Some folks have removed this fitting to take care of leaks - it was more of an issue for boats stored mast up or in a slip outdoors. The rain water would run down the stays like one of those new fangled chain rain gutters you see on trendy homes. The rain runs down the stays and right into the top of that chain plate. Some sailboats do not have that weld on the top trim - on some boats like Hunters and some older MACs and really BIG boats that top plate is not welded to the chain plate:
Some are inside the scuppers like above but most are on the deck:
So the rain runs down inside between the chain plate and the top trim piece into the hole below. People with those types of chin plates need to do regular inspections and reseal them:
I don't know if your the original owner but it could be that the previous owner thought the chain plates needed regular resealing - most older skippers do think that way - but since they started welding the trim plates onto the chain plates there has really not been much need to reseal the chain plates - the welded ones are supposed to be maintenance free, but they are harder to fit and fabricate.
I’m going to guess that 13 years of stress crazed the gel coat. As I said, I just noticed it. Who knows, there may be a difference between a 2013 & a 2005 More than just eight years.
Ray
Hi Ray
I picked my M in Sept 2006
As you know I've ridden her hard and put her away wet...
So I'll check mine and take pics for you
I am sort of slow, was he worried that the chain plate has moved and cracked the finish or is he just talking about the gel coat? Obviously I am not understanding.
If all he is talking about here is the gel coat then I really think it's a non issue - if he is concerned about the actual chain plate moving then the place to look is lower down where the big screws are that bolt it to the hull.
IF the plate pulled from the hull there should be hull damage, if the big screws are loose you can just check them by trying to turn them with a screwdriver - they should be very very tight.
If the deck is separating from the hull there will be damage at the chain-plate.
When I look at the picture what I see is the normal cracking you would cause to the gel coat when you drive a screw into fiberglass.
As Boat pointed out, it looks like a gell coat spider which is caused by putting a screw into gel coat before counter sinking the gel coat. Spiders can be avoided by simply lightly counter sinking the hole so scrape gel coat away. This allows the screw to catch the fiberglass without catching the gel coat. No spider. But I digress. Do check ALL the screws that hold the shroud plate to the boat.
paula_ke wrote:As Boat pointed out, it looks like a gell coat spider which is caused by putting a screw into gel coat before counter sinking the gel coat. Spiders can be avoided by simply lightly counter sinking the hole so scrape gel coat away. This allows the screw to catch the fiberglass without catching the gel coat. No spider. But I digress. Do check ALL the screws that hold the shroud plate to the boat.
That's what made me think if there was a previous owner - some folks try to remove these thinking they need to be resealed - and in the case of most older chain-plates that's true, but NOT THE WELDED PLATES! I thought maybe a previous owner might have removed the screws thinking he could lift the plate and cracked the gel coat when he put the screws back in.
If your chain-plate trim is welded to the chain-plate you do not need to unscrew the trim piece and reseal it every year like on the older ones - the welded plates are designed to stay in place forever with no maintenance.
The older ones have a trim that you can remove so you can put sealant in the hole - the welded ones do not need that because the design is that the weld is supposed to divert the water to the edge pf the trim plate so no water goes down the hole. As long as the edges are firm against the deck your good.
paula_ke wrote:As Boat pointed out, it looks like a gell coat spider which is caused by putting a screw into gel coat before counter sinking the gel coat. Spiders can be avoided by simply lightly counter sinking the hole so scrape gel coat away. This allows the screw to catch the fiberglass without catching the gel coat. No spider. But I digress. Do check ALL the screws that hold the shroud plate to the boat.
I am the original owner. 2005 was brand new from MacGregor in December 2004. I can’t really complain to Rodger MacGregor now can I?
I think maybe you could take it back to the factory and get it repaired for free if you complained that they did not countersink the holes large enough. The factory is still there and they still have a couple of boatwrights working in the bays - but I bet all they do is smear a little bit of paste into the cracks and polish it out. You could probably do it yourself in about 5 minutes - I think it would take you longer to tow it to the factory than to fix it..
For the last eleven days we have had the boat in the Adirondacks. That’s when I noticed what has probably been crazing for years. Six days to go. First, Twelve days in Asia. Now in Lake George (lake, not the town), then eight days in Phoenix for a grandsons second birthday. John, why didn’t you tell me how tough retirement is.
More than just eight years. 
