Today, while doing some work on my boat, a Ranger 23, I leaned into the forward lower shroud on the starboatd side and noticed that when I did, the lower lip of the window flexed (directly inboard of where the shroud meets the deck). In this area, there are a couple of stress cracks in the gelcoat, and the backing plate that attaches this shroud is much larger than the port side. The previous owner repaled the old backing plate Is the area around the windows balsa cored, and am I seeing symptoms of core rot? Or, if this area is not cored, does the larger backing plate have more purchase on the deck, causing the fiberglass to flex beneath the window? Am I risking some failure which might cuase me to lose the mast in heavy winds? The cracks have been there since I've been sailing the boat, and I certainly been out in some big winds in the year I've had her with no problems.