Cracks in gel coat

[wrvond]

2002 Tahoe Q3 18 foot bow rider with Mercruiser 3.0 Alpha 1
The other day I noticed a crack running between the bilge drain hole and the oil drain hole. The crack continues from the oil drain hole to port a foot or more. The crack(s) appear to be limited to the gel coat.
My questions:
Does this impact the water tight integrity of the hull (it is below the waterline)?
Logic tells me water must penetrate the crack. Is it going to cause the gel coat to separate from the fiberglass layer and delaminate?

Sorry there are no pictures, the boat is currently in the shop for other reasons.
Thoughts and recommendations are much appreciated.

 

[sphelps]

May want to check the transom for rot .. Cracks are a good sign of other stuff going on under the glass .. Not always but would be good to investigate ..

 

[tpenfield]

The crack would be evidence of something flexing too much, which, as stated, is worth looking into.

 

[wrvond]

The marina I take it to for maintenance is reputable, and I've never had reason to question his work. I assume he'll be able to check for rot in the transom, so I'll ask tomorrow.
It's my understanding the Tahoes use very little wood in their construction but flex a lot causing stress cracks.
If their is a problem under the gel coat, would it show up during gel coat repair?

Thanks.

 

[Woodonglass]

You may be right about the boat not using wood. A lot of MFG's started using composite materials around 2002. I'd call the MFG to inquire. Gelcoat will also crack when it's applied to thick. There should be glass under the gelcoat and unless the resin is also cracked you should still be watertight.