TOPIC: Help with a rough boat

Hi everyone,

I am posting regarding a 1961 Arkansas Traveler that I have. The boat has crazing and stress cracks all over the gelcoat. I have done some glass work, but never restored the outside of a fiberglass boat cosmetically. What would be required to restore this boat so that the result would be a finish that looks good and is long lasting before cracks begin to return?

Chine area

Your feedback is appreciated
Adam

Adam,
I haven't had to deal with this but others will jump in, but your going to want to grind a small Vee in those cracks and fill them in with and epoxy or glass filler, sand it down, fill low spots with a filler then prime and paint. Fairly simple just a lot of work to make sure it comes out smooth when you paint. The detail is in the prep.

Bob

NO NO NO!
You can grind Vs forever, but the problem is bad old hard gel-coat. It will keep crazing. It must all come off, or a new layer of fiberglass laid over it. To grind it all of and get it smooth again may take a real bodyman. Hit it with a grinder with 40 grit and lay some glass cloth over it. It's a lot of work either way with absolutely no return of your time and money. Ya better love the boat.

I sanded mine the whole long way down to the fiberglass mat. That is how far the cracks went. It is hard work. Like was said, "Better Like that boat."I fiberglassed, filled dips, repaired holes did the whole bottom in spot filler and primed and painted. I had the opportunity to sand several layers of paint off as well as repair the grinding marks from somebody else's failed attempt at removing the cracks. I think next time I will choose another boat.

50s Flash wrote:

NO NO NO!
It's a lot of work either way with absolutely no return of your time and money. Ya better love the boat.

A Hole Lotta Love !!!!!Unless it is really really cool and really really rare.....I will never do another.

jerry is right on. i grinded v's into my stress cracks, filled, sanded and re-painted. first day out on the water, hit a couple of wakes and the cracks re-appeared. ron

Hi Ron. How ya feeling?

Thanks everyone for confirming what I suspected. The hull of this boat is a simulated lapstrake, so sanding to glass and surfacing for paint or new gelcoat would be a huge undertaking. Too bay, because it is a neat looking boat and would be nice for big lakes.

Now if i could just figure out what one of my other boats is.....it would be an easier project.

Well I stand corrected. I knew others with more experience would jump in.

Bob

bob you were not wrong in my book,the only difference is this boat is sooo badly crazed,that the others are correct in this case.
but in minor crazing I have done the method you spoke of and had good results that lasted.
heck on the sunray,the crazing was minor,and I didn't even use filler,i sanded it down and blew the boat off with compressed air,then used heavy filler primer,then sanded again,and painted, through 4 years of winning an award at every boat show we took it to.
the last show it won for best boat and outboard.
it came in second for best of show.
just my opinion.john