Stress cracks

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Josh

I've been working on my boat a lot lately, as winter is pretty much over up here (although it was almost freezing yesterday!). I've noticed that either I wasn't paying attention before or it aquired a lot of stress cracks during the winter. What's the best way to fix these? Is there a cause to them, like too much sun or the boat drying out or something that would have been caused while it was sitting tarped for the winter? Apart from the ones near the backstay, they aren't in really high stress areas. They seem to radiate from any hole or screw that is or has been put through the hull. Thanks for any info anyone can give me, Josh
 
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web

Crazing

Josh - Boats flex. Fibreglass is remarkably pliable even when cured. Gel coat on the other had is fairly brittle. The result is that when the boat flexs the gelcoat crazes. As long as the cracks are not in the fiberglass - only in the gel coat - you're ok. Fixing it means reaming out the cracks, filling, and sanding. Pain in the neck and the crazing will reoccur. Head over to the Catalina forums and look up LaDonna's posts on painting for the arguments for and against fixing. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
 
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