your observation that

gelcoat can be polished and brought back to a shiny finish. There is an ancient Irwin in our marina yard that was looking about as shabby as you can find. But with a pressure wash she is looking redeemable and with some compounding and wax will be lovely. There are a few cracks around the cleats and windows and probably some I haven't seen but for her age she looks pretty good.