Cracked Bilge!

[off-the-grid]

Look at this little gem I noticed just yesterday. Makes me feel a little good that I'm out of the water right now. Just off to the side of the access panel, where it's out of view, unless you really stick your head in there.

Does anyone have a clue what could have caused this?
For all I know it was there since I bought the boat.
The strange thing is from the outside there are no visible signs of a patch job.

[Intentional Drifter]

Is this on your Gemini? Anywhere around the centerboard? The way the cracks radiate, it sure looks like an impact. Any wetness?

ID

[off-the-grid]

Yes it's on the Gemini.
No, it's actually on the inside edge of the hull.
That's what I thought too, but nothing visible on the outside.
Wetness only from having a wet starboard bilge...due to I believe the foot pump failing.

[sabray]

Looks like it's in the coating that's applied after layup. From what I can see the paint didn't bond well. maybe it's to thick or cured to fast. Add in a little hull flex or a bump with something it could look like that.given the limitations of the photo I might think it's superficial. Hope anyway

[DeepFrz]

The way the cracks radiate, it sure looks like an impact.

Except I don't see any evidence of tearing. I have never seen impact damage where the edges of the cracks are that clean. I would really like to see some more pictures. How deep is that hole?

According to the Gemini specs the hull is solid laminate of mat and woven roving. That just doesn't look like smashed GRP. Unless someone did a repair job with something else.

[DeepFrz]

Ah, yes, I think sabray has nailed it.

[CarlF]

Any chance that it's gelcoat that was "flowed on" to coat the bilges late in the build process. This never sticks very well and is often too thick. A clue is if there's no coating in places that are out of sight at a boat show.

If it's gel coat, then just about any bump or hull movement could start that spiderweb look. Cosmetic.

Carl

[off-the-grid]

It's about 1/8" deep...or at least that's how thick this chunk is. Definitely not just paint/gelcoat. About 1/2 that thickness is glass, as you can see in this photo.

Maybe a repair job, done over the damage...instead of cutting the damage away and then patching?

[Therapy]

Ask the PO?

[DeepFrz]

Is it a composite of is it just resin? I can't see it being a composite from that picture. Maybe a worker at the plant spilled some resin when he was tabbing in some component. 1/8" isn't much of a thickness for FRP composite. That piece you are holding sure looks like a chunk of resin to me.

[off-the-grid]

Well after taking yet another look at it in better light. Looks like it's mostly paint, and I think that's just resin/epoxy that pulled up with those few chips.

Either way, I'm going to clean it out and patch it, just to be safe.