My 1st Cobalt!! Gel coat help please.

[Jackpot19]

Just bought my 1st Cobalt. Have been boat owner for 30 years and this is my 1st encounter with a gel coat issue. 2001 Cobalt 246. Bought it off is a lift and didn’t notice some gel coat cracks on back of transom. Get the boat a started to clean her up, and discovered that the entire boat has some cracks in the gel coat and some weather checking. Had the boat checked out by a fiberglass shop and they said the boat looks like it may have been subject to extreme heat at some point or maybe had a black cover on the boat and sat out in the sun. There is really no heavy oxidation, just the gel coat cracks. I feel like I should have noticed them, but in the daylight they are nearly invisible. Glass shop said it is to expensive to fix it, but did advise that the boat looks solid and transom looks solid as well. They said it appears to be only cosmetic. Question is should I sell this thing, will it continue to get worse? The cracks are also in the sides, but more like spider webbing and a little less noticeable . Can I fix them at an automotive paint shop? I like the boat, but have owned lots of sea rays and never a gel coat crack. Some advice would be much appreciated.

[Kate]

". . . the boat looks solid and transom looks solid as well. They said it appears to be only cosmetic . . ."

Given that, I'd keep her. Remember, she's 25 years old.

Any signs of water intrusion on the inside of the transom? Is the floor soft anywhere? Is the swim platform loose?

"Can I fix them at an automotive paint shop?"

Maybe, but it's not easy. Some surface cracks can be sanded, primed, painted. Others need to be widened, filled, finished. At minimum, I'd fill the two cracks bottom right and left.

[Jackpot19]

The glass shop basically stood on the outdrive and no flex in the transom. May be some very mild delaminating, but he really couldn’t say for sure. Entire rest of the boat seems solid. Mechanically she is perfect. I had that checked out as well. Paid $14900 for her. She also came with a new $2500 custom cover and $2,000 steering rack assembly. All interior good with exception of sone minor cracking on sundeck. I will have those fixed at automotive shop then and just have them paint up to transoms and then maybe run a little bead of silicone around transom and call it good. Just didn’t really want to battle a lifelong gel coat issue.