Need some friendly advice.

First year boater and my wife and I have enjoyed it immensely!!!

Now that the year is almost over I see some minor cracks in my finish. One that bothers me is on the transom and it appears that a stain spot is forming at this crack. The crack is only about 3/4" long but I am suspicious water is penetrating and causing the stain. How does one go about repairing this.

I also noticed several small cracks on the side of the boat which I think are just cracks in the gel coat. Also looking for advice or help on how to repair these. I've worked on street rods before, but boats are nwew to me.

Re: Need some friendly advice.

Pictures would help a lot Proudmary. It's hard to tell what caused the crack. If it's a stress crack, spider crack, impact damage etc. Each may have a different repair technique.

Re: Need some friendly advice.

I'd love to post pics, but don't have that capability. The cracks I've mentioned are just straight(well almost) cracks, obviously with a slight curve or arc. Cracks on the side of the boat I'm pretty sure are surface.

My main concern is the crack that is starting to show a stain or discoloration around it. The discoloration ia about 1" in diameter.

Re: Need some friendly advice.

To determine what to do next go to the hardware store and buy a small can of Acetone. Put the boat in a dry location. Dab a small amount of acetone into the crack with a rag. (use a small amount only on the crack because the acetone will dull the finish) Your basically trying to get the crack as dry as possible. Rub the crack with acetone and it will flash dry, taking water with it. Do this until you are sure the crack is dry.
Then use a paper towel or toilet paper and cover the crack. You can even tape it place for awhile. If the paper gets wet after a reasonable time, you will know that the crack is seeping water and it may penetrate the laminate. Either water has soaked the fiberglass itself, meaning a little glass work may fix it, or the core is soaked meaning a major repair is possible.
If no water soaks into the paper it is most likely crazing in the gelcoat and can be easily fixed.
Either way, don't get too freaked out, most of the time the repair is more simple than you may think. Much depends on the age of the boat and the care it has had.