I just noticed a crack in the bilge as viewed from the cabin, after haul out. No visible exterior damage except maybe a scuff on the aft end of the keel....is this common? is this repairable? I've searched the archives and couldn't find any relevant info. My boat is a 1987 C30 MkIII. Just wondering if I should be concerned that the boat wasn't hauled properly, and what can I do to remedy this problem. Thanks, John
crack in bilge
- Thread starter jfp737
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no smile
Thanks Stu, but there is no smile...there's a scuff on the lower aft end of the keel (perhaps having occurred during haul out when placing on the cradle), not near the hull...again, crack is viewed from the cabin looking into the bilge.
Thanks Stu, but there is no smile...there's a scuff on the lower aft end of the keel (perhaps having occurred during haul out when placing on the cradle), not near the hull...again, crack is viewed from the cabin looking into the bilge.
If it wasn't here before the haul, it
sounds like your yard may not have supported the hull properly, allowing too much weight on bottom of the keel. The keel is swept aft, which could cause point loading at the after end of the keel/hull joint (the scuff you saw would support that). I'd expect the point loading spot was there, which might cause a crack on the forward end. Is that what you have? Call a surveyor and have him take a look at the bilge as a 3rd party professional. He can advise you what the issues are and possible fixes. Might cost you a couple hundred if he writes a full report. (Since you're in Milwaukee, I assume the boat is still on the hard and don't need to haul again.) Depending on what he recommends, your next decision is based on whether you want to go have the same yard to do the fix, and what their response is when you tell them you think it's their fault. (Do they agree to take a look and work with you, or DENY DENY DENY?) Just make sure you have a 3rd party surveyor running interference for you, so you've got a 3rd party professional. Good luck!
sounds like your yard may not have supported the hull properly, allowing too much weight on bottom of the keel. The keel is swept aft, which could cause point loading at the after end of the keel/hull joint (the scuff you saw would support that). I'd expect the point loading spot was there, which might cause a crack on the forward end. Is that what you have? Call a surveyor and have him take a look at the bilge as a 3rd party professional. He can advise you what the issues are and possible fixes. Might cost you a couple hundred if he writes a full report. (Since you're in Milwaukee, I assume the boat is still on the hard and don't need to haul again.) Depending on what he recommends, your next decision is based on whether you want to go have the same yard to do the fix, and what their response is when you tell them you think it's their fault. (Do they agree to take a look and work with you, or DENY DENY DENY?) Just make sure you have a 3rd party surveyor running interference for you, so you've got a 3rd party professional. Good luck!
Hull Support
Let's have a good discussion of hull support while on the hard. I normally have my yard place the jack stands under the forward bulkhead, and under the aft end of the cabin top. Two in the middle. How much weight should be on the jack stands? Need anything under the bow, or stern?
Let's have a good discussion of hull support while on the hard. I normally have my yard place the jack stands under the forward bulkhead, and under the aft end of the cabin top. Two in the middle. How much weight should be on the jack stands? Need anything under the bow, or stern?
May be superficial crack
I have a 1985 C30, and I'm pretty sure the 1987 bilge is similar. The surface or floor of the bilge is actually gelcoat, and it isn't very thick. Beneath this gelcoat, and therefore out of sight, is a plywood spacer that is probably coated in epoxy. The crack you are seeing in the floor of the bilge may be auperficial, extending only through the gelcoat, and not into the spacer. If so, its significance is minimal. The only danger of such a superficial crack is that water can wick through the crack into the wood spacer below. Once the wood spacer gets waterlogged, it doesn't serve its structural purpose. Even in such a case, the keel is probably still quite solidly attached. The factory has said that the keel bolts on the C30 largely served the function of holding the keel in position while the adhesive attaching the keel to the stub dried. Apparently this adhesive is so strong that it will hold the keel in place even without the keel bolts. If you are worried, you can always explore the crack by grinding it out to see how deeply it goes. Just fill whatever you grind out with epoxy. I'd be more worried if the crack extended the length of the floor of the bilge, from one keel bolt to the next, and if it was deeper than the gelcoat. In such a case, I'd be concerned that there may have been significant flexing of the joint between the keel and the keel stub.
I have a 1985 C30, and I'm pretty sure the 1987 bilge is similar. The surface or floor of the bilge is actually gelcoat, and it isn't very thick. Beneath this gelcoat, and therefore out of sight, is a plywood spacer that is probably coated in epoxy. The crack you are seeing in the floor of the bilge may be auperficial, extending only through the gelcoat, and not into the spacer. If so, its significance is minimal. The only danger of such a superficial crack is that water can wick through the crack into the wood spacer below. Once the wood spacer gets waterlogged, it doesn't serve its structural purpose. Even in such a case, the keel is probably still quite solidly attached. The factory has said that the keel bolts on the C30 largely served the function of holding the keel in position while the adhesive attaching the keel to the stub dried. Apparently this adhesive is so strong that it will hold the keel in place even without the keel bolts. If you are worried, you can always explore the crack by grinding it out to see how deeply it goes. Just fill whatever you grind out with epoxy. I'd be more worried if the crack extended the length of the floor of the bilge, from one keel bolt to the next, and if it was deeper than the gelcoat. In such a case, I'd be concerned that there may have been significant flexing of the joint between the keel and the keel stub.
Post a picture - its a bit hard to understand what
and where the crack is. Can't really be sure, but like Robert said it might just be a gellcoat crack and not structural. For instance if there was excessive gellcoat that "pooled" onto a space in the bilge it would more likely to create a surface crack, especially if it gets too thick. Gellcoat is not very flexible and very brittle when it gets too thick. Depending on what it looked like, if it was my boat I would take a dremmel tool and see how deep and the crack looked like. If it was just a fraction of an inch and looked like its gelcoat and not deep I would refill with epoxy and paint over. If its not going into the 'core' of the fiberglass than I would think you are ok, if it looks extensive then i would get a good "Glass" man to take a look
and where the crack is. Can't really be sure, but like Robert said it might just be a gellcoat crack and not structural. For instance if there was excessive gellcoat that "pooled" onto a space in the bilge it would more likely to create a surface crack, especially if it gets too thick. Gellcoat is not very flexible and very brittle when it gets too thick. Depending on what it looked like, if it was my boat I would take a dremmel tool and see how deep and the crack looked like. If it was just a fraction of an inch and looked like its gelcoat and not deep I would refill with epoxy and paint over. If its not going into the 'core' of the fiberglass than I would think you are ok, if it looks extensive then i would get a good "Glass" man to take a look
The bilge is very storng
I dont no if the yard could crack your bilge with out the wood being bad in the keel stub .John
I dont no if the yard could crack your bilge with out the wood being bad in the keel stub .John
Crack in the Bilge
Last spring there was a 30' power boat in our marina that had a crack in the bilge. In his case water was coming in. So he pulled the boat, dried it out best he could and then poured some two part epoxy in the crack till it dripped out the bottom, tapped over it and let it dry. As far as I know, he didn't have another problem with it.
Last spring there was a 30' power boat in our marina that had a crack in the bilge. In his case water was coming in. So he pulled the boat, dried it out best he could and then poured some two part epoxy in the crack till it dripped out the bottom, tapped over it and let it dry. As far as I know, he didn't have another problem with it.
update
Thanks all for your input....I am having a surveyor come out to look at it. I will post a picture (if I can figure out how) and let y'all know what happens. Thanks again for all of your input.
Thanks all for your input....I am having a surveyor come out to look at it. I will post a picture (if I can figure out how) and let y'all know what happens. Thanks again for all of your input.
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