Defects and Damage
What causes spider cracks in gelcoat?
Gelcoat is more brittle than the laminate beneath it: when the structure flexes, the gelcoat cannot and crazes in a web pattern. What separates cosmetic crazing from structural is where the pattern sits.
Why it works this way
Concentrated around a load-bearing fitting or in a corner, it indicates stress beneath. Hammer testing settles which of the two you are looking at before any cosmetic repair is considered.
Related services
Serkan Kotel · independent yacht surveyor · IIMS · ABYC · MCA
