H26 - Cracked Hull ?!?!

[BrianW]

Sorry for your problems! Here's a thought. Is it possible that the damage was caused from running aground with only the centerboard stuck on the bottom, and then motoring backward? This could cause the centerboard to "hyper-extend" foreward against the trunk with a lot of leveraged force. BrianW

 

[Deucer]

The growth in the crack is irrelevant. In fact, I'd make the case that the growth is more likely with a sudden crack than a slowly widening crack over time. My rationale is that if the crack slowly opened up, the there would be LESS time for barnacles to grown (crack would have to progress to the point the barnacle and other growth could enter the crack. More likely it happened at once. Also, if it was THAT loose, I'd think you'd feel it slamming around in the trunk every time you tacked.

Have you queried Hunter to see if they know of any history of this kind of failure? If the folks on the board haven't, odds are Hunter hasn't either. Having that in your pocket would be strong support for your case.

 

[jao1972]

Yeah, never heard it banging around. You are right about the crack growth. The insurer's surveyor's determination just does not make sense.

BrainW commented that maybe backing up with the centerboard stuck could cause the damage, which is very plausible. The possible causes are infinite, but not likely a result of wear and tear by the centerboard.

I have not pursued Hunter as much as I probably should. To be honest, I was disappointed in their initial response. When this first was discovered, I contacted them. I left a message with the repair/warranty guy asking if this was common or had been seen. The person left a return message saying that we needed to grind the crack and fill fiberglass. (Not much help.) A Hunter dealer told me that Hunter pretty much washes their hands of hull damage after the 5 year warranty expires, so I haven't pursued them further. A couple of more phone calls to them would not hurt.