Crack in fiberglass at strut

[RobT614]

So.... I finally got a boat. First time boat owner. I didn't notice the crack in the fiberglass when I bought it, but when I got her home, I noticed a crack right at the strut. Not sure if this was caused while trailering 4 hours from Indiana to Ohio, since the previous owner used 2 wood blocks under the hull to stabilize the boat, and they fell out at some point causing the boat to rock in the cradle a bit. Eitherway...damage is there. so... does this look serious, or cosmetic. If serious what am I looking at? Could this be a home repair or strictly professional? Thanks for any advise.

[scottb7]

Is the strut loose? If not loose then don't worry about it. If you try tightening that screw near the crack does it just spin or is it tight? That will test the integrity of that corner.

[RobT614]

The strut seems pretty solid. I was given a quote of $750 to drill a relief hole and fill with epoxy. Seems like I will be learning to do some fiberglass work. Someone please stop me if I am underestimating the nature of this kind of repair. Remove strut...Drill hole...grind out a channel...fill with Tiger Hair….sand...

I was also told a dealer would charge another $750 to remove the strut. Is $750 the minimum fee for boat work?

[xlair]

Personally I would just use the boat and not worry about it. Monitor to see if it gets worse but more than likely it’s been like that.


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[Tom_H]

Check to see that the strut is straight (make sure it didn't take a hit and bend) and that the prop shaft is in the middle of the through-hull log. If it is I wouldn't worry about it. The crack looks slightly bigger than a typical spider crack you might see there, but still looks like it's in the gel. If it's through to the fiberglass, I'd keep an eye on it to make sure it's not propagating, then just do a minor fill to seal it up and level it out. It's on the bottom where no one but you will likely ever see it.

Now onto the trailer - is it the correct trailer for the boat? It shouldn't be 'rocking' in the cradle, and you shouldn't need blocks to stabilize it. You should consider some modifications or adjustments if the trailer isn't adequately supporting the boat. A 4-hour drive shouldn't do anything to a boat on the trailer.

[ag4ever]

A proper trailer will support the boat along the stringers, and not the keel. (Unless we are talking large sail boats). If yours is supported primarily along the keel on rollers or other type of point support I would get a proper trailer.

[RobT614]

The trailer was definitely the worst part of this deal. The boat is in great shape otherwise, from what my totally uneducated eyes can tell.

[Tom_H]

That trailer should work fine, but almost looks like the boat's maybe not loaded all the way forward (could be an illusion in the picture though). The biggest thing is to look along the bunks and make sure they're making good contact the whole way so you're supported, otherwise, they may need some adjustment or replacement. I'm surprised there are no guide poles though - I'd look to add some to aid in loading so you don't wind up putting the hull on a fender accidentally if you have the trailer in too deep.

[distinguishedmotorsports]

drill a very shallow hole at the end of the crack to keep it from spreading. then chamfer it. this will stop the crack from spidering the gelcoat across the bottom of the hull. the fiberglass underneath is very strong and should be fine

[RobT614]

Dug into it today, looks deeper that i thought

[Infinity]

Seal it up and you will be fine, still not a structural crack that will cause big issues....I would have just drilled/chamfered the ends of crack so it would not spread, opened up the entire length of crack a little bit with a dremel to help the patch hold and then filled/sanded it and called it good.
You can still patch that up pretty easy, you are worrying about it too much, float it and enjoy it instead of working on it all summer. These are winter projects . Welcome to boat ownership, where there is ALWAYS something you wanna do to make it better, even when its brand new!

[RobT614]

Thanks for all the input, as a new boat owner Id rather error on the side of caution, given that so many things are truly dangerous. I did as advised went out twice over the weekend, and spent 4 hours tubing. Had a great time. I'll keep an eye on that area....Again thanks all.

[distinguishedmotorsports]

Seal it up and you will be fine, still not a structural crack that will cause big issues....I would have just drilled/chamfered the ends of crack so it would not spread, opened up the entire length of crack a little bit with a dremel to help the patch hold and then filled/sanded it and called it good.
You can still patch that up pretty easy, you are worrying about it too much, float it and enjoy it instead of working on it all summer. These are winter projects . Welcome to boat ownership, where there is ALWAYS something you wanna do to make it better, even when its brand new!

seconding this, doesn't appear to be critical. its unfortunate that it spread to the glass from the gel coat but what can you do?

winter project indeed

[homer12]

Final thought, I'd examine from the inside. You should be able to see this area very well in a direct drive. If you see nothing there, you should sleep well.