Should I be worried? Fibreglass Repairs ???????

[CRAFTY24]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering if I should be concerned with these cracks and scratches in the fibreglass? The boat is an 89 model Yalta. Most of these looked to me like they are just from wear and tear and general use over the years. I guess the cracks are just stress cracks and the scratches underneath are from running up the beach or possibly missing the trailer over the years?

Guess my questions are should I be worried? Should I bothered fixing it or is it just a cosmetic thing and if fixing an estimated cost to have it done? As far as I know boat isn't taking on water so to me it's just a cosmetic thing.

Cheers

Dave

62055 620566205762058

[oldie]

looks mostly to be just in the gel coat not structural, you can get it fixed or buy the kit yourself from any boat shop, Gel Coat repair kit. Its not to hard kinda like doping holes in ya wall with spak filler, if any of them are raw to the fiberglass they are worth fixing as after time in water it can start to absorb into the glass, the gel coat is the sealer.

[Getout]

Gelcoat isn't very flexible. In areas where the fibreglass flexes, you can get hairline cracks in the outer layer of gelcoat. Thats life with fibreglass.
The deep scratches can quite easily be filled and faired to make a smooth and more attractive appearance.

[cormorant]

Are they in original gelcoat or are some of them paint that has been applied for cosmetic or repair reasons.

I don't like the look of the ones near teh drain hole but get someone who deals with boat repairs regularly to have a good look

[Jarrah Jack]

I'm with Cormorant on that one, those cracks near the drain hole look more structural to me and may require further examination.

[CRAFTY24]

The ones near the drain hole were probably the ones I was less worried about. There not deep and just look like small cracks in the gel coat from the fibreglass flexing over the 20 years it has been on the water. All the Gel coat is original and there has not been any repairs. I used to have a 80 model cruise craft that had similiar cracking in places so I figured it was just part and parcel of a glass boat.

Cheers for the responses.

Dave

[cormorant]

Cracks near the drain hole were a concern to me only because it should be a really strong part of the hull and for cracks to appear it has had a fair ol bang or a lot of pressure applied or may just be use and age. Heaps of causes from trailer design,strapped down too hard hitting a wharf right up to a bigger inpact . It was the possibility of a bigger impact or a thin layup from manufacture that would concern me not the cosmetics of a older boat. If it has't delaminted or isn't soft or drummy when you bang it with a rubber mallet, push into it with fist, then it s just age and a bang as opposed to something more sinister. Trilers with twin nose rollers up neat teh winch used to do it when they were nipped up and trailered rough. Look inside hull to look for repairs behing any outside damage.

Crazing stress cracks around rail is typial and was either big pressure on rail or not enough backing and not enough thickness in deck their. I would be worried if they didn't exist in a boat of that age.

Gouges and stuff along keel didn't look structural but the colour came off looked more like paint than original gelcoat and colour underneath looks like fairing rather than glass or gelcoat. Again nothing to worry about if it all adds up and the boat hasn't had major amature repairs or crap professional ones.

Really hard to tell from photos so was just throwing in my 2 bobs.

[jimbo59]

the boats had a 2 pack paint job some time ago and looks like it needs another 1 soon.