Deck crazing

[MagicalArmchair]

I've been so involved in fitting Mirage out and getting all her critical systems up and running, I hadn't had any time to do the 'fun' stuff - deck cleaning!

The deck has a number of patches like the below.





Has anyone else experienced this? Does this go right through the gel coat? Can it be polished out mechanically? I just left the deck painting party (http://www.albinballad.co.uk/how-tos/paint-deck-outside-winter/) on my old boat - I don't relish the thought of doing that again  .

[PEA-JAY]

Hi. From the image it looks like there are shallow cracks in the gel coat itself that have filled up with black dirt. Could it be the result of an aggressive cleaner incorrectly used on deck in the past?
 If it was my boat I would bring in a GRP expert to have a look at it and positively identify the problem and possibly advise a solution, rather than experimenting with it especially since you have it in several places. I’m sure it will be worth the cost of the specialist’s fee. Raph

[MagicalArmchair]

I'll see who is local, I'll also talk to EC Fibreglass, who have some pretty amazing skills in this stuff. Has anyone else seen this on their Bavaria's then, or is this specific to Mirage? She is 2002. It'll be interesting to see if anyone else has had similar issues with crazing.

[Symphony]

i agree. The fine crazing in the gel coat is not uncommon, nor unique to Bavaria. Non slip areas and tight radii as you show in your photos are common areas where the gel coat is potentially weakest or poorly cured. It becomes most noticeable when dirt is ingrained. We tend to get a lot of particle fallout in Poole, maybe because we are under the flight path for Hurn airport and it is most difficult to shift in the non slip areas. Has not been so bad this year, but given my advancing years, I am having somebody to clean it professionally. He has done the hull already and will do the deck this week now the boat is back in. Don't think there is any crazing yet, just an overall grey sort of bloom.

The guy's name is Ian Cameron. He works out of Cobbs Quay as "Boat Butlers" and does a lot of the valet work and pre-sale prep locally. phone 07896 104012 www.R1boatbutlers.co.uk

[tckearney]

mines 2000 and absolutely no sign of that, and its in scotland west coast so loads of rain and little sunshine.

[MagicalArmchair]

Thanks both, Symphony, when I purchased the boat I thought it was some kind of bloom like on yours. I get horrible visions I’ll need to Dremel each of those cracks out and touch in the gel coat after matching it.

I went down MDL Chatham today and was intensely studying all the Bavaria’s for the same effect, but nothing similar at all.

Thanks tckearney, strange indeed.

[Yngmar]

Seen this on a Lagoon catamaran. Microscopic cracks in the gelcoat, with dark green/black algae or mould growing in them, making them visible. They got it mostly sorted by repeat polishing (need to polish with a brush to get into the pattern - toothbrushes work well and are tough).

[MagicalArmchair]

Thanks Yngmar - you offer some hope that it may be possible to remedy without too much Dremelling destruction. I'll bring some rubbing compound and do some trials next weekend on a patch of this stuff that is in a less conspicuous place.

[captain kev]

If it's of any interest to you, I have the same issues developing on my 2001.  I'm in Hawaii where the beating sun and rain are daily occurrences.  Best of luck finding a fix, and here's to hoping it's something simple.

[MagicalArmchair]

If it's of any interest to you, I have the same issues developing on my 2001.  I'm in Hawaii where the beating sun and rain are daily occurrences.  Best of luck finding a fix, and here's to hoping it's something simple.

Thank you Captain Kev - there is comfort in knowing I am not the only one. I'll try some things on a patch at the weekend. I'll bring my big 14" polisher and some compound with me and work on the edge of some of it...

[captain kev]

Any luck on a cure??

[MagicalArmchair]

I'm afraid not. I've compounded most of the deck, and you can really minimise the effect through plenty of machining, however, the crazing appears to go right through the gel coat. This is a concern for the laminate under it I suppose.

I have waxed the portions I have polished so far. Once I've completed the whole deck, I'll go back and attack these specific areas of most crazing. I think the only option will be to go slowly and Dremel them out and fill them with new gel coat. Getting a match will be the real challenge here!

Have you tried anything on yours?

[IslandAlchemy]

I have some of this on my deck, and I find that spraying it with bathroom "mould & mildew" spray gets rid of the black almost instantly.

It doesn't sort out the crazing, but at least you can't see it any more.

[tiger79]

I had some similar tiny crazing on the superstructure of a Hallberg-Rassy I owned.  It had spent the first 5 years of its life baking in the Spanish sunshine, and I suspect that didn't help.  I couldn't find an easy cure for it.