Interior Crazing

[ALI-OOP]

I'd like to get [information] on crazing.

Q1: Was [crazing of the gel coat] something the early Boston Whaler boats suffered from?

Q2: If I strip off [the top coat of what looks like blue] paint [on a 1972 SPORT 13] will I find gel [coat] that has less crazing?

Thank You

BACKSTORY: The [1972] Sport 13 has been altered over the years. The interior is blue, and may have been poorly prepped and painted at some time in the past. [The blue interior] finish is crazing. [I am] not sure if [the crazing is result of] just the poorly done topcoat or the original gel [coat resin] [There is] no bow rail now, but [the boat] may have either come with [a bow rail] or had [a bow rail] added and removed at some point. [The bow] has a smirk.

Tony G

[ALI-OOP]

I read through a bunch of threads on [cracks and crazing] repair, and I watched a YouTube video on [refurbishing cracked and crazed gel coat in old Boston Whaler boats] by TotalBoat.

[jimh]

The appearance of many small cracks or crazing is seen in all fiberglass boats in which the gel coat layer has not been properly cared for. Cracking or crazing of gel coat is not specific to Boston Whaler boats or to Boston Whaler boats of a particular production epoch.

The older the fiberglass boat with a gel coat finish, the more exposure to sunlight, and the more neglect of care for the gel coat, the more likely crazing will be seen.

[jimh]

Paint can only be applied as a thin top coat layer. If cracks are appearing in a layer of paint top coat over gel coat, the cracks are most likely in the underlying gel coat layer and not just confined to the paint.

For a particular instance of cracking appearing in a layer of paint over gel coat on a particular boat, a determination of which layer—the paint top coat or the underlying gel coat—contains the cracking can be made by choosing an inconspicuous area of the cracking and sanding off the paint top coat to reveal the underlying gel coat and its condition.

[ALI-OOP]

I had planned on sanding down one layer to see if [the crazing were] in topcoat or gel coat.

I'm trying to line up my ducks so I know what to expect in the fall. I'm wrapping up a huge twin Diesel rebuild project that has been kicking my butt and hope to tackle this in short order.

Thank you

[jimh]

A 1972 Boston Whaler SPORT 13 hull should have the smirk style at the bow and a 20-inch transom height. The interior gel coat color may also be blue.

I believe that in 1972 the interior of a 13-footer has been reported to have been made in both blue or tan at various stages of production of that model year.

[ALI-OOP]

This 13-footer boat does have the smirk, but the transom height was originally 15-inches. The transom has been fitted with a custom aluminum transom bracket to raise height to 20-inches.

[biggiefl]

Jim the 72 was the last year of 15" transom. It has been said that there were a few(literally) late 71's that were smirked as well as a few(literally) blue 73's. I have never heard of a tan 72 however.