RE: [Paddlewise] Spider cracks in my new Romany

>
> M. Lenon <lenonm_at_milwaukee.tec.wi.us> wrote:
>
>
> Last night I found some spider cracks in the gelcoat of my
> fiberglass NDK Romany
> Explorer.
>
> These cracks seem to have developed since I purchased the boat
> new exactly one year
> ago. They form about a 1.5 inch diameter circle at the moment.
> They are located
> beside the front hatch and just below the seam.
>
> The boat has not suffered any impact damage since I bought it.
> There is no evidence
> the boat has been struck at that point.
>
> My boat has led a very gentle life so far, and has never been
> subjected to heavy
> stress.
>
> I don't understand why these cracks have developed.
>
> Is this sort of thing common on fiberglass boats?

No, not unless they have taken a hard blow or a sustained deforming pressure
on the side of the laminate opposite of the gelcoat. Did you jamb or wedge
any "one last thing" into the hatch that might have pushed out against that
area?
Are you sure they are really cracks? Any chance that it has been there since
the kayak was new and you hadn't noticed it until they got dirty? I ask this
because the most likely cause of a spiderweb pattern is cracks in the
gelcoat of the mold the parts were made from rather than cracks in the
kayak. These cracks in the mold print onto all the parts that come out of
that mold. They are not really cracks on the parts (but they sure look like
they are). This usually happens to a mold when some parts stick in it and a
rubber hammer is applied too aggressively to the outside of the mold to try
to loosen the stuck parts. Note: The mold is hit from the side opposite its
gelcoat surface and the point load stretches the relatively brittle gelcoat
(compared to fiberglass--which stretches to absorb the blow) beyond its
tensile strength. Until a repair is done to the mold every part taken out of
it will have this exact same little pattern and when the buyer discovers it
they then wonder what is going on or what has been done to their kayak.

>
> Should I be concerned?

No, don't worry, be happy!

>Will the cracks widen and spread across
> the hull?

Not likely, but if they do, be concerned with the unlikely possibility Bob
Denton mentioned in his post below. I'm not convinced yet that brittle
gelcoat was actually the problem Bob had.

>Will these
> cracks lead to leaking?

Not unless the laminate is extremely thin and poorly wetted out (dry glass).
Both extremely unlikely on a British Heavy.

>
> I'd appreciate any advice on how to deal with this problem.

Report it in writing to whoever may be warranting it and say you are
concerned but are willing to wait to see if it spreads or happens anywhere
else on the kayak. Then ignore it unless it gets worse or happens to other
areas.
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 12:29:53 -0400
> From: Bob Denton <BDenton_at_aquagulf.com>
> Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Spider cracks in my new Romany
>
> I had that happen with my Nordkapp and they determined that it was a
> defective gelcoat that had become brittle and they gave me a new boat.
>
> cu


 Can you give us more details Bob? How extensive was it on the Nordkapp?
Hull and deck? Was the gelcoat especially thin or especially thick? Was the
kayak stored in a closed garage attic during a hot summer? Who decided that
brittle gelcoat was the problem, the dealer or manufacturer? Had they been
having trouble with this sort of thing with other boats?

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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