Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

[mbible]

1986 Sea Ray 197 I/O is the boat. The pictures show a crack coming from the drain plug bung extending outboard about 11" toward the side. It's same crack on port & starboard side of drain plug. The port side has one a bit above that crack.

Please advise if it's possibly a stress just in the gel coat or is it more serious like I need to replace the transom. A knock test sounds hard as stone. I'd like to see if anyone had had an experience like this and what your thoughts are.

Thanks

 

[carribbean soul]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

I think your ok.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

My thoughts are that a transom should not flex to that extent and have cracks in that manner.

Sooo, It could be from a mishap involving stress on the outdrive . . . . or . . . it could be something going on inside the transom.

A few test holes in the effected areas from inside the engine compartment may be useful at this point.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Drill it, knock tests are unreliable.

Get inside and look around, take your flashlight and drill with you.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

How is the boat stored? Covered at all times? Exposed to the elements? Any other hull damage or soft spots in the deck, anywhere?

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

All good advice. I think the crack may be from the screw thats holding the drain. Seen a lot of gelcoat cracks caused by not countersinking screws through gelcoat. The crack is also in an area where the gelcoat will be thick from when it was originally sprayed in the hull mold. Gelcoat is often sprayed to thick in corners where two sides meet. They would have sprayed the bottom and then the transom and overlapped right there. Very common.

 

[mbible]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Awesome advise everybody, thanks very much.

I think the crack may be from the screw thats holding the drain. Seen a lot of gelcoat cracks caused by not countersinking screws through gelcoat. The crack is also in an area where the gelcoat will be thick from when it was originally sprayed in the hull mold.

That makes sense.

How is the boat stored? Covered at all times? Exposed to the elements? Any other hull damage or soft spots in the deck, anywhere?

It's stored covered at all times on its trailer. There are some soft spots on the bow deck.

Drill it, knock tests are unreliable.

Get inside and look around, take your flashlight and drill with you.

Just so I'm clear, what should I be looking for when drilling? Color of chips, softness? and how deep should I go?

Thanks again all.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

You'll be looking for dark wet shavings. If they are light colored and dry then you're good to go. Drill in multiple places so you can determine the areas of rot, if any. If no replacement is required you will fill the holes with 3M 5200 sealant. Put some tape on a 1/4" drill bit at the 1" depth.

That's as deep as you will need to go. DO NOT drill through the transom completely. Note typically if the transom is bad the stringers supporting the deck will also have issues.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Looks painted over to me ..

What are those blue marks .. underpaint of over paint.

If its Factory then your probably looking at drill cracking ( even though it seems too straight line cracking to me ).

You might want to take advice on all of the post in your thread.

YD.

 

[mbible]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Thanks Wood, I will do that in the next few days.

Looks painted over to me ..

What are those blue marks .. underpaint of over paint.
The blue is over the gelcoat, I believe it's bottom paint left on from before I got it.

If its Factory then your probably looking at drill cracking ( even though it seems too straight line cracking to me ).

You might want to take advice on all of the post in your thread.

YD.

The blue is over the gelcoat. I believe its bottom paint.

 

[mbible]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Update: Transom drilling went well. Drilled in 4 or 5 places as low as possible and all holes looked good.
I got ambitious and we drilled a few test holes just foreward of the engine mounts. The shavings were a little bit dark and moist. The bow is soft deck...
Am I going to have to re-stringer the whole boat?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

It is tough to say without more pictures and some more inspection/test holes on your part.

"Dark and moist" means that you have the ingredients hard at work for structural rot. So, it is a matter of how far along things are, etc.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Soft decking and moist stringer shavings are bad news, but the good news is it sounds like you've dodged the rotten transom bullet!

The crack on your transom more than likely came from engine/outdrive movement due to your weakened engine mount stringers.

The soft deck up front is the "drain" that is letting the water into your bilge area that has decayed your stringers.

Exploratory surgery (deck removal) is the only way to determine the extent of your damage.

This is an excellent thread on a Sea Ray that is newer than your '86.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=510077

 

[mbible]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question


Exploratory surgery (deck removal) is the only way to determine the extent of your damage.

This is an excellent thread on a Sea Ray that is newer than your '86.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=510077[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the link I will be devoted to it I think. I have watched friscoboaters youtube vids. What a huge help they are.

So, here we go guys, we're in to it. Turns out the previous owner had merely overlaid a "new" deck over the rotten factory deck. He said he had no idea what is like under the deck when asked about the soft spots... thats funny because in one of the pictures Im posting you can see a "box" made from 2x4 lumber holding the bow deck up, LOL.

So here it is. Got a lot done today. Here are just a few pics.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

We see a lot of those "deck over" jobs on this forum, and it really irritates me to see someones else's boat done like that and I can't imagine how irate I'd be if I found out I had just bought a boat that had been done like that.

You're doing the right thing by tearing the boat down and doing the job correctly.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

Yep ^^^ +1

Well carp, welcome to the iboats dry dock

Friscoboater's threads & youtube channel will be of great help as you tear into the SeaRay... Lots of other good info & helpful folks around, but ya got some good help already.

Best of luck getting her put back & underway again soon.....

 

[mbible]

Re: Hairline crack in transom gel coat question

You're doing the right thing by tearing the boat down and doing the job correctly.

Best of luck getting her put back & underway again soon.....

Thanks guys.