1976 Super Sunfish | Cracked gel coat repair?

[PBC1974]

The work begins on my "free" 1976 Super Sunfish. After I repair the bittom it will receive a matching coat of paint.
It's up on sawhorses ready for hull work.
There are lots of little cracks in the gel coat- do I remove the gel coat where it's cracked or will paint fill those micro-thin voids.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[signal charlie]

Free boat is like a free kitten. Congratulations on your new free boat.

You need to gently remove that cracked gelcoat by the trunk and assess the condition of the fiberglass underneath. That is a common area for damage and leaks. And FYI paint will not fill them, it just wicks into the cracks, even the spider cracks.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[L&VW]

This forum provides a template to enlarge one's photographs.

From what can be seen, the daggerboard trunk took a significant "hit", which may also account for the series of parallel spider cracks running further aft.

I'd chip away at the loose (red-colored) gelcoat, and soak the exposed white fiberglass fibers in epoxy resin. Inspect after a weekend or two, to see if significant intervention is necessary.

Leaks at the daggerboard trunk are fairly common and, for a novice, a difficult repair.