Hey all.
For those with CD composite boats (fiberglass or Kevlar), have you noticed any spider cracking in the gel coat on the coaming ring?
I see spider cracks on the coaming of my CD Prana. My coaming sees no pressure or loads other than a spray skirt and the occasional hand push out of the cockpit.
Picture uploaded please zoom to see detail. `
Thanks
Did something drop on that spot? If you are concerned, Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure.
Just use it carefully if a bit of discoloration might bother you since it can run a bit.
The cracks are mostly all around the coaming but coaming has had not undo pressure or trama. Just the occasional hand pressure getting in and out and a skirt.
You are the second person to recommend the Tolly’s stuff. Thank you.
I tried to get into my shed where my boats are stored to check the coaming on my Prana, but the door is frozen shut.
I’ll keep trying because I’m curious and it’s not an area that I look at closely.
Nothing to fret over.
Why I buy used boats.
Have you tried WD-40 (or similar lubricant) on your “frozen door”?
Thank you ppine. I didn’t think so but was just curious if others were seeing this.
I’ve got lots of WD-40 but it doesn’t work well on snow and ice. 
Hoping for a big melt-down soon as I’d like to get into that shed to see if my mouse-proofing efforts worked. I used at least five cans of foam sealant filling in cracks. 
“Snow and ice” does not compute. Taking a group on the Aucilla tomorrow. First day of Spring is going to me a banner day!
Sounds like it will be a great day. Still pretty much frozen up here except for the rivers.
Can’t get to my river kayak until the door thaws. 
I have a fix for that door issue… 
I have a Caribou from the late '90s that has worse cracks than that on the coaming & I’ve never had any durability issues with them. Like others have said, a little Capt Tolley’s will be more than sufficient to fill the cracks.
My better half’s NDK Explorer’s gelcoat on the rear deck cracked within a couple of months after she bought it new, and the gelcoat repair is uglier than the cracks. Bothers her, but I’ve done far worse damage to the 'Bou that was easily repairable. If aesthetics matter, go with the Tolley’s.
Gelcoat cracks eventually, but it’s not a big deal.
I agree with Celia, it looks like an impact crack or possibly a stress crack caused by strapping the boat down or something similar. Since it’s on the coaming, there’s really no point in trying to repair it, as it’s not going to do any harm. That is, unless you just want to experience the pain and frustration of trying to repair and color match it.
I’m going to look at the Tolly’s solution.
Tolly’s is very runny and it will fill the smallest cracks. So, the runs do show, and seems to discolor over time when exposed to the sun. (Do wipe it off after applying as best you can without spreading it across the surface.) I used a knife blade like a cabinet scraper to gently scrap it off the surface of the white bottom of one of my kayaks when it discolored. Also, it does not hide the cracks just fills them.
I decided to try something on my canoe when I used it to fill spider cracks on the red hull to hide the cracks as well as fill them. When I applied the Tolly’s I used 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to get fine particles of gelcoat to mix with the Tolly’s and cause the cracks to blend in. The canoe hull is sun faded and I intend to use wet/dry sandpaper to remove the surface layer in the future.
Your boat doesn’t look sun faded and the gel coat is shiny. If you do what I did, then I would use a much finer grit. Go with maybe 2000 grit and buff it once dry.
You might try doing a small test area first. I would hate for my advice to hurt the looks of you kayak. I am still in the process of working on my canoe and sanding the surface when applying the Tolly’s is a bit experimental on a canoe that is already in need of some cosmetic attention.
Castoff is correct, the runniness is what I mentioned in my reply well back there. Whether the discoloration was from sun or my own sloppiness in applying it I can’t say. My boats have to take Maine rocks so I am way not picky about that kind of thing.
The sandpaper idea is interesting, yes give it a try.
