gel coat / spider cracks

[rderenzy]

How much of a concern are these?
surely they wont get better, but should I be in a rush, or even push to fix them? maybe they will come back, perhaps if they are not a problem, no point in repairing? I have no idea, but would like your opinion.
pictures make it look much worse than it looks in person
they are not ridged, and I cannot feel the lines

first time dealing with stuff like this - just looking to gauge the concern level here, and if its even worth fixing, etc
these are above waterline

this is from a 19', 20 year old boat, that I only cost me 3k a few years ago

 

[tpenfield]

was there water trapped in a forward compartment over the winter?

 

[rderenzy]

it may have been, I've only owned it for 3 years, was there when I bought it

but in the engine compartment there is a line engine high, of where standing water once was
so if that whole dam boat was full, ouch.
and if this is true it cracked from force on inside, that might mean super bad news and not fixable.
engine isn't new and runs great - so that's odd.

anywho - whats your take on how severe these are? must fix? its ok? etc etc

 

[b.gagnon]

It looks like impact damage.... Is it only on one side of the boat?
If there is no damage inside the hull I would just wax it good to help keep water out and forget about it!

 

[tpenfield]

it may have been, I've only owned it for 3 years, was there when I bought it

but in the engine compartment there is a line engine high, of where standing water once was
so if that whole dam boat was full, ouch.
and if this is true it cracked from force on inside, that might mean super bad news and not fixable.
engine isn't new and runs great - so that's odd.

anywho - whats your take on how severe these are? must fix? its ok? etc etc

Maybe you can post some pictures of the water line inside the boat/engine compartment. Anywhere else a waterline is present?

You can certainly look through the boat's structure to see if there is greater cause for concern. But if the boat is otherwise solid, then it is more of a cosmetic fix, if you choose to do so.

 

[rderenzy]

Thanks to you both -
each picture is the each side of the front of boat, so both sides.

knowing that is mostly, or should be, cosmetic helps, I have no reason to fix then.
thank you

 

[tpenfield]

Pictures of the inside ??? :noidea:

 

[JimS123]

I've seen 2 boats like that in my 62 years of boating. Both were brand new. One was owned by a hotshot who could never run below WOT. The other was a "normal" guy that was a seasoned boater.

The former was taken back to the factory and re-gelcoated twice. It came back every time. The later boat was replaced at no cost by the manufacturer and the cracks never appeared on the new boat. The former continued to perform for many years after, but was just an eyesore (it was worse than the pics you showed). The later was used by the dealer as a rental, and it leaked like a seive. They affectionately called the boat "Old Swiss Cheese".

If the boat doesn't leak, leave well enough alone. A cosmetic repair on a 20 year old boat would not be cost effective, and it would likely come back. As other have said, inspect the inside, or better yet have a marine surveyor look the boat over.

 

[rderenzy]

Pictures of the inside ??? :noidea:

not sure if there is a point to post pics of waterline like yo uasked, just invision the back of boat, motor compartment, with a stale water line which was above engine line

i'll try to get pics of the inside of those spider cracks, but its all carpeted