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Cracking in glass on transom questions

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Category: General Forums
Forum Name: The Boat Shed
Forum Description: Discuss all things boating.
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=135350
Printed Date: 30 Mar 2024 at 4:16am


Topic: Cracking in glass on transom questions
Posted By: Helios
Subject: Cracking in glass on transom questions
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 9:12am
Hey all,

Just looking at a buccaneer 605 which has some cracking on the transom, was told that this crack wouldn't leak into the transom because the way its built etc and that its more cosmetic so re-glassing over it will solve this.

Just wondering if anyone can confirm this or should I be worried about rot in the transom area?

Cheers





Replies:
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 9:49am
Re glassing over will solve..
 It is what you find when grind back to good  solid glass.
Is it just a crack in the gelcoat or has the gelcoat cracked because of internal stress. Maybe the leg has hit something hard at some point?

Should not be there and why it is is rather open to conjecture till opened up for repair.


Posted By: Helios
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 10:45am
Thanks Steps, much appreciated, some good info to think about there!


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 1:50pm
To me that looks like a previous repair gone wrong,just looking at the bubble gelcoat.There is masking tape line. 
The bubbling wouldnt be dead straight on the bottom.


Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 2:11pm
Somehow i'd be rather suspicious of what may lurk in there.. and i couldn't see why water would not get in that crack...

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you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while...


Posted By: Kevin.S
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 2:21pm
Originally posted by Pcj Pcj wrote:

To me that looks like a previous repair gone wrong,just looking at the bubble gelcoat.There is masking tape line. 
The bubbling wouldnt be dead straight on the bottom.

I was thinking exactly the same, looks like someone has tried to patch it up before and it didn't work.  If I was looking at a boat that had that on it I'd be walking away and looking for something else, unless it was really cheap and I was looking for a project.


Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2021 at 3:15pm
To me that looks like a previous repair gone wrong,just looking at the bubble gelcoat.There is masking tape line.

That was one of my thoughts.
And thinking about it, while under my boat Removed the rear section of brass keel strip because of a water seepage into the bulge. yesterday.. and drilling out the screw holes.
 Its leaking because of a old, previous owner, patch fix with some sort of filler.
I have done the front section a few yrs back.. old posts

There is nothing else on your boat that looks suspect?
or painted over?
Patched?

If it is a patch fix because of say a motor leg hitting something.. its not a biggie to fix correctly.. and fixed corectly in glass usually means stronger that was before.
Hardest part is taking motor off.. engine hoist.
 Rest is just grinder, glassing, and sanding for good finish.
Time.




Posted By: Nickb1
Date Posted: 09 Apr 2021 at 2:07pm
don't forget about that itch, oh that itch is a bitch Wink

I would agree with the above, looks like something has happened and its caused a crack, owner has then run fresh gelcoat over it to try and hide it, looks like a hot mix the way its bubbled.
Its then flexed again and re cracked it due to the glass not being repaired to begin with.

I would be concerned though with how long its been like that and if water has gotten into the coring material


Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2021 at 9:12am
Its like looking at a resto, vintage car  or rod  build job.
 You see stuff, dont know what is underneath.
 If you know possibilities and from experience know what to expect.
If on ponders on what is underneath one will be intimidated and move on to take up needle point or crochet.

So what would I be doing here..?
 Im sure this is the question in the back of Helios mind

OK I would get out the dremmel, or 4" grinder (carefully) and remove the cracked and flaking gelcoat.. only
Look at what is underneath.
Is it wet (i dont think it will be)?
Is there a crack or white stress marks  in the glass?

This will give you a damn good idea what the problem is , how serious and what to do next.

Boating season is almost over for most ppl..if wasnt then if certain things can be seen (or not there), one can seal it up finish the season.

If there looks to be serious cracking of the glass underneath.. no biggie
 This is the advantage of glass boats, the lower end home handyman on tight budge can fix build  repair damn near anything correctly at little cost.

So lets assume its opened up and there is a quite a serious crack in the glass layer underneath.

Hire borrow a engine lifter, disconnect the engine , fuel lines cables etc and lift off.. 30 mins and 2 ppl for 5 of them (engine mounting bolts) lift engine off and lay on a pallet or something with wheels one can move it easy with.

Should I have to say masks, glasses ? or are ppl here that thick they cant think that one for themselves.. sry for a dig at PC here... If you didnt think of that .. take up needle point.

Now open up the war wound with a 4" grinder.. very slow and careful watching what you are removing.
You grind back any gelcoat, and glass underneathe that chips off easy or is damaged.
Same as going back to good steel doing a rust patch on a vintage car resto.

To me.. without seeing it opened up, I would geuss the damage is restricted to the glass underneath with little if any damage to the core its self.

 If so its a just a matter of establishing if the resin the boat is built out of is epoxy  or isophaltic resin
Isophatic is NOT COMPATABLE over Epoxy
Epoxy is compatible over iso.

If just gelcoat and glass damage..
With the 4" grind out to good glass a rounded u with the shape of the grinding disk... like V for welding steel. to good clean dry base

Spend about $40 (??) on a pot of resin and some chop Spend repair in a repair kit from burnso or smartmarine or Miter 10.
Mix up resin (exactly as per instructions), paint some on the ground out area, wet out out the pre cut to shape chop stand patches.. enough to fill the wound.
Lay in and push out all the air.
 Lay in to just below the original surface height.
If shaging is an issue hold in place using strips of wide masking tape hoozonally from the bottom pulled tight across the wound.
 Once nearly fully cured, hard, remove tape.. if still low apply another layer or so to build up to just below original level.
Let cure.. till next day is best
 Touch off any high spots with grinder and roughed up any low spots dremmel works best here.

Get a pot of gelcoalt, mix and paint in over the glass building up to orgnal level and stop sagging with the masking tape again.
 Let harden.. touch with grinder or dremmel any high spots and fill in the lows with more gelcoat and masking tape.
 Let harden. and block off with sand paper for appearance sake.

If transom internal structure is ok the whole job done in a few lots of an hr or so.. and  well under $100.

And while at it you may like to touch a few gelcoat chips on hull etc, and repair them with any left over gelcoat still on the mixing board from the main repair. Wink

The itch.. its gone next day.. there are a lot of very minor things in life far worse.. gloves while grinding..dust mask takes care of the sides of the nose...collar up the back of the neck....the rest harden up.. u just spent less than $100 and a total about 4hrs tops .. balance that with a little itch for a day at the most?

Hope this helps, puts things in a bit of perspective.

OH and the repair will far far stronger than before the damage was done...


Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 10 Apr 2021 at 9:56am
buccaneer 605 Are a great boat and keep their value well, however unless you have done this type of work before an average repair could take $1000.s off the value. I would take the boat into a reputable boat repair shop (there’s a good one in porana rd glenfield if that’s close to you) and get it inspected and repaired properly.


Posted By: Ascot
Date Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 1:30pm
Before you get too carried away.....

Is this an older 605? I had a look at a lot of 605 and 635 Buccaneers before buying my Rayglass.  I kept seeing a similar crack in the same spot.

My understanding is that this is where the hull and the topsides join and the cracking is cosmetic.  If you imagine the rest of the boat has a rubber strip covering this join so you wont see it if it cracks with movement, but this part of the boat doesn't have that cover so needs to be covered up with gelcoat or similar.

If you look at later model 605 or 635 they have changed the design slightly so that the topside mould in this part of the transom comes down over top of the hull. This lip covers the actual join of the topsides and the hull.

Give the guys at Buccaneer a call and talk to them. Failing that try Family Boats in East Tamaki, Auckland.  They distribute Buccaneer and were the ones to explain that crack to me.  Im sure they will be able to tell you if that cracking is just cosmetic or something more serious.


Posted By: Ascot
Date Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 1:40pm
Just had a quick look for a picture to help show what Im talking about.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/listing/2909368895?bof=teIgt2Uu" rel="nofollow - https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/listing/2909368895?bof=teIgt2Uu

This is just a link to a new 635 for sale.  If you look at the second and third photos you can see the lip that comes over the top of the hull mould.  The motor then is mounted on a packer to bring it out flush with that lip.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/listing/3010999145?bof=teIgt2Uu" rel="nofollow - https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/motorboats/listing/3010999145?bof=teIgt2Uu

In this link for a 2004 605 in pic 19 you can see there isn't that lip and instead has a "rough" appearance where they cover that join.  This one isn't showing any cracking but it would appear in that same spot.


Posted By: Pcj
Date Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 2:39pm
why only one side?


Posted By: Schampy
Date Posted: 12 Apr 2021 at 5:53pm
Well done Ascot. 


Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 8:43am
Thank you Ascot for this critical background information.

 It takes away the question  "unknown if due to a leg may have it something hard" damage or cosmetic
 Or having to open up and to find out if any internal damage.

A basic  low cost fix then, pretty much as above.



Posted By: Ascot
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 9:53am
Like I say, a common cosmetic issue on Buccaneers.

That said I would get it checked by someone that has experience with Buccaneer if I was buying.


Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 10:22am
I owned and operated a fiber glass molding company/factory for a few yrs. Mainly industrial components, high end bus bodies, and repairs, mainly automotive/ trucks.. Mach, Volvo.
 Popped out a few beach buggies, camper vans caravans.

Currently have the boat chocked up off the rollers, remove, re plugging keel holes, new keel strip, touching up hull gelcoat chips..
Trailer is also up on chocks, axles etc off, touching up bit surface rust, treating resealing, new U bolts, replacing keel roller bushes etc.
 8 to 10yr maintenance is far cheaper and far less work than letting actual rust and stuff occur.


Posted By: StressTherapy
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 10:56am
I own a 2005 buccaneer 635. I agree with Ascot. The rough looking strip around the crack is not an old repair but is how buccaneer finished this area of the transom. Is the crack cosmetic or something more serious?...not qualified to comment.


Posted By: Helios
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2021 at 3:34pm
Wow lots of info here, I think your on the money Ascot, the crack is on a 2007 605,  I had a look at some photos of a 2010 685 I used to own and that had the added lip and plate added.

Cheers for all the info guys! 


Posted By: Sambo Black
Date Posted: 10 May 2022 at 8:10pm
Hi All.

I know this is an older discussion but just thought I Would share my experience for those of you that are interested.

I recently purchased a 525 buccaneer with this exact issue. Took the risk as I got a bit of a steal on the boat. I rang around to various boat builders and also to a couple of buccaneer dealers and the consensus was all the same, that ascot is right. This is very typical of the older model buccaneers and is just a cosmetic issue where the 2 halves of the hull are joined.
Of course it’s still a crack and the advice was to get it fixed. Unsure as to how the damage occurred on my boat, one chap said it could have come from a bump in the road whilst trailering others said it could have been from striking something in the water others said it’s just slow stress cracking and ends up happening on all of them eventually so who knows. I guess best thing to do is get it fixed sooner rather than later in my opinion.

There are a few shops i contacted that were happy to do the work for me.
One place in particular in Auckland said they do a repair like this on older buccaneers almost once a week! I was shocked at how common it was.
Anyways I used Dale boat builders in Taupō to do the repair as it was a bit closer to home. He said they do about 6 a year like this. Did a great job, I will post some before and after for your viewing.
Repair was $650 couldn’t ask for better!

Happy boating all!



Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 11 May 2022 at 9:42pm
That's a great response SB. Awesome!

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Best gurnard fisherman in my street



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