If they are simple stress fractures then they should not present a problem. Of course they do warrant some watching the area for growth and a determination of what they are a result of. Stress fractures never simply appear, they are caused by some action or force which is impact or motion in that area, or an area that moves and compresses an area. If the boat were simply sitting in a garage on trailer stress fractures would not simply happen. A lot depends on the ownerships and use of any boat also, second owners have little knowledge of true use patterns of any product. The further down line ownership cycles the less any owner knows on use patterns.
While this is not generally an example of your friends situation, there are also boats which we have seen on occasion where impacts to hulls and deck sides create fractures. Boats also get hit by other vehicles, boats and at times when none of us are around them as owners. We as users bump something also without realizing how much force we just applied to our rigs. Stopping a 5000 pound object on a stump or with a stump creates force no matter the speeds. In this case motor would have to have been backed into, used heavily in our water, or impacted an object to have seen this cause splash well fractures. Just like our fender gets whacked at the boat ramp so do our boats at restaurants, ramps, docks and parking areas. Often those impacting a boat with a vehicle think they never even hurt it as they do not leave a dent like a fender. Fiberglass springs back into shape and they drive off thinking man that things tough. They simply do not know what just happened to your rig, so don’t feel they just drove off without saying anything. And those impacts appear over time to grow when they really just begin to appear.
Stress cracks are more common from 2004 through 2012 on BCB models after the new MACT standard (EPA) low VOC resins were required. Bass Cat could no longer use Vinyl Ester resins (high VOC) and thus they were impacted. They are increased in numbers on all brands from 2008 (’09) through 2012MY for reasons unknown till later as resin producers sought lower cost ingredients to manufacture resins post recessionary times.
This ingrdient issue was/is unknown to those buying resins as companies struggled to remain in operation through the recession. Focuses from resin suppliers were on surviving with fractional volumes. Fiberglass production companies (IE: Boat here) were struggling to get sales to simply exist. As products changed and production changed there were many factors masking those changes. The company (BCB) changed resins six times during this time frame attempting to regain some resin integrity, settling the longest period on the number one used resin in the business. A resin Cobalt Boats and many others use, companies who care greatly about customer service and companies which have received similar accolades to BCB.
This debacle led to BCB testing dozens of different resin variations and barrier coats, between 2011 and 2012. At one point we even began changing manufacturing methods and interior structures trying to eliminate flex areas on a proven process since 2000 model year. Then things began to make sense and this led to testing and our present course of direction. In 2013 model year BCB spec’d different resins and dramatically increased resin quality. That resin testing continues to seek improvement on future products, and stress fractures are reduced again as of 2013 MY. We are not able to say we will ever or may never see the resin quality of 1998 through 2003, or 1993 through 1997, though we continue to try and improve.
The present resin is a variation of a low VOC resin produced solely for BCB. Ingredients are and were the difference as these companies used other products to replace styrene and manufacture low VOC resins. We ourselves believe we managed to find the source ingredient which we feel created a lower flex rate and cycle rate in todays resins. That has been addressed and none of any resin staff we normally communicate with was/is aware of that ingredient.
We hope this answer explains those many questions everyone has on stress fractures as to why we see them more regularly. We know a question like this sets off a chain of questions and at times even defense mechanisms that opposeeah other, which we hope this diffuses. This was candidly answered in our normal transparency and we hope everyone grasps the comment.
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