Re: Epoxy
I would like to eliminate stress cracks in the gelcoat.
Epoxy is tougher than polyester gel coat, but epoxy has its own issues. You will need to paint over the epoxy to protect it from UV rays (not that big of a deal).
If you are talking about existing cracks, they are there for a reason, it can be from flex in a weak laminate, stress, damage from an impact or something similar, rotten wood in the stringers or transom, poorly applied gel coat, etc. These issues will not be fixed by putting a layer of epoxy over the surface, so typically the cracks just migrate through the epoxy and you are right back where you were to start with. Occasionally it will work a little better, but the success rate isn't high.
If you are looking to prevent cracks and chips, your best bet is to put on a keel guard and try not to hit stuff, because good gel coat over a sound laminate shouldn’t be cracking. If you have the problems listed above, or they develop over time, then it’s very likely the cracks will eventually migrate through the epoxy too. It may just take slightly longer.
The only way to hide cracks and help prevent chipping would be to use epoxy and glass to cover the entire surface of the hull then fair and paint it (lots of work), you would still have the issues that created the crack to start with, but they would be hidden. Since the epoxy surface needs paint, and paint isn’t all that abrasion resistant, your hull would still get scratched and have a good deal of cosmetic damage from being treated in an abusive manner.
If the possible slight increase in durability is worth the cost, labor and hassle to you, then go for it, it won’t hurt anything.
