Terry,

You might try some external patches, but from your description it sounds
like the crack is on or near the planing portion of the bottom, which in
rough water could be a problem.

I am unfamiliar with the construction of your particular boat, but if it is
like many it has wood frames and stringers and may have flotation foam
between the floor and the bottom of the hull. That foam may be saturated
and providing water to rot the frames and stringers. Basically the longer
the water is in there the more damage it can do.

Naturally you can run it after making an external patch, but watch the floor
to see how much it twist as you cross waves. That should give you some
indication of the frame and stringer condition.

To repair it properly, the boat needs to be stripped of seats, carpet, floor
and foam. Then you can examine the frames and stringers and fix the crack
properly and replace any bad frames and stringers. That kind of work is
best done in the winter months. A lot of grinding may be required and the
fiberglass dust that attaches to perspiration will leave you itching for
days with sleepless nights! It is not complex work, it just takes a lot of
time. If you have to replace frames and stringers you need an assistant to
mix the polyester resin in manageable quantities and bring it to you in the
boat or you will make a zillion trips in and out of the boat! I have
removed all frames and stringers in many boats and got down to the bare hull
making new frames, stringers and keel. I use treated wood so I won't ever
have to do the job a second time. The treated wood must be allowed to dry
thoroughly before it is glassed in place or else it will not "take" the
polyester resin. If you have to go that far, although you did not say but
I'm guessing that it is I/O powered and the engine bunks may need replacing
also. After removing the engine carefully measure the bunks so you can
accurately duplicate them, this is critical to alignment of the I/O splined
shaft into the coupler hub. You'll need a special alignment tool when
re-installing the engine to assure everything is aligned properly. Again,
if you have to strip the boat to the bare hull, you can not leave it on the
trailer during the glassing process because the weight of the boat will
press the hull somewhat out of shape. The boat needs to be supported at the
transom and at the keel stem. This will allow the hull to "sag" and give you
a good planing surface without any hook in the bottom.

Sorry to have to be the source of bad news, but I'd hate to see you get hurt
in rough water if the hull is in bad condition.

One somewhat temporary fix would be to use a 1/4 inch or so drill bit long
enough to go up through the hull and floor. Then you can see where to cut
an opening in the floor say a foot square and you can dig down to the crack
and fix it. Unless it is near a stringer or frame however this won't tell
you what condition they are in.

I hope you get a refund. I shall be interested in what you finally do.
Where are you located?

Don Dando