# Stress cracks?



## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

Where were the cracks, what brand/model boat, does he have paperwork to detail the repair?


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## georgiadrifter (Jan 14, 2009)

Oftentimes stress cracks form when a trailer (rollers and bunks) are not properly fitted to the boat hull. Throw in the weight of the motor on the transom and a rough, bumpy road...this can cause stress on the transom ....resulting in small cracks. Of course shoddy construction and other factors could be in play as well.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

More info. Where were the cracks, was the crack part of structure or a cover, cosmetic piece? Example. I have a crack in a non structural splash well insert. It is tied into the transom at top and glassed in at bottom to hull. This piece has a tight inside radius which likes to crack when built of glass. There is flex in all boats. The builder quickly changed the splash well to a long wide radious.
Now if this boat was a Savage Creek with hull cracks keep far away as that boat had a very thin hull lay up, very thin stringers and they were only partially foam filled. 
We need more info.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

When looking to buy a skiff, if at all possible find someone that works with glass to go over the hull with you... Whoever it is will quickly spot potential troubles or disregard things that are just cosmetic in nature.

Yes, you'll get great advice here but there's simply no substitute for an on the scene evaluation... 

Hope this helps... most of us at one time or other have bought trouble with a boat purchase (usually your first or second boat...) and have had to learn - mostly the hard way...


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

Capnredfish said:


> More info. Where were the cracks, was the crack part of structure or a cover, cosmetic piece? Example. I have a crack in a non structural splash well insert. It is tied into the transom at top and glassed in at bottom to hull. This piece has a tight inside radius which likes to crack when built of glass. There is flex in all boats. The builder quickly changed the splash well to a long wide radious.
> Now if this boat was a Savage Creek with hull cracks keep far away as that boat had a very thin hull lay up, very thin stringers and they were only partially foam filled.
> We need more info.


A thin layup isn’t neccasarily a “bad” thing. That is how you keep it light. A thin layup with the wrong materials and engineering is a bad thing though!
I can tell you through some “non scientific” testing that 2 layers of 1708 on both sides (<1/8” per side) of a 3/4” foam core will take a blow from a 250# healthy man with a 3# ball peen without compromise spanning 18” without peeling/delaminating! And can take the same blow against a solid backing/0 deflection allowed with what I consider minimal damage! Now, again I say... proper materials and engineering have a lot to do with it!


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

lemaymiami said:


> When looking to buy a skiff, if at all possible find someone that works with glass to go over the hull with you... Whoever it is will quickly spot potential troubles or disregard things that are just cosmetic in nature.
> 
> Yes, you'll get great advice here but there's simply no substitute for an on the scene evaluation...
> 
> Hope this helps... most of us at one time or other have bought trouble with a boat purchase (usually your first or second boat...) and have had to learn - mostly the hard way...


Great great great advise!
I typically charge $75 for an evaluation of a motor and another $75 to evaluate a hull plus $125 service call fee. So... $275 can save a person thousands of $$$ and a while pile of headaches! I don’t do them much these days as I am told it costs too much for a boat they may not buy lol! I’m fine with that because they usually bring it for the needed repairs anyway!


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

This is the keel of a boat that was purchased without an inspection! That is standard bondo that ran entire length of keel covering a through the hull crack. This repair cost the customer $3k as I had to re build and fair the entire keel! The bondo had started cracking and absorbed so much water that I scraped it off with a metal putty knife! There are hacks out there that do “good looking” work that is really crap just to turn a buck!


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

This Polar craft was purchase by a good friend w/out my knowing. This photo is in near completed state. He purchased for $1k thinking he was getting a good “project” hull that had already been gutted. Well... what he got was a hull that was gutted by a moron! Whomever cut the floor out also scored the woven roven all the way around the boat. If he wouldn’t have brought to me for the refurb this boat would have came apart for sure! They also cut all the way through in multiple spots which was why I went over the whole cut line with a fine tooth comb! Ended up basically rebuilding/ reinforcing the entire hull before I was comfortable proceeding with stringers/floor/transom!


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

On the flip side, this Stumpknocker needed a transom. The rest of the boat was pretty immaculate. He picked it up for a song, paid me $500 for a quik composite transom job that required no color matching and minmal fairing and he is in it for <$750 as of now not including motor!


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Redbelly said:


> Would you consider a boat that had leaked from stress cracks that the seller says he got repaired at a reputable boat builder?
> 
> I'm wondering why it happened and what else could be the issue?
> 
> The seller realized it after about 3 times out on the boat after he bought it. It was taking on water. That's all I know.


A true gel coat stress crack does not absorb water. The glass layers below the gel are waterproof ......
A "stress crack" that absorbs water is a structural problem which means any solid under layment...wood,foam.....is ruined and the structural integrity it was suppose to provide is gone. This usually occurs along the stringers or transom.
Obviously.........it is a major job

Run.................


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## BassFlats (Nov 26, 2018)

Open polyester glass and resin will absorb moisture . Blisters are the result.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

One other thing to emphasize for a beginner boat buyer... Unlike almost any other material- fiberglass can be repaired so that it is actually better and stronger than when it was new... and most repairs are from the inside out so a good job can’t even be detected once completed...

On the flip side it’s all too easy to do a quick and dirty “fix” to a serious problem that will leave a new owner holding the bag...


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Boatbrains said:


> A thin layup isn’t neccasarily a “bad” thing. That is how you keep it light. A thin layup with the wrong materials and engineering is a bad thing though!
> I can tell you through some “non scientific” testing that 2 layers of 1708 on both sides (<1/8” per side) of a 3/4” foam core will take a blow from a 250# healthy man with a 3# ball peen without compromise spanning 18” without peeling/delaminating! And can take the same blow against a solid backing/0 deflection allowed with what I consider minimal damage! Now, again I say... proper materials and engineering have a lot to do with it!


I had a two layer 1708 biaxial no core that cracked in half and also split parallel to the stringers. Never hit anything. If you can cause a deflection in the hull by hand it is either too thin or has no core. Bad design simple as that.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

BassFlats said:


> Open polyester glass and resin will absorb moisture . Blisters are the result.


https://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/blister-repair.asp

Also, resin evaporates.....go figure


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2019)

Capnredfish said:


> I had a two layer 1708 biaxial no core that cracked in half and also split parallel to the stringers. Never hit anything. If you can cause a deflection in the hull by hand it is either too thin or has no core. Bad design simple as that.


Bad design! Too thin w/out core. That said, I know Stumpknocker and Johnsen/Mitchell’s were a single 18oz woven and about 3oz chop so go figure. Also depends on what the end use of the hull is going to be.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Capnredfish said:


> I had a two layer 1708 biaxial no core that cracked in half and also split parallel to the stringers. Never hit anything. If you can cause a deflection in the hull by hand it is either too thin or has no core. Bad design simple as that.


99% of skiff hulls (and many large center consoles) can be deflected in certain areas with the heel of your hand and moderate pressure. The fatigue limit on fiberglass is almost infinite, the only time slight deflections of a hull are going to be a problem is if it's flexing where it shouldn't. 

There are a TON of Gheenoes running around out there, that have been flexing/deflecting for 30+ years.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

Do gheenoes have stringers?


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

topnative2 said:


> Do gheenoes have stringers?


Not really in the traditional sense. They have longitudinal strakes in the hull because of the way the hull/chine is shaped. They do have a bit of support because of the seats and middle box running perpendicular to the keel. Every one I've had would flex in the middle on either side of the keel in running in rough chop. Never had an issue.


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

It is designed for flex.Put a stringer in the layup and it would be a problem.
The sears gamefisher and Rivehawk are/were designed the same.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Before you buy it...RUN


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

LowHydrogen said:


> 99% of skiff hulls (and many large center consoles) can be deflected in certain areas with the heel of your hand and moderate pressure. The fatigue limit on fiberglass is almost infinite, the only time slight deflections of a hull are going to be a problem is if it's flexing where it shouldn't.
> 
> There are a TON of Gheenoes running around out there, that have been flexing/deflecting for 30+ years.


I can understand hull sides flexing inward some. However, if I can flex a hull bottom by hand I am not a customer.


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## Guest (Jan 22, 2019)

Capnredfish said:


> I can understand hull sides flexing inward some. However, if I can flex a hull bottom by hand I am not a customer.


No doubt! Even the ol’ Johnsen don’t flex like that until people cut out the seats and boxs!


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## Redbelly (Jan 23, 2016)

Well it is a Baycraft and the repair was said to be by Boggy Creek boats

I have turned away


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

why consider a boat with a known major problem when there are a zillion boats out there? I bet you can do better.


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## Capt. Jack (Jan 13, 2019)

devrep said:


> why consider a boat with a known major problem when there are a zillion boats out there? I bet you can do better.


I've been told by two good fiberglass guys, the spider cracks in the gell coat are a result of the gell coat never stops curing, and will shrink over many years, and not to worry. I think what your referring to is much more serious.


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## Redbelly (Jan 23, 2016)

Capt. Jack said:


> I've been told by two good fiberglass guys, the spider cracks in the gell coat are a result of the gell coat never stops curing, and will shrink over many years, and not to worry. I think what your referring to is much more serious.


Yeah if it was taking on water...…..


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Capnredfish said:


> I had a two layer 1708 biaxial no core that cracked in half and also split parallel to the stringers. Never hit anything. If you can cause a deflection in the hull by hand it is either too thin or has no core. Bad design simple as that.


Boat brains said it. Bad design. The stringers created a hard spot on the hull and that is why it cracked.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

The crack in half was dead center left to right. The front to back crack was not along stringers. It was between stringers and chine near hull side. Basically a two foot wide non cored area. While it was apart I also found all trimming debris were foamed in as a method of disposal.


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