Spider Cracks

[Fl Boy in ILL]

We bought a 93 Mirage that has some very small stress or spider cracks up on the top lip around the cockpit area, we are prepping to paint the boat and wanted to know what is the best way to fix these cracks and prevent them from coming back.

Thanks
Rick

[vector mike]

If it is cracked in the gel coat, you can fill it in but they will probably come back. The only way to remove them and not have them come back is to grind/sand them out, then regel.

[Techno]

Doing my hull I found that grinding through the gell either eliminated the crack, only in the gel.
The resin was slightly white, so ground a bit deeper. Didn't find any glass broken on any of them. Also I missed some and when I sprayed the primer on it high lighted the cracks.
You can mix up a filler or buy gelcoat at a boat store for small patches.

The pattern of the crack either tells you it was an impact cause or its a flexing cause. If flexing, either live with it or back up the area so it doesn' t do it in the future. Re-inforce it from the back with plywood or more lams or a stiffener, which ever suits the situation best.

[ryan_L6]

if the cracks are into the fiberglass, i would step sand the crack

---------------------- sandthisout icrack ----------------------
-------------- i -----------
---------------

to remove , then replace the stepsanded areas with new plies using a vacuum bag and caul plate to regain structural strength and contour.

------------------------------------------------------
--------------------- -------------------------------------- ---------------------
--------------------------------------
-------------- ----------- ----------
--------------

would look something kinda like this when done. use about .5 in to 1in overlap or step depending on size/length of crack.hope you can make sense of this. just what i would do. use as close to the original material and resin as you can. sand and gelcoat. should look good last long time.

[ryan_L6]

diagrams didnt work. sorry.