Gelcoat Cracks (fixing the problem or covering it up)

[thealy]

My 2005 RLXI (with 170 hours) had what I thought to be gelcoat cracks up under the exhaust area and then again under the left ski platform bracket that actually spread left and up the left side about 10” or so. The boat has been in the shop for the last three weeks being repaired. I just heard back from the dealer and he said the cracks ended up being “way larger than what I could see”. Dealer Quote: “finished grinding on Thursday, and filler today, should spray gelcoat tomorrow or weds. Buff and reinstall interior on Thursday.” This sounds very extensive to me and begs the question, why did this happen in the first place? Should I be concerned that this will only fix the symptoms but not address the actual underlying problem? Is this normal for a Malibu?

It should be noted that I purhcased this boat in 2005 with 130 hours so I don't really know its history other than the boat was owned by a local pro associated with the dealership.

Thanks in response for everyone's experiance.

[thealy]

The response I received back from the dealer was that there must have been an air void in the area of the wedge plate (I have a very reputable dealer and am inclined to believe what they say). I am surprised at the quality control issue this brings up. This section of the boat, by design, receives a great deal of pressure given that there is a factory installed device that puts a thousand (not sure the actual number) pounds of downward force on the transom. My thought would be that the process used to enforce this particular section would not allow for the potential of air pockets. Am I expecting too much out of a $50k boat? Or should I just be happy that they are stepping up to the plate and willing to fix the problem? Has anyone else had such problems with their Bu?