does anyone know what would happen if I don't repair a crack in the gel coat?
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If it is deep enough, water will get into the glass and promote osmotic blistering I believe. Depends how big the crack is, and where, but it is always a good idea to repair. Your boat is covered by ~20 mils. of gel coat, and a layer of chop strand mat (skin coat) which is reinforced with vinylester resin. These two components are protecting the structural layers of laminate, which is a good thing. Cracks in GC can be especially bad along the chines, where builders will generally lay tow to fill the tight radii. The tow is just a bunch of pieces of unidirectional fibers which can act like long straws when exposed to water, allowing the water to migrate quickly along the rest of the chine.How 'bout a little reverse action...
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