2001 Launch - crack at bow eye, gelcoat or structural? Need a straight answer.

2001 Supra Launch, direct drive, original bow (trailering) eye. Photos attached. Trying to get honest eyes on this before I trust it.

There’s a crack running through the glass right at the base of the bow eye, and the surface around it looks torn, like exposed fiber, not a clean gelcoat line. A few people have told me it’s superficial. I’m not sold, because that torn fiber looks like more than gelcoat to me.

Context so nobody’s guessing:

• Boat’s in the water now on Lake Wallenpaupack. At the dock in a decent chop, the eye held with zero visible movement.
• BoatMate trailer.
• My ramp is up a hill, so the eye takes a real winch load coming out. That’s why I want to know what I’ve got before I pull it.

Questions:

1. From the photos, gelcoat crazing only, or laminate damage? What should I scrape or poke to know for sure?
2. What’s behind the bow eye on a 2001 Launch, a wood block, foam, or solid glass? What should a healthy backing look like from inside the bow?
3. Anyone had the bow eye crack or pull on a Launch? What did the fix involve, and what did it run?
4. BoatMate: if the bow stop sits too high and the boat’s been hanging back on the eye every haul-out, could that have cracked it? What’s the right bow stop adjustment to take the load off?
5. Getting it out up a hill ramp without trusting the eye, I’m thinking float it on deep, drop the bow stop, and run a backup line off the cleat. Right approach, or is there a better one?

I can do glass work, but it’s the tow eye so I’m not guessing on it. Straight talk welcome, including “you’re overthinking it” if that’s the truth.Attachment 20053Attachment 20053