Crack in Cabin Sole

[rickwarner]

I just became the new owner of a 2002 H260 and had to move it 350 miles to my home. Upon arrival, I discovered a crack in the cabin sole that did not seem to be there when I originally inspected the boat. The crack is along a seam where the cabin floor rides up just under the cabin table. In looking at the H260 specs, I see a cabin sole liner that is layered over the water ballast tank and I am confident that the crack, which is about 24”, did not come from leaving water in the ballast tank. My questions: Anyone else experience this? How do I repair so that the weight on people on the floor of the cabin will not tear it again? Can I insert something in between the ballast tank and the cabin floor to cushion the floor and add to its structural integrity, such as a 'great stuff' type of product?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Rickwarner;

The picture certainly helped.

What most do not know that cosmetic cracks occur generally from two areas. One in curvatures and the others where holes are drilled too small and a screw is inserted into the small hole. Of course I failed to mention from taking the boat out of mold and cracks appear a long time after.

Yours is in a curvature and appears to be cosmetic, not structural. If you want to fix, the first thing to do is take a small maybe 1/8 drill bit and go thru the gel coat only to stop the spread of the crack at both ends. Then I would dremiel out the affected area and fill in with a good two part expoy. Although it is expensive and takes 24 hours to cure, I used Water Tite which I found to be the best. Once dry, then mask the area off and spray either gel coat or Krylon Fusion White spray can paint. There are different shades which you will need to match as close as possible. It is hard to match white gel coats even purchased from Hunter or the Mfg... However it is in a curvature and small that no one will really notice.

Never place anything between the cabin sole (floor) and the top of the water ballast tank lid.

If a crack goes thru non skid, then you can get reverse non skid to fix that crack but that is a later discussion.

Crazy dave Condon