Stress cracks in fiberglass boat

Prep The Area For Crack Removal. Also to know is how do you fix gelcoat cracks on a boat.

This boat is 2 years old and to be honest I never expected to find something like this.

Stress cracks in fiberglass boat. The causes for stress cracks are much the same as for blistering. We wont go into great detail here but suffice it to say that stress cracks occur because of voids under the surface of the gelcoat and or a lack of strength in the underlying fiberglass or. Cracks may also form at a bulkhead or other hard spots behind the fiberglass when the boat flexes creating pressure.

To repair this type of cracking remove the gelcoat from the area and inspect the fiberglass for deeper cracks. Simply wipe the area with a wet cloth so the cracks or fractured fiberglass will appear as white lines in the laminate. Also older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking.

Stress cracks first appear as very fine hairline cracks. Over time the cracks get larger and the structure may begin to delaminate andor. Filling in the Gaps.

There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Stress cracks spider cracks and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are of course not rare. Sometimes theyre merely cosmetic meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat.

Fixing small stress cracks in fiberflass fixing the flex involves reinforcing it with more glassribbing or bracing it in some way prevent it. Beware though beefing up stuff to much will leave rigid spots in the hull that will promote stress cracking as well. Hairline cracks stress cracks or spider cracks star cracks that occur in gelcoat surfaces on fiberglass boats or other water craft are often seen as a cosmetic issue.

Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. These fiberglass cracks can be purely cosmetic or can severely degrade the boats ability to stay afloat. Any crack that goes deeper than the gelcoat definitely needs attention.

This can range from small defects that need a little patching up to major damage that affects the overall shape of the surface. To diagnose spider cracks inspect your boat and look for the following. Small cracks forming especially at the surface of the fiberglass.

Cracks spreading out from the center much as you would see in a spider web. Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass your fix can be limited to the fiberglass exterior. Heres the best way to go about it.

Stress cracks generally mean cracks that appear in the hull transom or interior on their own showing a weak spot void or pocket in manufacture if new or structure from age rot etc. Fiberglass boats with age even a few years may show harmless spider cracks and older boats can be fine with stress cracks at high pressure. Stress cracks are totally normal.

Bump a dock too hard and they will show up and very common around the corners of the transom at the splash well. Thats as long as they are stress cracks fine hairline like spider web not something you can see into. Are stress cracks normal on boats.

Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. If structural damage is suspected you should get your boat inspected by a qualified boat repairer. Stress cracks are a commonly occurring phenomenon with reinforced plastic boats.

A lot of boat owners get very upset when they see these cracks sometimes needlessly while at other times their fears are well founded. Clients will often ask about cracks and the surveyor will be expected to provide answers. Home Boat Design Forums Construction Boatbuilding Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building Stress Cracks.

Discussion in Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building started by cammo Sep 25 2005. And it starts to crack near fittings and in high-stress areas. Even the winter freeze-thaw cycle can cause this.

Also to know is how do you fix gelcoat cracks on a boat. Theres really no way to be sure until you repair the crazing and see if the cracks come back. Prep The Area For Crack Removal.

Step 3Grind Out The Cracks. Prep The Area For Filling And Patching. Fill And Finish The Cracks.

Here is the step by step way to repair stress cracks spider cracks hairline fractures in gelcoat and fiberglass on your boatTo buy MagicEzy HAIRLINE FIX. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats with the new WEST SYSTEM Fiberglass Boat Repair Kit. A note about stress cracks.

Theyre there because your boats hull is flexing or was flexed from an impact or cracked from drilling at that point. Unless you can stop the flexing youre wasting your time fixing the cracks. Theyre not affecting the integrity of the boat so dont stress out pun intended if you have a few.

To fix fiberglass that has cracked you must first assess the extent of the damage and then prepare the surface. By removing all of the damaged material and exposing solid fiberglass you will be able to effectively add epoxy resin and sheets of additional fiberglass to repair the area. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or impacts.

They can occur in any form of fiberglass including cars boats and swimming pools. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass spreading out from a central point like a. Since the cracks are all the way through the first step is to grind the broken fiberglass back into solid unbroken material.

Go at it with an electric grinder or very coarse sandpaper. Aim for a 12-to-1 taper on the fiberglass so for the thickness of your hull this is 2 to 3 inches past the repair. I have a 2011 WX 1850 and when wiping it down last week I noticed the fiberglass showing stress cracks in the hull.

This boat is 2 years old and to be honest I never expected to find something like this. On top of the stress cracks in the hull there are numerous other ones throughout the boat but this is the most alarming. Nearly all FRP boats have a finish called a gel coat.

A gel coat is simply a highly pigmented plastic resin that is first sprayed into the mold after which fiberglass fabric wetted with plastic resin is laid directly on top of the gel coat. Thus the finish and the molded part become one.