major gel coat cracking...what do you do??

[THEPISTONHEAD]

When the gel coat is cracked really bad on the top deck of a boat....do you
1) sand it down partially and then add filler to penetrate all the crevices then prime paint clear....
2) remove all gel coat effected then prime paint clear
3) scuff it then use a filler then prime paint clear
4) or do I have to remove all the gel coat then re-gel to maintain the stuctural integrity....Pllease say no.
The entire deck of a boat im looking at is basically cracking...its not flaking of but its like mud after it dries with all the little spider webbing....Can I save it with minimal work and then paint it ???? I cant afford to re-gel it if thats what needs to be done! Is there a body filler that penetrates little cracks?
Thanks,
Jason
If there are experts out there willing to advise me I can email you pics but they are huge. Please PM me.

[BrendellaJet]

Is this your boat? If not, move on and find another. If it is yours you need to decide how badly you want this particular boat.
The picture you have painted is bad. Gel coat is not structural, however it could be cracking because the glass has cracked/been weekend because of abuse.
Either way, to really findout what is going on, the gel has to be sanded down to the glass and a determination needs to be made: If the glass is cracked, definitely buy a new boat unless you have solid body work & fiberglass skills and can do the work on your own. If the glass is not cracked you can proceed with painting or a re-gel($$$)
If this is not your boat I would highly suggest moving on, your time & money would be better suited to a project where the hull is sound.

[THEPISTONHEAD]

Im 99% sure its just the gel. Its only on the top deck. Almost as if it sat in the sun and dryed up but im almost certain its been religously covered. Its not my boat but if it were a $1000 to $1500 fix and the boat looked good after then I think its worth it. I didnt know if the gel coat added structural support. I was or am just concerned that if I (215lbs) got on the deck there would be issues! Thanks for the response! I need all the help I can get!

[Saab]

From what I have heard from my ol buddy todd the way to get rid of stress cracks in the gel is to drill a hole at the end of each crack to stop the crack (really important) and the sand down and re gel. I personaly think this is too much work for an unsupervised 1st timer to truly repair. You may be able sand it and re paint but the cracks will just grow and grow.... like a crack in a windshield... every week it seems to get bigger until its completely across the windshield. get a hold of "toddnjuzz" he has a fiberglass shop in upland and can fix it up for ya.

[Saab]

But your in texas so that wont help much... but he may be able to point you in a direction.

[victorfb]

is the decks gel metal flake? its very common for the older metal flake boats to get what you described. not cracks through the glass, just spider cracks (millions of them) all throughout the clear top coat. im guessing that when its wet it looks good, but as soon as it dries it basically looks and feels rough. waxing useually enhances the look as it fills each crack with dried wax.
if this is the case there is hope. a new clear gel (i use dura tech) can be sprayed on with minimal sanding and buffing to finish. its a highly refined clear gel coat that can be sprayed with a automotive type gun with a large tip (i use a 2.2), that also self levels to a fairly smooth finish (unlike normal gel coat). there is some prep work to be done before hand, but im sure you can get that info from todd or most any good gel/glass guy. the product isnt cheap, about $100 gal.
i wouldnt recommend trying to fix it with clear paint. the paint wont last as the tiny cracks will continue and the paint isnt strong enough to withstand it. especially with metalfake under it magnafying the uv rays. ive done it as a temporary fix, but i knew it was temporary.

[atxwrangler]

definately number 2, you are talking many hrs of labor.a guy here in edna just redid his boat,and it takes lots and lots of dedication.move on!look at the one i posted under big deals on thb.looks like a killer deal!

[old rigger]

piston head,
sounds like you're looking at a Spectra. I don't know why but for some reason the worst gel cracking I've ever seen have been on Spectras. I drove to the bay area a few months ago to look at an 18, I really like those hulls, and again the deck looked like a road map. Only way to fix it is to grind it all away, down to the glass and start over. I passed on that one.
By the way, the way described by saab via Todd on fixing stress cracks is bull. It's not a cracked engine block, it's fiberglass and the correct way to fix it is to first correct the problem causing the stress, and then grind out the entire cracked area and repair that too.

[THEPISTONHEAD]

If I sand down all the gell on the top deck down to the glass and then prime, paint etc....will it hold up. Or does gelcoat provide structureal support too? In searching on the internet...it seems to be a Spectra thing. Im pretty sure the glass is fine though.

[76ANTHONY]

If I sand down all the gell on the top deck down to the glass and then prime, paint etc....will it hold up. Or does gelcoat provide structureal support too? In searching on the internet...it seems to be a Spectra thing. Im pretty sure the glass is fine though.
pm ducky on here, he does gelcoat repairs, he is the man when it comes to knowledge of gelcoat.