Restoration Question ?????

[spotaholic]

I have a 94 Stratos that is in pretty good condition but I am starting to notice stress cracks. Also I am getting star marks in the clear coat. I was told is was clear coat by someone that knew the previous owner. My question is this can the problem be fixed and how? Will I have to do the whole boat or just the area's that I am seeing the cracks? Do I need to strip the clearcoat off and get back to the gel coat? I can give more info if needed. Thanks in advance,

I am not sure if this makes a difference but it is a sparkle finish.

[perfect-storm]

All flake boats have clear gel coat on top, it's the only way to make them feel smooth. It's the first gel placed in the mold. It is a possibility someone sprayed yours with clear paint if it was restored before but I don't know the history of the boat. Some people do this when they wear through the original clear gel coat. Most boats get fine gel coat cracks. If they are small not spreading, they are probably just the normal cosmetic ones. Gel coat doesn't flex as much as fiberglass and therefore can develop cracks in some areas. Have you tried wet sanding and high speed buffing to eliminate some of the stars and any other flaws? As far as the gel coat cracks, don't waste your time fixing them as they will only come back. Just my .02

[Fat Basser]

I had the same problem with my 96 Gambler. Previous owner had the top cap clear coated and it started to bubble in a few places. I found a product call Aqua Strip (no chemicals, designed to strip clear coat/paint from gel coat, without harming the finish. It was a pretty long process but I finally got half of the cap stripped. I wet-sanded with 1500 grit, buffed it out and waxed. It came out great. I don't know if I am going to have the cap sprayed or not at the end of the season. I am not looking forward to more stripping though.