Peter Clinch wrote in message ...
Alex McGruer wrote:
My NDK explorer took a smack when I was not looking.
I have a star crack about 2 feet long and 6 inches wide just under the
water line. There is no dent, just cracked jell coat. Any idea how to
fix this or stop water permeating into the glass underneath and
causing delamination in the freeze thaw cycle?

I'd use gel coat filler, which your friendly neighbourhood ship's
chandler should have. The stuff I got was "Plastic Padding" and came in
hardener/goop two part. Mix together, apply along the wound after
giving it a rough sand to key it first and then once it's dry sand,
sand, sand. Start with rougher gauges and gradually move to finer, end
up using a polishing paste for best results.
Worked okay on my Selkie, and I'm hardly an expert handyman.

But since you're going to someone who knows about it to get the goop to
start with, have a word with them about it anyway. A couple of times
I've gone to get first aid stuff for minor repairs and been directed to
a much more suitable idea after discussing it with the chaps the they
do fibreglass for a living and know a helluva lot more about it than I do!

Pete.


Thank you Peter
Richard Hayes I think came up with the rest of the recipe. A Dremmel
Tool with a fine stone to rout out the cracks and fille ach crack.
I am going to take your advice and the little I know and see if i can
find a garage to beg or borrow and have at it.
I went to an auto body place to see what they could do. $1,000 Cdn.
ouch. Now it would look like new but I am not woried about that right
now.
Thanks again Richard and Peter.