Catalina/caribbean Cobalt Cracks

[T5inthe12]

hi all i'm new here and joined to find some info on cobalt. my parents own an older catalina model cs-3. we are in a remote location in the so. cal. desert. they take good care of it and keep it covered. in the last year or so hairline cracks have developed that turn black. no matter how many times the black is wiped off it reappears. it has an oily feel to it. thinking it was algae, i asked a guy at the pool store. he stated that cobalt was used in the manufacturing process in those days and to wipe it off and use clear nail polish to make it stop. doesn't work well. my ouestions for you more experienced here are: is it in fact cobalt, if so can it be stopped or covered, is it unhealthy, will it ever stop oozing out of the cracks. appearence is not as important as function so if it isn't harmful it might not be a problem after all. i was surprised to find this a rare thing while searching the forums. any info wld be appreciated. th

anx

[Pathfinder]

The black substance you speak of is the broken down catalyst that helps bond the acrylic and the fibreglass. Those must be some pretty deep cracks if catalyst is coming out. It can be repaired but I dont think it would be worth it. Since there is now water getting behind the acrylic it can be just sealed up thats why it keeps oozing out. Some of the more seasoned guys on the board may have a solution for you but IMO the shell's going to be garbage.

[cplarsen]

What's the surface material and how extensive are the cracks? There are repair kits.

Since appearance is unimportant to you though, I'd just gelcoat or epoxy it and forget about it. Do a neat job and nobody else will even notice. Keep in mind the shell will probably just develop another hairline crack somewhere else.

Actually, if it isn't leaking, I'd just forget about it.

[Pathfinder]

You cant just cover it up now since there is water under the acrylic. Surface cracks no prob. If it was a blister, a repair kit would work fine if it was done by a pro. Acrylic repair isnt the easiest thing to do properly even if your not going for esthetic's

[emmett]

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