Marlin gelcoat crack

[Lainie J]

Has anyone ever seen a crack like this one. I just noticed is about a week ago. It runs down from the bottom of the tow eye about 4 or 5". I sent the picture over to GW and they said they have seen this before. A small bubble in the block around the area they mount the eye cleat to occurd when manufacturing and a hit to the bow caused the cleat to move and fracture the gelcoat. GW said no big deal and not structural. I am on my 3rd GW and 5th boat and never seen this before. GW said a few hundred dollar fix. The boat is a 97 so no coverage. I can't really complain though they recently replaced the entire hard top due to a manufacturing defect at no cost to me.

 

[michaellmarcus]

What was the problem with the hardtop?

 

[Lainie J]

Hard Top

The top started delaminating along the outside rim. It first started as a small hairline crack then after several months the fiberglass gelcoat just starting peeling away in strips. I had a 6 or 7 inch piece missing then I started to notice similar cracks on the front and other side.