hairline cracks

[greg225]

thinkin maybe someone could inform me on this one, I own a 2002 zx 225 skeeter that seems to have a lot of hairline cracks in the front of the boat on each side of my minnkota trolling motor, the cracks are so small that I can't even take a picture of them. I do once recall reading up on the same topic in which someone took care of them easily and it was also on a white deck. Any help would be much appreciated.
greg

[bassdude57]

I'd leave them alone. Sounds cosmetic.

Good luck!

[ProcraftMike]

Pretty much all boats will develop hairline cracks over time. It just comes with age and repeated flexing of the boat.

[greg225]

thanks for the reply guys but isn't there something out there that can t ake care of em'? I remember reading something on the board on how to fill them with step by step instructions, anyone remember?
greg

[ProcraftMike]

Sure, you can fix them or have them fixed, but they will most likely come back. The gelcoat on a boat is brittle. When you combine that with a boat that flexes in certain areas, you will eventually end up with some stress cracks.

Depending on how deep the cracks are, you might be able to lightly sand and buff them out. But, if it is through the gelcoat, it would have to be sanded down completely and re-shot with gel. There is no guarantee that they will not just reappear again down the line. I would just live with the battle scars.

[merklerob]

thats about right. unless you re-enforce the motor mount the flexing will continue to creat those cracks.

[greg225]

funny that you mention that merklerob because I just completed installing a minnkota quickmount release on it and by doing so have covered about 30% of those nasty cracks but still wanna try to mask some of them so need info( type of sandpaper grit and what do you use to fill it) and i'm pretty sure its not deep so I can play with it. Thanks a lot for the reply guys, and pretty soon I hope to really put myself to the test when in early part of next year I will be splitting a 2005 zx225 deck apart from the hull so I'll try to document (with photos of course) the job & maybe add my 10 cents worth

[Rollo331]

get a china pencil (grease pin white or balck whichever will showup the best) mark squiggly lines across the fractures....
then take a cotton rag your finger anything and smear the china marker into the fractures good and around them .... now look good you might just found a whole bunch more! take a dremel or a die grinder and router them out and go past the end a little bit and router a small circle out...
fill with a marine filler respry the gelcoat buff and match good....mount your trolling motor go hit a cruiser wave and start all over in a different area seriously if they are very small i would forget them....they will generally show back up and the repair if not done correct (especially metal flake) will stick out worse then the fractures ever thought about.

If it is a solid gel and they are really little you can buy that colored car wax.and hide them somewhat.........