Hull cracked at rudder port

[dereklowery]

Help.. The hull is cracked where the rudder port is mounted . Is there a easy way repair.?

[dereklowery]

[core-rider]

I could be wrong but I don't think that crack is in the gelcoat. I think that is the sealant they use to help make it watertight around the rudder and hull. I've seen the caulking pull away like that before and look like cracks. If that is your case, just remove the old caulk and re-seal it with new. Something like 3M 5200 or 4200 will do the trick.

[dereklowery]

Thanks , but its defiantly cracked I can move the rudder back and forth about 3". Haven't taken it apart yet .

[dereklowery]

Has anyone seen the hull cracked here ? Is it common .. I am new inboard boat world .. Its on a 1990 ski nautique

[81nautique]

Has anyone seen the hull cracked here ? Is it common .. I am new inboard boat world .. Its on a 1990 ski nautique

Is this boat new to you? Back and forth 3" sounds like the rudder took a hit, I think you need to have a dealer look at it and really see whats going on. This could be potentially dangerous situation for you, make sure the rudder itself doesn't have any damage.

[dereklowery]

Yes its new to me . I have had it out about 5 times and I noticed last time out the rudder needed to be repacked and the hull flexed a little . It looks like it has been patched before on the inside

[ddipert]

If it's moving that much I would be checking the inside of hull for damage. Could be as simple as the bolts are all loose, but could also need a fiberglass repair. Without further investigation it's all a guess.

[chris196]

You might have a cracked hull, but I can't see it in that picture.
You really need to either start taking things apart to have a look or bring it to a professional.
Not to offend, but how handy are you and have you dealt with other diagnosis and fixes of things in the past?

[dereklowery]

No offence taken i have looked on the inside of the hull and it has a large bead of silicone . Also when I move the rudder back and forth it sounds like the fiberglass is cracked , the bolts are tight I had just tightened them last weekend . I am 99% positive the fiberglass is cracked .. Just wondering how hard it would be to patch it ? Or if anyone has ever repaired this part of the hull.. I have diagnosed and repaired a lot of parts throughout the boat with the help of post already on this forum . Thanks for all the help

[dereklowery]

Also checked the rudder and no sign of hitting anything

[atolman]

You'll need to have the rudder removed and then get some fiberglass work done. I hit a rock last year and it cracked there and shoved the whole rudder box up into the hull. Pulled everything and my fiberglass guy did a great job with the repair. Been working great all summer.

[dereklowery]

Ok that's what I was thinking thanks

[dereklowery]

Here are some more pics . it is defiantly cracked on 3 sides and the gel coat . It has been patched before .

[ddipert]

Whomever repaired it before did a poor job at best. Shouldn't be a difficult repair for any fiber glass person, I'd DYI if you have worked with fiberglass before. To me it looks like the last repair was done so they could sell the boat.