I think i broke my boat

stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
34
I have an 84 bayliner ciera 24'. Hit a wave pretty hard and she came down pretty hard. I hace the little kitchen unit with the stove and cooler built into it. Well that whole unit came loose and broke. I can fix that. what im concerned with, is the floor,by what u would call the bedroom, which is fiberglass, cracked really bad. one part is higher then the other. My question is, the flooring is seperate from the hull right? Do i have to worry about the boat breaking in two? The outside is perfect, and there is no leaks. this is my first boat, so maybe this is a silly question. Any info would put me more at ease. thanks.
 

NYBo

Admiral
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Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: I think i broke my boat

I would be very concerned that you broke a stringer or two, resulting in the uneven sole. If you don't feel confident in diagnosing the problem, get a pro. You could face major structural failure the next time you hit a wave, resulting in sinking.
 

CaptainKickback

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
1,060
Re: I think i broke my boat

Take no chances! You are a new boater, so get a pro to check it out.
 

stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
34
Re: I think i broke my boat

Thanks guys. pulling the boat out tomorrow for the winter, so i will have someone look at it. Thanks again.
 

island mike

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
440
Re: I think i broke my boat

I imagine you really rammed that wave in order to do that kind of damage..very weird..
Good thinking of you taking her out of the water.get that looked at,get it fixed sounds like structual damage ...
Good luck
 

stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
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Jul 13, 2011
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Re: I think i broke my boat

A friend helped me take her out and dry dock today. First time towing and parking a boat, thats an experience, but anyway, he looked her over and said everything looks good except for a couple of stress cracks on one side, about a 1/4 of the way down from the top of the boat. I sent in and waiting for a reply for a VSC. Is this the kind of safety check that will cover structure damage?
Driving her today, she felt really good, so hopefully she is fine. Thanks.
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: I think i broke my boat

never heard of hitting a wave and breaking a boat. (not bay or lake waves any how.....really really big water yes)

glass flexes alot, and your stringers are figreglass that has been shot over foam......the foam is just for the shape....the glass is the stringer.

but i dont like the deck cracking and breaking........i would pull that carpet up and cut that wood out.....once its up you will see any major damage....you might have to dig some foam out of the area to see the hull......but that is minor....

were the stress cracks there before, and are they small over a small area, or are they long covering a wide area?,,,,, are they on a curve of the hull or are they on the flat side of the hull?

it will take a few hours to do.....but for the piece of mind i would do it before the boat hits the water again
 

NYBo

Admiral
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Oct 23, 2008
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Re: I think i broke my boat

I sent in and waiting for a reply for a VSC. Is this the kind of safety check that will cover structure damage?
No. A VSC only covers required safety equipment, proper registration and numbering, and obvious overall safety issues with the hull (fuel lines, neat wiring, and obviously unsafe conditions like rotted decks). Here's a link: Vessel safety check

But you should still get one done in the Spring (VSCs expire December 31 of the year they are done).
 

stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
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Jul 13, 2011
Messages
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Re: I think i broke my boat

Thanks guys for the info. where can i find someone who would know about the structure of the boat, and if its safe? I am definetly not qualified. I will take some pics today of the cracks.
It happened in the channel, two boats had passed me ( oncoming ), i was up to plane speed, i turned into the first set of waves from the other boats wake, and she went over nice, but was not in sync with the second set, and thats when we came down hard. I should have backed off the throttle. Boating is definetly a learn as you go enjoyment.
 

sschefer

Rear Admiral
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Nov 13, 2008
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4,530
Re: I think i broke my boat

Thanks guys for the info. where can i find someone who would know about the structure of the boat, and if its safe? I am definetly not qualified. I will take some pics today of the cracks.
It happened in the channel, two boats had passed me ( oncoming ), i was up to plane speed, i turned into the first set of waves from the other boats wake, and she went over nice, but was not in sync with the second set, and thats when we came down hard. I should have backed off the throttle. Boating is definetly a learn as you go enjoyment.

You'll learn to read those situations in the future. We all have made the same mistake. See if you can find a good boat repair shop that specializes in glass. The Brunswick Bayliners are not known as particulary well constructed but the hulls all have to meet USCG testing requirements so I'd bet you're probably O.K. unless there was something else like stringer failure that you didn't know about. Ooops gave you some great advice but if you're not up to it then look around for a good shop and try to talk to some of their customers if you can. It could be a minor repair or it could be major and if it's major you want a shop that can recognize that and not one that say's "No problem, pick it up next week" without doing anything more than a quick visual.
 

NYBo

Admiral
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Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: I think i broke my boat

Regardless of the original quality of the boat, a LOT can happen in 27 years that could have undermined its structural integrity. Please don't take it out again until you have someone look at it.
 

chriscraft254

Commander
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
2,445
Re: I think i broke my boat

I hate to say it, but bayliners were not made for running in rough water. They are a back water boat imo! If your running LI sound or ocean, start looking for another boat. If not investigate why it is cracked before taking it out again. last thing you want is a stringer cracking a length wise crack in the hull. The boat may seem fine and it may be, but get it checked. Post the photos of the damage.
 

island mike

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
440
Re: I think i broke my boat

What are we all saying "get it looked at"???
HEY,we got a another project on our hands!!!
WERE ARE THE PICS??????????????????????????????????????
 

chriscraft254

Commander
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stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
34
Re: I think i broke my boat

i will lift the carpet and take pics. couldnt get there today. nothing hit from inside. and someone looked at it and we noticed a scrape leading to the crack in the front. he thinks i might of hit something pulling in, and didnt think it looked that bad, and said some gel coat would take care of it. He had the 27' version of my boat, and did a lot of work to his, so he does know about the boat. still will take more pics, because im not taking any chances.
I did get a number from the boat yard i deal with and called a pro. They are expensive thats for sure. 350, for an hour, but he was very nice, and told me to do a couple tests before i hire him to make sure if i really need his services.
 

NYBo

Admiral
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Oct 23, 2008
Messages
7,107
Re: I think i broke my boat

That's not as bad as I was expecting. The location and size of the cracks doesn't strongly point to a stringer problem. But let's see what's on the other side of them.
 

j_k_bisson

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Oct 6, 2010
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1,082
Re: I think i broke my boat

Hey I will coment on this one just for posting my Opinion. I am not an expert, but I am an Engineer. Opps is the expert and so is Yatch Dr. They both have years of experience in this kind of work.

But is that crack originated from the inside then you DO HAVE a problem here. either you had something very heavy and large hit the inside of the wal and caused the crack or that floor buckled and cause the sink/cabinet to flex outboard causing the crack. I would deffinate get a look at the stringer under the floor there. Something is not right.

I have a Bayliner and yes they are not the best constructed boats. But they do work for their intended purpose. Which is a 5-10 year use boat. They are not lifetime boats like some other brands. The are low cost entry level boats. So you should have it professionaly serveyed.

Just my humble opinion.
 

stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
34
Re: I think i broke my boat

Hey everyone, took up the carpets, and took some pics. I hope you can make them out. If not thats OK, I can't expect you to be able to tell me if its bad just from pics, i know you would have to see in person, but i do appreciate the help. anyone live close to oceanside, NY? Here are the pics: tried checking my post with pics. doesnt seem to have loaded all of them. If not, i will do seperate posts. Is there a limit to how many pics go in a post? I will try again.
1112111237.jpg1112111231.jpg1112111238a.jpg1112111230.jpg1112111236.jpg
 

stx123456

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
34
Re: I think i broke my boat

more pics:
 

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