Has anyone used Gluvit to reseal a deeply cracked gelcoat deck?

[polecat]

After removing all deck hardware & toerail - I've found that under 4 coats of various types of deck paint & nonskid that the gelcoat is badly cracked (40 yr old Renegade).  I'm wondering what the best approach is.  I can get the paint off down to the gelcoat easy enough but would like to try something other than grinding off all the gelcoat.  Maybe grind down to the gelcoat - vacuum & clean - seal with gluvit - then fill - prime & paint?
jim

[Shipscarver]

Hey S/V Aweigh  -

Can you give us a picture of the deck gel cracks?  There's cracks, and then there are gelcoat CRACKS!

[AdriftAtSea]

I'd second the request for a photo.  If the cracks are just crazing, then using Gluvit would probably work.  However, if the cracks are stress cracks, you probably will want to reinforce the area with a bit of glasswork. :)

[polecat]

Adrift - Can't seem to get the pictures onto sailfar.  These cracks are not spidery stress cracks - they are in thick 40 yr old gelcoat.  This old renegade is built like a tank.   I first noticed cracks certain places in the deck paint  and around bedded hardware.  Once I removed the deck hardware the gelcoat problems were apparent.  The overall deck is solid but leaks like a sieve all around the hull deck joint,  The sealer in the joint is like plumbers putty, has dried out over the years and doesn't stick to anything - plan on glassing it all the way around on the outside before redoing the toe rail.
jim
Shipscarver - I e-mailed a picture of the exposed gelcoat.
jim

[AdriftAtSea]

Are the cracks parallel lines, star-shaped or basically random spidering?  If the lines are mostly parallel lines, then they're stress cracks from the laminate flexing, and the laminate needs to be reinforced.  If the cracks are star-shaped, radiating outwards from a single point, they're usually from an impact of some sort.  If the lines are basically random spidering, then it is just the gelcoat cracking because it was laid up to thickly originally.  Gelcoat, by its nature, is less flexible than the underlying laminate, and if laid up too thickly, it will spider.

BTW, if you want to post the photos, go over to flickr.com or photobucket.com and get an account.  Then upload the photos there and copy the "IMG" code from the various image pages and paste it here to have them show up in this forum.

[CharlieJ]

If you use the "additional options" button, you find an "attach" block, which allows you to post pics here direct from your hard drive. Total 200K, 4 pics.  You just can't preview them.

[polecat]

Thanks CJ I'll try it .  I only have 2 of the pictures -- will make more later but had to throw the tarp over her as we are getting a little rain today. 

[CharlieJ]

Great-

understand on the rain- we got a "little bit" yesterday morning- like 5.1 inches in 1.75 hours!!

Then it slowed and we got another .4 after that. The first rain was between 0600 and 0845.

But we've been SO bad off for rain, ALL the puddles were gone by dark