fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Need to get a picture to post later, but I thought I would ask the question.

I have done a fair amount of fiberglassing over the years, so when a friend's boyfriend asked me to repair his fiberglass canoe in trade for another canoe he had at his girlfriends house, I said, "sure." Thing is, the problem seems a little weird to me.

It looks like the gelcoat has cracked in many multiple places but the underlying fiberglass is intact- and waterproof. They look like stress cracks from impact with something (have a couple on my boat ) but there is no sign of abuse or impact in any way. The cracks are dispersed over the whole canoe.

I am thinking of filling the cracks with epoxy paste (he is planning to have another friend paint it after) but didn't know if anyone had experienced anything like this before. I don't want to either exacerbate the problem or have it show up again after it is painted.

Thoughts?

 

[oops!]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

it will show up bud.....

the stress cracke are called that for poor reasons.....some times they are caused by a poor gellcoat job.....either too thick ot too thin gellcoat....possibly an incorrect mixture....too much cayt....or too little.

you need to treat each set of craze marks like an individual repair.....grind out the crack....fill with marine tex or gellcoat.....then you can paint in confidence that they wont return.

cheers
oops

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

Hello Mark..

As you already know that good advise come from good looksies.

Grinding..gelpaste and/or tex I dont think is the answer from what you describe....( no offense oops ).

YD.

 

[mmccoy555]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

Sounds like you'll have to grind back down to the fiberglass to make sure it's not actually cracks in the glass. If you just sand and paint right over the cracks as you know they will come back.

 

[oops!]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

what do you suggest yd?

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

"The cracks are dispersed over the whole canoe."

Grinding down to glass on a canoe does not sound like a good idea..its a canoe..not a 40 foot fisher..

There is a product that will seal craze cracks..but..lets just see what the pics show shall we ?

YD.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

Mark.... just another word to confuse you..... the canoe might be epoxy resin with glass and not normal fiberglass resin.....

All those little stress cracks are caused by VT Yankee leaking oh yeah and the cell phone towers, wind farms and the biggest ones are from all of us doing organized coyote hunts (VT Humor people )

If you want the cracks to show up in a photo and most canoes are dark colored ..... try wiping baby powder on the surface and it will highlight the cracks

Check out this thread too http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=244757

Hey free fishing day this weekend LOL I have my lic and I know you do too.... just in time to coincide with all the graduation parties.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

Thanks for the info- I am leaning towards the bad factory gelcoat idea myself. There is no evidence that it is a result of damage. I hope to get up there in the next few days and snap a few photos. I will post them.

Bob: I don't know where you would do those hunts anyway. The coyotes I have seen have never seemed very organized. Now if they started doing wary coyote hunts, well then, we'd have a real problem! There's lots of those... I think the organized coyotes are endangered. LOL

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: fiberglass canoe - strange cracks

Thanks for the info- I am leaning towards the bad factory gelcoat idea myself. There is no evidence that it is a result of damage. I hope to get up there in the next few days and snap a few photos. I will post them.

Bob: I don't know where you would do those hunts anyway. The coyotes I have seen have never seemed very organized. Now if they started doing wary coyote hunts, well then, we'd have a real problem! There's lots of those... I think the organized coyotes are endangered. LOL

Well one thing is certain...... that gel coat is NOT sun damaged this year

Sand it, grind it and get it done

Dang organized coyotes..... next they will want unemployment checks and want the right to marraige and someone will entertain their request!