05/15/2026
I see it all the time—cracks or gouges just filled with thickened gel coat or retail-store putty and called a day. You can see what that was hiding here. ➡️
Gel coat is a finish, NOT a structure. When you just fill a crack.
Zero Reinforcement: Without grinding back and laying new glass, there’s no strength. The hull flexes, the putty doesn’t, and pop—it’s gone.
Water Intrusion: That "plug" eventually shrinks or cracks, letting water seep directly into your core. That’s how you get rot.
Secondary Bond Failure: If you don't grind a proper taper, the new material has nothing to bite into.
If you want it to last, you have to grind it, glass it, and fair it. Do it right once, or do it over every season.
