Repairing hairline cracks on a boats floor

[AFISHN]

I notice today that I have developed several very thin and short hairline cracks where the side of the boat meets the floor inside.

No structural concerns just want to fill them in for cosmetic reasons.

Any suggestions?Specific materials to do this?
Thanks
Tom

[Joe Bowers]

sorry wrong place came up.. and I don't know how to delete this ..

[uncljohn]

Tom-

Places like Boater's World sell gelcoat repair kits to fill cracks in your gelcoat, but its not necessarily pretty looking (i.e. the gelcoat they give you probably won't match the color you have). I have lots of cracks in my floor and am going to paint it w/ Interdeck non-skid paint to cover the cracks and make it pretty.

[AFISHN]

Uncljohn:thanks for suggestion.

I think I'm going to try the nonskid paint as a filler plus,it's probably time for it.I noticed last year in the rain that the floor was getting slick.

[B-Faithful]

I havent use it myself but have read great stuff about it. you may want to check it out:

http://www.durabakcompany.com/google-durabak.htm

[AFISHN]

Just spoke to the company tech guy.Very helpful

I thought the non skid a little too rough for my desires--he said mix the smooth with the rough;50/50 and that will offer a nice compromise.

Going to try it and let you know how I make out.

[B-Faithful]

Great keep me posted as it is a project down the road for me as my smooth deck gets slippery when wet. [wink]

[uncljohn]

my decks get slippery when anchored at Hackett's on a Saturday afternoon being tossed by 40' Sea Ray wakes. So traction is the main purpose of applying non-skid. Covering up my cracks is a bonus and will significantly increase my resale value....[grin]

Greg-
I think that Duraback stuff would be a little rough on bare feet. Its not like sandpaper. Its ROUGH! Probably has great traction, but I wouldn't use it on a fishing/cruising boat.

[Sandtiger]

Gel coat in the cracks won't last long at all. I very successfully use Captain Jolly's Creeping Crack Cure (Boater's World or West Marine). I have used it to seal the ports (windows) on my cabin and the hairline cracks on the deck on my boat.

If you decide to use, make sure you follow the directions to a "T". If you don't it won't work. It is a good product and I've stopped my laeks I had with it. It's a polymer so it won't cure hard and crack again in the future.

[fixit]

You could rub some dirt in it !!!! Seriously, it is hard to avoid some small cracks...