Cracks in Transom - on a New 2008?!

[moentrol]

Ok, first, I'm very new to this (have never posted), but thought this would be the place to go to get some answers and honest opinions.

We just purchased a brand new 2008 41' Hunter DS last year. When we went to accept delivery, there were 2 noticeable cracks in the transom - basically down both sides of the walk-thru area - extending from the corners of the walk-thru straight down the vertical, about 4-5 inches long on both sides.

The dealer took the boat back out of the water to repair the fiberglass - saying they would repair it from both the inside and out, and that we would not notice the issue again.

Yeah, you guessed it - the cracks are back again this year...

Now, I'm not sure if it's related, but in the aft berth, the ceiling pieces were also cracked (and are being replaced). Maybe the two issues are not related, but seems very close in proximity to me, and seems that something may have happened structurally to cause both to occur?

If anyone could give me their opinion as to whether I should be concerned, that would be very much appreciated.


Thanks!

 

[Rick D]

I would tend to want to have a good surveyor look at it. There are some bubbleheads in the business, so I'd get recommendations from a yard or repair people. This gets to the issue of this being some post-production damage. Otherwise, I would suspect they are unrelated and cosmetic but should not be returning if repaired properly. That's just one guy's opinion of course. Good luck and report back how it goes.

 

[Velero49]

Pictures are worth 1000 words.........

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

As just said, pictures would show whether they are spider cracks (in the gelcoat) or something structural, the former being common where corners meet and can often recur if not properly repaired. Along with some pictures, a description of precisely how the repair was previously done would also help.

For what it's worth, my dock neighbor's 44DS had a similar issue and it was not structural.

 

[higgs]

This should not be happening on a new boat. Period. No one designs boats to show any type of cracks within a year. Structural or not it should not be happening unless you have been banging into docks.

Guessing if you can afford this boat, you can afford a couple of hundred bucks for a good surveyor.

Is this a Racine Riverside Boat? They are a very good boat yard and are worth working with, but you should still be documenting everything. I will vouch for this yard, but in the end it may be Hunter that needs to step forward.

Peter Krohn is a good surveyor from Sheboygan, WI. He is aging and is starting to miss stuff, but for something like this I would go with him.

 

[sailingdog]

Photos would really help...but it does sound like there is a structural problem with the boat, if it is flexing enough to cause the cracks in the transom, especially given the age of the boat.

 

[moentrol]

Pictures - not great

Pictures are worth 1000 words.........

These pictures didn't turn out like I had hoped... and couldn't find original pictures, which were much better, and showed that the cracks were much longer and wider/deeper (5 inches long on each side). Hope these help. Checked other 41s in their lot, and none of them have this issue. Thanks again for everyone's time to look at this and provide feedback...

 

[Ron20324]

If it was "fixed" once and came back, I'd have the manufacturer involved already. The dealer missed his chance to do it right.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I would find this unacceptable and I would contact Hunter directly and speak with them. That is odd and not a good thing.

Are these cracks "Stress Cracks?" Has your boat run aground or pound into a hard sea?

A survey has been suggested and it isn't a bad idea. It would also be a step in the right direction should you ever need to consider "other" options.