06 RXT nose cracks

[tmarsh]

Can anyone help me out with this, I don't know anything about fiberglass. I'm wanting to buy this ski but this is kind of a red flag.
It doesn't appear to have hit anything, The cracks are only right there, they don't continue under the hatch or under the front bumper or on the underside of the hull, and as far as I can see they don't go all the way through. The paint is flawless everywhere else, besides being in desperate need of a buff and polish.
What do you think, easy fix or?

 

[tmarsh]

Here's the rest of the ski, only pictures I have right now.

 

[pwgsx]

Its fine. Most get these cracks on the lower hull but its normal- unless you hit something. The fiberglass is ok and since it can flex a bit, the hard gel coat cracks. My guess is someone tapped the dock with the nose of the ski.

 

[tmarsh]

Okay cool, so it's an easy fix? Any recommendations on what to use? And also could you recommend a good polish or wax to use? Usually I just have my skis detailed professionally but would like to start doing it myself.
Thanks for your reply

 

[red2blue]

Can anyone help me out with this, I don't know anything about fiberglass. I'm wanting to buy this ski but this is kind of a red flag.
What do you think, easy fix or?
View attachment 29452

Pic is a lil close...difficult to see but as best as I can....what you got there is spider cracks in the gel-coat.

I got them all over...here and there. Like has been said...hull flexing will do it.

I wouldn't sweat fixing it.

 

[pwgsx]

No need to fix, just wet sand, use some cutting compound, swirl remover, polish and wax it. Should brink the shine back and you wont really see the small little cracks.

 

[tmarsh]

Thanks for the info guys. I've never seen anything like it before on my GTI or our boat. And I've hit some pretty hard waves with my GTI. Exactly how common is this, Do you think it's a big enough issue to try and bring the seller down on price?

 

[pwgsx]

I have had this on my 95 xp, 99 gsx limited, 2004 rxp and current 2004 speedster boat and I did not hit anything. It is simply flexing of the fiberglass and hard gelcoat just cracks. You might get a few bucks off if you play it out to be a possible defect or damage that will need repairing. Here are some pics from my rxp that had cracks from flexing under the gas tank.

 

[Coastiejoe]

I agree with the above. I have seen a few cases where there is heavier damage on the inside of the hull, but you will normally see much more stress or damage type cracking than what the ski in the picture is showing.

 

[red2blue]

I pound the sht outa my ski during a long wot run down my lake on a sat afternoon. When they happen under the hull or around the tunnel...it's time to address them.

Aside....there are two spots on the bottom of the hull...one each on either side of the keel...called the shoe?...about where those cracks appear on pwgsx's rxp. In rare instances...de-lamination is a known phenomenon. And if it happens at speed...the water can peel the bottom off your ski in a split sec. Some have even been thrown when it happens.

 

[tmarsh]

So what I need to worry about is cracks on the bottom of the hull, Ill keep an eye out for that for sure. What do you mean by the "tunnel"? Not familiar with that term, but I'm guessing it's where the jet pump is?
I don't think I'll have to worry about the bottom too much though, the lakes I ride in are deep with really nowhere to beach it. And I can't do serious wave jumping due to my back and knee. I have to ask though red2blue, how did you get your ski airborne like that? lol it doesn't even look that wavy

 

[red2blue]

So what I need to worry about is cracks on the bottom of the hull, Ill keep an eye out for that for sure. What do you mean by the "tunnel"? Not familiar with that term, but I'm guessing it's where the jet pump is?
I don't think I'll have to worry about the bottom too much though, the lakes I ride in are deep with really nowhere to beach it. And I can't do serious wave jumping due to my back and knee. I have to ask though red2blue, how did you get your ski airborne like that? lol it doesn't even look that wavy

Yeah, the tunnel is the opening to the prop. The area around the grate in particular.

SML, where I ride, in places is over 200' deep...only a handful of "beaches"...which I never use. As for getting air...(besides a lil more oomph and a coupla handling mods) look for slow movers....30'-50'ers being spit outa the marinas. Some..like the one I was following the day in the pic...will plow a real nice wake for you. After that...timing, speed and angle of attack will yield some really nice air. Alot of folks have seen a 3seater that high outa the water...not many when going 2up.

As for saving the back and knees...look I'm already slow...getting old and fat now though too. (Besides seat time)...the only real way to make it easier on my old bones is to get on top of the water...that is...not to ride up and down the waves...but to go faster and run across the top.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

Thanks for the info guys. I've never seen anything like it before on my GTI or our boat. And I've hit some pretty hard waves with my GTI. Exactly how common is this, Do you think it's a big enough issue to try and bring the seller down on price?

anything's negotiable.... so its certainly worth a try.

If you saw pic's of the 07 RXT I'm heading to look you wouldn't be worried in the least about those little cracks your seeing there, the one i'm looking at looks like it was owned by a homeless guy, and a sloppy one at that.

IMO a little wet sanding, compound and buffing will do a good job of hiding most of that little blemish, past that, nothing to worry about that I can see, when your running 60 across the lake nobody will see the cracks

 

[tmarsh]

SML, where I ride, in places is over 200' deep...only a handful of "beaches"...which I never use. As for getting air...(besides a lil more oomph and a coupla handling mods) look for slow movers....30'-50'ers being spit outa the marinas. Some..like the one I was following the day in the pic...will plow a real nice wake for you. After that...timing, speed and angle of attack will yield some really nice air. Alot of folks have seen a 3seater that high outa the water...not many when going 2up.

I typically ride Torch Lake Michigan, which is a huge deep lake and the waves are always massive from wind and boat traffic. The boats are usually 35-40 feet but typically nail the throttle right out of the gate to show off their sound lol so no slow movers really. But that extra 100hp makes all the difference, I can't really launch off waves with my GTI 130. Can't wait to see what the RXT can do.

 

[tmarsh]

anything's negotiable.... so its certainly worth a try.

If you saw pic's of the 07 RXT I'm heading to look you wouldn't be worried in the least about those little cracks your seeing there, the one i'm looking at looks like it was owned by a homeless guy, and a sloppy one at that.

IMO a little wet sanding, compound and buffing will do a good job of hiding most of that little blemish, past that, nothing to worry about that I can see, when your running 60 across the lake nobody will see the cracks

I didn't ask him down anymore on the price. After doing more research on it, I figure it's going to be an easy fix and I had already brought him down quite a bit from what he was asking. Ill keep an eye out in the trouble areas for sure though. Been lake living all my life and have never come across a boat or ski with cracks like this, its definitely new to me.

 

[JeffRick]

I have the same watercraft that also has cracks in the gel coat in the nose area. I made the mistake of standing on the Doo as I was trying to get onto it from shore. I'll bet thats what happened to your boat!

 

[tmarsh]

I have the same watercraft that also has cracks in the gel coat in the nose area. I made the mistake of standing on the Doo as I was trying to get onto it from shore. I'll bet thats what happened to your boat!

It cracked just from standing on it? Must be some thin fiberglass under there.. I did buy this ski so I'll have to be careful with the front. Did you do anything to fix it? Or just deal with it? I buffed polished and waxed it today, and the cracks aren't as pronounced as they were before so I might just deal with it as long as they don't spread.

 

[JeffRick]

It cracked just from standing on it? Must be some thin fiberglass under there.. I did buy this ski so I'll have to be careful with the front. Did you do anything to fix it? Or just deal with it? I buffed polished and waxed it today, and the cracks aren't as pronounced as they were before so I might just deal with it as long as they don't spread.

Yes, I bet that the fiberglass is rather thin on that nose. I also just waxed the affected area to minimize the appearance of the cracks but I would avoid standing on the nose...

 

[TplusR]

Both of my 06 RXT's have had thin cracks like that for years on the nose and I have never hit anything with either of them and never had any issues.....not sure if they're bad or not, but as long as no issues have arisen from them, I have just left them alone.

 

[tmarsh]

That's good news. I'll probably just leave them alone, after buffing and waxing they are only noticeable up close so it's all good.

 

[screamingpumpkin]

yeah just spidering in the gel coat... thats wierd though, normally older fiberglass boats will get this. someone must have hit the front of the boat