Hello guys my dad and I have beennlooking at boats lately. We found one, but it has stress cracks, and we want to know is there anyway to stop stress cracks from getting any bigger than they already are. Thanks! I know this shouldn't be in the general section but I feel more people would see it here!

I would pass on that boat.

You need to do research, stress cracks usually mean expensive repairs or time consuming repairs.

IMO!! If your looking to make your life easier save a little more money and get a boat from someone who ACTUALLY TOOK CARE OF IT.

Peace of mind and sometimes you'll get seat posts and extra's..

Believe you me, it starts with a stress crack and then when you start digging you end up like this:

I enjoy working on my boat and cars but its VERY time consuming.

my .02Cents

Shawn.D

Drilling a hole at the end of each crack should stop them from growing. Unless you have a problem that is getting worse, such as stiffeners of wood that are getting punky. This includes the transom, the most important structural part of the hull. By drilling holes, you'll end up with something resembling Swiss cheese.

As suggested, your best course of action is to look for another boat.

For the past 25 years or more I've had a number of bass boats, all have had big V-6's hanging on a jackplate on them and I've never one that didn't have stress cracks. I'm sorry, but stress cracks are a fact of life on most fiberglass boats if they are run hard and fast. If you are hitting wakes and white caps in rough water that jarring your eyeballs out of their sockets, and slamming the power to a big outboard, or even just bumping the sides against the dock or trees, the boat is going to get stress cracks.

Now, to what degree are you talking about, normal stress cracks are just spider web looking or minor, superfishal cracks in the surface of the gel coat, not something that's leaving a on open crack down in the fiberglass. Around each end of the transome is very common areas for stress cracks when you run a big motor.

For the past 25 years or more I've had a number of bass boats, all have had big V-6's hanging on a jackplate on them and I've never one that didn't have stress cracks. I'm sorry, but stress cracks are a fact of life on most fiberglass boats if they are run hard and fast. If you are hitting wakes and white caps in rough water that jarring your eyeballs out of their sockets, and slamming the power to a big outboard, or even just bumping the sides against the dock or trees, the boat is going to get stress cracks.

Now, to what degree are you talking about, normal stress cracks are just spider web looking or minor, superfishal cracks in the surface of the gel coat, not something that's leaving a on open crack down in the fiberglass. Around each end of the transome is very common areas for stress cracks when you run a big motor.

I agree with everything said above. A perfectly sound boat may have stress cracks. But, here's the qualifier/disclaimer. Stress cracks can indicate a boat that is pounded mercilessly, as previously stated. Some might consider that abuse, and not want a boat that has been hammered over rough water. The other possibility is stress cracks due to structural weakness.

Unless a person can determine why the stress cracks exist, the wiser course of action is to steer clear of that vessel.

As W2S said, spider cracks up on the gunwale top cap are common due to banging into docks. The same can be said with hull spider webbing especially in the V portion on the underside of the hull.

Cracks coming out of interior corners or splashwell corners are another thing and a boat with those in them are ones to shy away from.