United Kingdom
51 Posts
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 15:30:22 Sunfly's Homepage Edit Topic Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Topic
Hi everyone
I hope this works, not tried posting a picture before:
- Gelcoatcrazing.jpg~original.jpeg (29.51 KiB) Viewed 3396 times
Anyway, I'm currently researchin what to do about it, and am currently considering two options.
1) Abbrading followed by A High Build Epoxy Primer (Jotun seems a good bet) plus a 2 pack polyurethane topcoat...
2) (suggested by blakes techie who seemed to have addressed similar issues before) HEAVY abrading, followed by a standard epoxy primer, then skimming with epoxy filler, more abrading, second coat of epoxy primer, PU topcoat.
Main concern is achieving a finish that will permanently hide the cracks.
I can't belive mine is the only Sabre to have suffered this - has anyone else any experience to share? I'd be especially interested in solutions that HAVEN'T stood the test of time!
Cheers
Toby
Nothing - absolute nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
Edited by - Sunfly on 10/02/2010 15:36:09
ken endean
United Kingdom
52 Posts
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 16:53:49
Toby,
I painted our hull and deck mouldings with 2-pack poly (Blakes) many years ago (hull in 1995 and deck/coachroof 2 or 3 years before that). I used a minimum thickness - no undercoat and two topcoats - because I reckon a thick paint layer is more likely to spall when struck. As it is, the hull surfaces remain near-perfect, except in one place where a French catamaran punched a hole and my repair was less than brilliant. The gelcoat crazing on the deck moulding started to show again about 10 years after the paint job but is generally not very noticeable because I painted the horizontal deck surfaces with a contrasting deck paint, so there is good contrast between colours and that tends to divert the eye from minor imperfections. I am not convinced that a thicker covering would have done any better unless it was reinforced by a mat of fibres to resist any tensile shrinkage stresses. One advantage of using minimum coats is that you can do it with a minimum of fine weather. 2-part poly is very tough but must be applied under good conditions.
Ken Endean
keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts
Posted - 14/02/2010 : 20:20:42
I have seen that type of crazing many times but normally on older boats like early Macwesters,Hurleys & Felicities. I havent seen it generally on a Sabre yet though ours had a few similar surface cracks under the tabernacle & rubbing strake, where water had obviously been trapped.
In our boat's case the gelcoat was literally worn away so the laminate was grinning through on the corners & smooth high wear areas.
I would think there is little to stop cracks reappearing & that you would need to sand back heavily.
As far as paint goes any decent high build epoxy primer followed by top coat of your choice.
Two pack must be put on in good warm conditions or you are wasting your time & money!
The alternative is use a good monourethane paint like Epifanes or Toplac & resign yourself to a recoat every few years.
dave
United Kingdom
67 Posts
Posted - 17/04/2010 : 12:07:55 Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Send dave an AOL message Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
on gentle nimbus i had this crazing all i did was fill in the big pits and cracks gently sanded and painted with white marine gloss
with the antiskid i used international interdeck after carefully masking the finished product came up superb the down side was the two hours masking