Gel Coat spider cracks - any thoughts

[Sdfish]

Any thoughts on the below gelcoat lines? Very thin, barely visible spider crack lines on the front strake of the boat. Anything to be concerned with? There is no visible fiberglass and no indication of impact. Boat is a 1999 vintage.

 

[seasick]

That chine may have impacted something like a piling or a dock. Where is it located along the hull?

Keep an eye on it to see if more cracking occurs. That could mean that the area if flexing from some sort of internal weakness

 

[Hookup1]

It's probably not structural. The chines are not heavily built up so an impact could crack the gelcoat. When I installed my bow thruster I sawed thru the chine when cleaning the space out. Look on lower left side - daylight.


The gelcoat does help keep the water out of the fiberglass. I would have someone repair the gelcoat when you get a chance.

 

[Fishtales]

Might have been been contacted by a boat lift. Many places are using the fork lift type of boat lift. I've seen damage on chines from them in the past.

 

[DennisG01]

Lifting strakes will have more glass in them than a chine, simply due to how they are built. But I agree with others that it most likely is not structural. Rap on it real good with your knuckles and compare to other areas. I suspect you won't notice a difference in the sound.

Gelcoat is actually quite brittle and can crack easily with a slight impact - and what may have started out as a small spider crack can get bigger. Also, spider cracks can, and do, continue to spread. The fix is relatively straight forward but it does take some time. An important piece is to drill a small, shallow hole at the end of each crack to stop it from spreading.

Another factor is that if the gel was put on too thick at the time of the build, it actually makes it more prone to cracking.

 

[Fishtales]

Agree it isn't structural. It should be an easy repair for the owner or a professional to do.

 

[Sdfish]

Phew - thanks for the feedback and opinions! I'll look for a local gelcoat guy to do this right.