Spider Cracks from Wake Tower

[Jhanson640]

I have a Wake tower on my 1997 Chaparral 180 and I've got some spider cracking around the wake tower brackets (4 of them). I noticed on the inside of my hull that whoever installed the tower did not put any backing plates to reinforce the hull when it clearly needed them. I plan to use some metal flat (3/4 inch) as well as a rubber backing to reinforce the inside of the hull. That being said I have two questions:

1. What material should I use to fix the gel coat spider cracks? How to? I've read up a bit but just wanted to see if anyone has any hands on experience with this. I know their are a lot of products out there. Has anyone done the same. How is it holding up?

2. What's the best material to use to go on the inside of my backing plates that will sit against the hull? Some kind of tough rubber.

Thanks!

 

[hosteter]

I think you must grind down the cracks to poliester.use epoxy resin to fill the holes.then sanding and painting with gel coat.thats how i done it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

gel coat doesnt stick to epoxy.

 

[hosteter]

Then poliester resin

 

[hosteter]

Or poliester putty.

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

It looks as if the force from the wake tower has overcome the material at the mounting area.

You may want to try reinforcing the mounting area. Added layers of cloth on the inside will help but I would also consider adding some ply wood or aluminum to strengthen the hull & spread the load. The experts here could advise on specific technique(s).


Excessive forces against the tower could have caused the issue you have now and cause it to recur. Many wake towers recommend pulling 1 person at a time and any other excessive forces will need to be avoided as well to prevent more damage.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I'd be more concerned with taking a look at the fiberglass from underneath and making sure it still looks intact and solid. If it does, I'd consider beefing up the back side, with extra layers of fiberglass and with some backing plates to distribute the load.

Lots of threads here in iboats (and videos on Youtube) on fixing the spider cracks, but if the glass underneath isn't made stable, the crack will just reappear.

 

[Jhanson640]

Fiberglass repair/gel coat? Help!!

So I've developed spider cracking in my tower due to the person who installed the tower failed to put any backing support on the inside of the hull and spread the force of the tower. I've sanded out alll the spider cracks and notice that my fiberglass isn't in the best shape. I've got a few hairline cracks in two of the mounts but the rest seem to be okay. I have some fiberglass cloth and resin to put over the cracks but wanted to get others opinion before doing so. What's the best way to repair my hull so I can put my tower back on?

My route as of now is..

Fiber glass over the cracks about 1 inch last and then gel coat over top? Do I need to put something over fiber glass as a filler before gel coat? Can I gel coat over the fiberglass? What type of filler (fairing) should I buy? All tips and recommendations are appreciated. See pictures below to see what I'm dealing with.

I haven't finished sanding. I am going to sand around the area more

 

[alldodge]

I see the spider cracks caused by not enough support for the load being applied. Suggest building up the area under the top to make it thicker. Also would be a good idea to cut a 2x4 pine or 1x4 oak board, or a 1/4 inch aluminum plate to glass in under it to further distribute the load. If using wood, need to cut it down to fit. Also glass the wood in with CSM and/or 1708.

You put gelcoat over the top of glass. Don't use wax with the glass because the gel will bond better.

Don't know why some of the other more knowledgeable folks have not posted but maybe mine will get you noticed

 

[ondarvr]

Don't know why some of the other more knowledgeable folks have not posted but maybe mine will get you noticed

He has another thread on the same issue

 

[alldodge]

He has another thread on the same issue

OKey dokey, that helps, thanks , I'll bow out and let ya'll do it

 

[jbcurt00]

He had another thread on the same issue

Merged.

Jhanson, please try to keep all the posts about a specific problem all together. That way if someone else has cracking from a tower, they'll be able to see all your posts and replies from start to finish.

Thanks