How do you know if a hull is "good"?

[greenz]

I've pretty much inherited my parents 1985 Imperial. Runs great, rides great, lot of fun. But i've known for 2-3 years that the stringers are rotten in it, and now there's not a single bolt holding the front of the i-4 down as the motor mount is rotten. I believe i'm more than capable of doing the transom/stringer and floor rebuild. But the hull shows alot of little 1" hairline cracks mostly grouped together in certain places, like under the outdrive, at the tail end of the windsheild on the cap, i'll get pictures of it shortly, but these concern me that it may be not worth my time. I've been figuring on about 1500-2000 on the rebuild, and hopefully i come in under budget and for what newer/used boats are going for, i'm thinking this is a much better option for me. I'll get pictures up ASAP. Thanks!

 

[drewpster]

Re: How do you know if a hull is "good"?

The tiny cracks you see are most likely what is called crazing. (spider cracks) Crazing occurs in gelcoat over time. It is mostly cosmetic but you need to be mindful of areas of crazing that feel soft or have water seeping out of them. The best repair for them in my opinion is to grind/ fill the bad spots and then simply paint the whole boat. However there are brave souls out there that color match and repair the gelcoat.
No matter what you decide, check back in here for help of how to proceed.