Megabyte......
The cracks are so inconspicuous that I think even my 6 megapixel camera would have trouble showing them. They are definately there but there are enough other "blemishes" that I think it would be difficult to show them on here.
DaleH.....
Yes to your trailering question. It is actually on a relatively new trailer (4x6 bunks) so you might have just given me the exact cause. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.
Now on to the repair. Any suggestions? I have been doing lots of work on the gel coat lately and would be completely comfortable removing a 1 inch wide by 3 foot long strip of gelcoat with a Dremel tool and replacing it. If this is the route I take would you suggest taking a wider swath away and adding a few layers of fiberglass or just replacing the gel coat and calling it done. I have also been giving considerable thought to painting the hull below the water line with Interlux Interprotect or something similar. If I did this would I need to repair the cracks first or could I just paint over them? If I understand correctly, the 2-part poly paints are "flexible," or at least more so than gelcoat. If this is correct then I would expect that the paint would flex enough to prevent the cracks from showing up in the paint.
Thanks for your advice.
052520..........
Are your cracks below the water line? If they are then I think you definately should be curious as to why they are there and what harm they might do in the long run. Consider the fact that I am in a 20 year old hull and you are in a 1 year old hull. If there is something between my feet and the saltwater that I use this boat in that will cause me to have trouble getting home tonight to see my wife and kids then I want to know what I need to do to make sure it is not going to become a bigger issue.
Relax??? Twenty miles is a long way to swim if I have a problem. I think I should take this kinda seriously.
And to answer your question, I don't make threats. I make promises. I promise that I will post this issue on THT and I also promise that I will be on the phone tomorrow with Ferron Peffer, the engineer at Parker that has answered many of my questions in the past. BUT, am I trying to stir up a bunch of crap for anyone? Absolutely not. I just want to know what advice I might find on the website that has provided me with countless great ideas (like joining classicparker.com) and volumes of useful information and I want to talk with an engineer from the company that built my boat to find out what he suggests.
Don't be so defensive. It's actually kind of funny though. I got the same kind of response from a poster on THT before I read your post. See my response below in a thread with the same title on the "Boating Forum" on THT......
poster"******* - 3/15/2006 6:52 PM
You sure its not just the gelcoat? gelcoats dry up after 10 yrs and tend to crack from continuous flexing."
(me)Actually, this is exactly what I think as well as what I am hoping. I would guess that the cracks have been there for years. Since I have had the boat, I have not exactly "gone easy" on her and have yet to find a drop of water in the bilge after many long days on the water. I am only trying to cover all of the bases so to speak.
poster"You should have a surveyor check it for water intrusion. It would also bolster your case."
(me)Let me clarify a little. I will only be calling Parker for advice on the subject. I am not trying to make a "case" against Parker. I'm actually the third owner of a 20 year old boat so I wouldn't expect Parker to drop what they were doing to make repairs to the hull free of charge. I just want to talk with the long timers at the factory as well as the engineering staff to determine if I should be worried about it, fix it, or just leave it alone and finish my wax and buff job and go fishing.
Can anyone out there make any recommendations about what I might do. I would feel completely comfortable removing the gelcoat in the affected areas, laying a few new layers of glass, and replacing the gelcoat. I have actually been doing all kinds of little gelcoat and fiberglass jobs lately and have gained some confidence on the subject.
Thanks though, 052520, for your interest in my dilemma.
