Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

[luckyinkentucky]

What's that metal hook-up called on the forward hull of a boat that you hook your winch too in order to secure it to the trailer?

At any rate I have a little bit of gel coat that has broken off around this metal piece, and it is showing small areas of fiberglass. I checked the metal piece itself for tightness, and it is fine. I also checked inside the area under the instrument panel for the forward controls, and it is securely attached to the fiberglass. For some reason this area has about an inch by 2 inch area that has the gel coat flaking off. Kind of reminds me of the shell on a hard boiled egg. What should I do?

 

[gcboat]

Re: Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

Guess you could do a lot of things - or nothing. If the cosmetics bother you then you could remove and reapply new gel coat to match. If it is sound - as you say - then a little caulk around the edges should suffice. And yes, your gel coat is just about the thickness of an eggshell. Little spooky- eh?

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

Where is the best place to buy an economical gel coat kit? I just need it for a touch up type application, and not a whole quart for a major damage fix.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

Most marine supply stores have kits and so do many automotive parts stores, even some Wal-Marts have them. Most come with instructions and some pigments so you can tint it to match your boat.

 

[thurps]

Re: Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

As long as you have the eye off you might consider putting a reinforcement plate on the inside.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

The only problem with a reinforcement plate is that if that hook was designed to give then I could end up with a big chunk of my boat gone if it didn't give. I don't like to reinforce hard metals to materials that are weaker than the metals in this instance. In other words ... next time I could end up with a 10 inch section of my boat gone should this happen again.

 

[Windykid]

Re: Gel Coat cracked and Broken around winch hook-up on hull

Sounds like the winch has pulled the full weight of the boat, causing the gel coat to crack. Make sure the trailer is backed in enough to leasen strain on the front eye.