Not digging this gel coat crack on my 257 fisherman. Can I just put some gel coat over it so it doesn't get worse or do I need to sand down, etc. Any problem with just leaving as is? 
gel coat crack
- Thread starter pressure23
- Start date
Anything over the top will just be a bandaid... and like all bandaids, they eventually come off.
For now, until you're ready to grind it out and fill, find the end of all of the spider cracks and drill a 1/8" hole just barely through the gel into the glass underneath. That will keep them from going any further.
For now, until you're ready to grind it out and fill, find the end of all of the spider cracks and drill a 1/8" hole just barely through the gel into the glass underneath. That will keep them from going any further.
Gel coat is pretty fragile and doesn't add strength. Your cracking is not spider cracking, a situation that is more cosmetic than structural. Your crack is a manifestation of underling flexing and/or movement. Your first step would be to try and see under and behind the crack to look for structural issues Soft decks are common causes. If none are found, the next step for a repair is to grind out the damaged area and re glass and gel coat.. There are tons of videos on the internet about these repairs. It can be a lot of work.
So... Depending on how picky you are about the finished product, you can clean out the crack a bit to remove loose stuff and use an epoxy paste like MarineTex. That stuff sets hard and can be labor intensive to sand smooth. MarineTex comes in white and will not match your deck color. Tinted gel coats can be applied after the epoxy repair but just to be up front, color matching is a art I never have had and never will master.
Sanding after it sets but before it it completely dries is one way to reduce your sanding effort.
One other think that should be noted is that this cracking might be related to freeze/thaw cycles where water gets into a small crack and expands in freezing weather causing the crack to bulge and widen . So as part of your pre inspection also look for water leakage or seepage and address that before patching
So... Depending on how picky you are about the finished product, you can clean out the crack a bit to remove loose stuff and use an epoxy paste like MarineTex. That stuff sets hard and can be labor intensive to sand smooth. MarineTex comes in white and will not match your deck color. Tinted gel coats can be applied after the epoxy repair but just to be up front, color matching is a art I never have had and never will master.
Sanding after it sets but before it it completely dries is one way to reduce your sanding effort.
One other think that should be noted is that this cracking might be related to freeze/thaw cycles where water gets into a small crack and expands in freezing weather causing the crack to bulge and widen . So as part of your pre inspection also look for water leakage or seepage and address that before patching
GH02050
GreatGrady Captain
That is a pretty big crack / would not be considered a spider crack / and as mentioned above it warrants investigating the cause. What year is your boat?
I've seen plenty of spider cracks longer than that. Over time they tend to travel and travel.
Is the starting point a screw hole?
Another possible cause is the original build and spraying the gel to be too thick in that area. This is more likely to happen to an outside corner than an inside corner... but it's still a possibility.
It very well could be from movement/stress, as well.
Is the starting point a screw hole?
Another possible cause is the original build and spraying the gel to be too thick in that area. This is more likely to happen to an outside corner than an inside corner... but it's still a possibility.
It very well could be from movement/stress, as well.
SkunkBoat
GreatGrady Captain
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I had a similar thing on my 265 express. The problem is that the radius of the corner has no plywood core. Its just glass. Thin glass...
Grinding out the crack & filling will just crack again. Ask me how I know...
Remove the deck hatch and the door & frame that are in the picture. Get a look and also feel it with your hand. The vertical wall and the deck have plywood but the curved corner does not.
I fixed mine from the top as part of a deck repair/non-skid paint project. Mine had a slight channel in the deck along the corner. I ground it out(again) and built it up flush with the non-skid with glass and filler.
Because I was already commited to painting non-skid, the work is is hidden.
some pix in this thread https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/painting-non-skid-deck.39004/post-278632
You might be able to reinforce it from the underside with some glass and adhesive filler. That would hide the ugly. Then grind out the top and make it pretty with gelcoat.
Grinding out the crack & filling will just crack again. Ask me how I know...
Remove the deck hatch and the door & frame that are in the picture. Get a look and also feel it with your hand. The vertical wall and the deck have plywood but the curved corner does not.
I fixed mine from the top as part of a deck repair/non-skid paint project. Mine had a slight channel in the deck along the corner. I ground it out(again) and built it up flush with the non-skid with glass and filler.
Because I was already commited to painting non-skid, the work is is hidden.
some pix in this thread https://www.greatgrady.com/threads/painting-non-skid-deck.39004/post-278632
You might be able to reinforce it from the underside with some glass and adhesive filler. That would hide the ugly. Then grind out the top and make it pretty with gelcoat.