Freedom 235 Gunwale Cracks

[JJJ]

I have a 2021 Freedom 235 and just today I noticed cracks on both sides of the boat where the hardtop bolts into the gunwale. Has anyone experienced this issue? The cracks are not large, but they ARE in the gelcoat and not just the caulking. Thoughts from the pros? Thanks in advance.

 

[SkunkBoat]

what surprises me most is that the hardtop connects to the removeable gunnel piece and not the main liner.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Yep. I had that on my brand new 235. The dealership took care of it. Don't know what caused it.

 

[seasick]

I suspect that the panel moves or moved due to hardtop motion of general expansion due to the temps. The panel the hardtop legs attach to, also moved and that put stress on the caulking which ( perhaps it is a rigid adhesive) had a stronger bond than the strength of the gel coat. That caused the gel coat to pull apart. It is a bit odd. Repairing the gel coat and re caulking with something that handles greater expansion and compression hopefully will fix the problem

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

When mine was cracked, one of my friends who works in manufacturing said it looks like the T-Top was tightened down too much. The dealership agreed that was likely the cause. They repaired it and it hasn't come back. Don't know if that is actually what happened, but it kind of makes sense. The T-Top has 9 anchor points, so each leg doesn't take much wear and tear. My old SeaFox T-Top only had 4 anchor points. They were always coming lose, flexing and bending.

 

[JJJ]

Thanks all - I checked with the dealer and they said it is not a structural issue but more cosmetic and easily repaired. Thanks for the replies. This is a terrific forum and I have learned a lot!

 

[John naile]

Took owner of a brand new 2021 180 fisherman. Cracks all over the gunwale. Boat was order I owned it the day I signed the paperwork. Back to dealer four times never completely repaired. If it is easily repairable I wonder why mine wasn’t done correctly. Good luck with your repairs.