WOW, hot topic...
So, i was once told by a very wise man that none of us are as smart as all of us..
I started this thread to see who has done what or tried different approaches to a major repair like this.
Not to speak for any one else's boat but mine..
My crazed deck does not appear to be a structure problem but shrinking gel coat. After a two week's of hard daily rain i hit her decks with a very high pressure washer. Then cut bunches of the cracks open only to find very shallow surface cracking the core is fine. I got" 0 "core damage or even dampness. After hours of cutting all the deep ones i could find i gave up and started sanding. 60 grit on a 6" da sander.
I did a 8' section with max bond epoxy/resin and the surface came out like glass. I did smaller experiments all over the boat trying to sand, pressure wash, dry with a heat gun, lay resin/epoxy let dry for a few days and try real hard to pry it off, cut it or blast it off with high water pressure.
the results are...... The max bond find's every nook and cranny and fills it and holds on like nothing i have ever seen.
i went so far as to try to force a razor blade in between the old and new with no luck. "The people at max bond dared me to .."it was able to dig in to the old gel coat but when i tried to pull it off the deck was lifting up!
Any way, I will be doing all the top side in this manner. then a good primer wit either a Algrip or Perfection top coats to finish it off.
I am more inclined to use the perfection rather than the Algrip. I have done a few tests and the perfection has won them all so far.
I planed to post up pic's during but i always forget besides a video would of been the only way to prove any of this.
I want to thank you all for your input even the people who were not very nice about it. We all have an opinion and they all matter.
To answer a few questions i have received:
1)No i did not get a boat inspection , mainly due to the lack of un biased opinion around here.
2) I knew how much work i was in for and LOVE to do this kind of stuff..
3) i am a Mechanical Engineer and a Heavy Diesel Tech and am no stranger to hard work, fabrication etc. I just wish they made a fiberglass rod to weld with. lol.
4) Yes i know my boat and i are the same age... 40
