Hi all!

I had one of the technical assistance people from Gougeon Brothers (West Systems) look at your photos, and he showed it around a bit there. They say that the problem is strained fiberglass caused by excessive deflection of the deck, probably caused by pushing off on the deck to get out of or into the boat and/or heavy cargo on the deck. They said that the problem can be prevented by making sure that there is adequate reinforcement on the underside of the deck by way of extra fiberglass, a bulkhead, or a reinforced strut connected to a bulkhead. He said that it was unlikely that the type of glue used to bond the strips contributed to the problem.

So- whatever you decide to do about the "money side" of the boat, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to reinforce the underside with a bit more glass.

Jay's suggestion is right on with the paint, but I think I'd try Indian Red. It will probably be closer to your hull color without any mixing.

All the best-

m