Gelcoat crack patterns

[saaristo]

Hi,

I have an odd-looking 6...7 inch gelcoat crack under my new boat. There are no visible marks of some collision and I have run the boat only on deep waters...it's couple of weeks old only so I'm not missing maybe something years and years back.
So it can only be something from inside - a bulkhead or stringer ?
In general, could it be said by the look or pattern of the gelcoat crack whether it is caused from inside or from outside?

 

[Scott Danforth]

if you think you attached pics....they did not show up.

 

[saaristo]

Second try....

 

[Scott Danforth]

cant tell if the crack is 2mm long or 2feet long. when taking pictures, stand back a bit

you state the boat is only a couple of weeks old in post 1, if that is the case, take the boat to the dealer and get the manufacturer to fix.

 

[saaristo]

Like stated - 6...7 inch long. For sure, it goes back to the dealer to fix, I'm not going to make some "patchwork" on a boat under warranty, that's not the question. I'm interested wheter it is possible to tell if the source is inside or outside just by interpreting the pattern or cracks?

 

[89retta]

Looks like from the inside. Would help if we knew the make and model . And the location of the crack. Is it near the stern , middle or bow ? Is your boat inboard , outboard or sterndrive ? If you want some help you need to provide more details

 

[briangcc]

I blew up the picture to full size. A couple weeks old?? Is it kept in the water all the time? Reason I ask is that that's a lot of discoloration for being only a couple weeks old.

As for the crack, it looks like there are other areas that have issues based on the markings on the hull. Did you happen to strike something in the water?

 

[David Young]

I'm no expert but, that looks bad with a lot of pitting around the area of the crack (when the picture is blown up).

 

[saaristo]

One thing for sure - I haven't hit anything. The "discoloration" is fortunately only caused by me wiping down the slime to take a photo. So there's no antifouling nor discoloration whatsoever...just dirt. But the same handwiped slime makes a good contrast on the picture. When it got a proper wash it was not so well visible on the picture anymore, hence the "before" picture.
It's a 22 footer with an OB engine and the crack is some 2 feet from the transom roughly in the middle of the starboard side. Unfortunately there's only a storage hatch in the middle of the boat that doesn't allow me anywhere near the back side of the crack.

 

[harringtondav]

Your boat may have been mishandled or damaged between the factory and when you picked it up. You may have just now noticed the damage. Slime, dirt, etc may have highlighted the damage. I'd get to your dealer ASAP. The longer you wait, the harder it will take for the dealer to own up to the problem.

If the dealer tries to shrug it off, go to your insurance co. with your story. They will try to subrogate the claim back to the dealer.