Hull flexing on a 94 Beneteau First 210

Jan 4, 2020
7
Young Sun 43 Texoma
I was looking at a friends 1994 Beneteau First 210 and found a 4' x 7' area aft of the keel that flexed fairly significantly when I pressed inward on the hull with the bottom of my hammer. To my knowledge these hulls are not cored and the laminate seems to be very thin which I believe was intended to save on weight. I believe what I am seeing is oil canning. My question is, is this a concern and has anyone seen this before on this particular model? It seems the hull bottom is built very thin but particularly so aft of the keel in the area I have circled in red.
 

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Jan 11, 2014
12,270
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Inspect the front of the keel for evidence of grounding and perhaps refinishing. In a hard grounding on something really solid like a big rock, the force of the grounding is transmitted and increased to the hull aft of the keel. The same could happen if the boat is dropped on its keel.

In a grounding the keel acts as a lever. The front of the keel is pushed aft and down which amplifies the force at the aft end of the the keel. There is also potential for damage to the hull forward of the keel, however the forces there are less severe.

Inspect the inside of the hull for loose tabing, doors and cabinets that are not aligned, cracks in the fiberglass for any of the hull structures and the keel support.

If in doubt, hire a marine surveyor to take a look.
 
May 17, 2004
5,436
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
Inspect the front of the keel for evidence of grounding and perhaps refinishing. In a hard grounding on something really solid like a big rock, the force of the grounding is transmitted and increased to the hull aft of the keel. The same could happen if the boat is dropped on its keel.

In a grounding the keel acts as a lever. The front of the keel is pushed aft and down which amplifies the force at the aft end of the the keel. There is also potential for damage to the hull forward of the keel, however the forces there are less severe.

Inspect the inside of the hull for loose tabing, doors and cabinets that are not aligned, cracks in the fiberglass for any of the hull structures and the keel support.

If in doubt, hire a marine surveyor to take a look.
The First 210 is a swing keel. I don’t know exactly how the pivot is constructed but I’m not sure the same concerns apply there as for a fin?
 
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Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,122
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
I though "oilcanning" occured on the hull, rather than the bottom. A result of insufficient bracing between bulkheads. The hull, area between waterline and deck, dimples in like you're squeezing your aluminum cans for recycling.:yikes:

But, then again, I remember the Aussie AC boat that sunk off San Diego during the Louis Vitton cup back in the 90's. The rig tension just so overwhelmed the vessel's hull when the wind picked up that it folded like a jackknife and sunk if less than a minute.
 
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higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,688
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
The Aussie boat sunk because a winch malfunctioned so they used a different winch was not at a position designed to take the loads they placed on it.