Gel Coat Cracks - Help for Potential Buyer

[peebles]

Hello experts! I'm looking at a '93 Ski Nautique that I really like but I'm worried about what I'm calling Spyder Cracks I've noticed. In 8 to 10 places around the top of the hull (that is around what you may call the rail??) and also at the swim platform I'm seeing gel coat cracks. Seems like some cracks are to be expected on an old boat, but when I looked at this one in person it really stood out to me the number of cracks. I do NOT want to buy something that requires immediate repairs OR has structural damage. Here are my questions for you educated folks:

1) Are these merely cosmetic; 2) Will they require repairs; 3) To what degree should the price be adjusted if I were to buy; 4) Would you buy this boat? Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[DVskier]

It looks to me as if this could be the result of "hard docking/boat loading" incidents. You could try a compounding polish and see if that helps. It is after all 25 years old. Doesn't seem structural.

[NautiqueJeff]

Not structural. You can powdercoat the rubrail end pieces, and the gelcoat cracks should be ground out, filled, sanded and buffed. None of that is that big of a job, and those things wouldn't keep me from buying an otherwise good boat. The price should be discounted for the work required though.

I had the metal pieces powdercoated on my '98 and they turned out great.