Does anyone have experience with a stress cracks along the cabin/deck joint? This is a 37C and the gel coat crack althought small extends along the starboard side from aft of the cabin/deck join to the forward part of the doghouse. My first thought was it resulted from pressure amid ships on the hull, but I guess the chain plates are another possibility?? Is this a typical stess area on the 37C? Any info or experience would be great.
Stress Cracks
- Thread starter RobL
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Scary Picture !!!!
Is that your before and after pictures??? As to the question, you got it, the crack runs along the crease. The deck seems solid along the lenght of the cabin with the exception of a small void in the deck around the first port light. I am likely going to make an offer on the boat and the current owner (only one year) doesn't have any idea what caused the problem?? The boat is a 79 and in otherwise very good shape. Are some coring problems in the deck/cabin on a 37C of that age an inevitability/probability? After spending a good deal of time researching every "bluewater" boat I could find under 40,000 (and some over)the 37C is my preferred choice. How do you feel about yours? P.S. My picture had a number of problems, and most of the explanation was in geek-eez.
Is that your before and after pictures??? As to the question, you got it, the crack runs along the crease. The deck seems solid along the lenght of the cabin with the exception of a small void in the deck around the first port light. I am likely going to make an offer on the boat and the current owner (only one year) doesn't have any idea what caused the problem?? The boat is a 79 and in otherwise very good shape. Are some coring problems in the deck/cabin on a 37C of that age an inevitability/probability? After spending a good deal of time researching every "bluewater" boat I could find under 40,000 (and some over)the 37C is my preferred choice. How do you feel about yours? P.S. My picture had a number of problems, and most of the explanation was in geek-eez.
Rob, I have an 85 are you looking at a
local boat? Re the chain plates, I don't think they are connected to the deck, the deck covers are just water seal things. Some one can correct me if I am wrong. I have gel coat "spider" cracks along the corner of the "shoulder" of the deck that forms the base for the toe rail and some other places I can't remember. Situation has not changed in the three years I had the boat, no leaks, or soft spots and the cracks have not opened up.
local boat? Re the chain plates, I don't think they are connected to the deck, the deck covers are just water seal things. Some one can correct me if I am wrong. I have gel coat "spider" cracks along the corner of the "shoulder" of the deck that forms the base for the toe rail and some other places I can't remember. Situation has not changed in the three years I had the boat, no leaks, or soft spots and the cracks have not opened up.
Love the boat Rob.
Just spent the day with my H37C. Spring came to Lake Erie for two days. Scott is correct, the chainplates simply go through the deck. They bolt to the bulkheads, you can see them inside the cabinetry. Still think that most cracks develop because of mushy coring due to leaks from somewhere. Check the chainplates inside the boat. See if there is staining on the bulkheads from water leaking down them. If yes then almost certainly you have mushy coring in the side decks. The picture is not of my boat. Someone posted that a year or so ago when he was replacing a lot of bad plywood coring. When I bought Ladylove it was my second choice. She is a 1979 but I had a 1980 surveyed first. It had nicer canvas and the bigger 3QM30 engine. But it failed the survey because the decks were saturated with water. The estimate was six grand to fix the decks. Not counting fixing the leaks. This is not an H37C problem. It is a problem with any sailboat that is not properly maintained. All the fixtures need tightening and resealed at times. On the 1979 H37C this includes two travelers, two dorades, five top hatches, eleven portlights, the chainplates, the mast partners, the toerails, the companionway hatch and cover, the water tank deck fills, holding tank pumpout, and the pedestal. Some owners have found that the insides of their dorade boxes were not properly glassed. Water travels a long way in the coring once it gets in. Maybe there is an easier way to have fun.
Just spent the day with my H37C. Spring came to Lake Erie for two days. Scott is correct, the chainplates simply go through the deck. They bolt to the bulkheads, you can see them inside the cabinetry. Still think that most cracks develop because of mushy coring due to leaks from somewhere. Check the chainplates inside the boat. See if there is staining on the bulkheads from water leaking down them. If yes then almost certainly you have mushy coring in the side decks. The picture is not of my boat. Someone posted that a year or so ago when he was replacing a lot of bad plywood coring. When I bought Ladylove it was my second choice. She is a 1979 but I had a 1980 surveyed first. It had nicer canvas and the bigger 3QM30 engine. But it failed the survey because the decks were saturated with water. The estimate was six grand to fix the decks. Not counting fixing the leaks. This is not an H37C problem. It is a problem with any sailboat that is not properly maintained. All the fixtures need tightening and resealed at times. On the 1979 H37C this includes two travelers, two dorades, five top hatches, eleven portlights, the chainplates, the mast partners, the toerails, the companionway hatch and cover, the water tank deck fills, holding tank pumpout, and the pedestal. Some owners have found that the insides of their dorade boxes were not properly glassed. Water travels a long way in the coring once it gets in. Maybe there is an easier way to have fun.
I'm going for it!
I've been away thus the late response but thanks for the advice and help guys. I have decided to made an offer on the boat subject to the usual and I'll let you know how it turns out. Particularly re the deck issues. (P.S. No its not a local boat Scott, actually its in the last place I'd ever have thought to look its in Lake Mead Nevada.)
I've been away thus the late response but thanks for the advice and help guys. I have decided to made an offer on the boat subject to the usual and I'll let you know how it turns out. Particularly re the deck issues. (P.S. No its not a local boat Scott, actually its in the last place I'd ever have thought to look its in Lake Mead Nevada.)
three issues here
Rob, just to clarfiy; there are three things being talked about here, all of which I have had to deal with to greater and lesser extents. 1)Spider cracks in the gel-coat: this is not a big deal, since the gelcoat on these boats is so thick and so old; at this point it's probably old enough that you might want to consider painting anyway, but you don't need to and with alot of work you can work those cracks out through sanding and polishing. The point is that this is probably only an aesthetic issue. By the way; I'm 90% sure this is what you were looking at. 2) water in the deck coring. Ed spoke about this, and probably most of our boats have this issue to a certain extent; I'm not terribly worried about it in my boat (neither is Ed if I remember our conversations correctly) since the boats were so heavily built in the first place, I think the cabin can handle a great deal of pressure without the coring at all. If you have most or a good bit of coring, I wouldn't worry too much at this stage about it. It's worth tapping the whol deck with a little hammer to hear where the coring is and is not up to snuff. 3) As far as the chain plates are concerned, Scott is correct, they have nothing to do with the deck, except insofar as the water can leak through the deck and get into the deck, contributing to problem number two, and also leak down to the points where the shrouds are ultimately secured to the bulkhead. Check the wood around the plates attached to the bulkhead by jabbing the surrounding area with a screwdriver--jab pretty harshly. Obviously, if the wood is limp and weak, there is water damage where the shrouds attach. If this is the case, as was the case with my boat for one of the shrouds, you will need to scarf in a new piece of wood in place of the bad wood and glass it in, and then reattach the plates. It's not the end of the world, but it is a big deal. I had rotten wood where the chainplates attached to the bulkhead for one of the lower shrouds, which was less of a big deal than if it were in one of the main shrouds. I had this proffessionally done since it deals with the integrity of the boat and must be done with precision (one of three projects I had dones proffessionally, out of I can't even count how many projects). Hope that's helpful. In terms of factoring these problems into your deal should you proceed, if any of these problems exist, number one is no big deal (all it means is that the previous owner didn't keep up with polishing the gelcoat); two is relatively common with our boat but should probably factor into the deal (the integrity of the cabin has been compromised, hoowever minutely), and three is a big deal and should definitely factor in to how much you pay for that boat. (Having someone professionally scarf in a piece of wood cost me about $1700-$2000). Also note about problem three that if the size of the damaged wood area around the chainplate is large enough, you will be unabl to scarf in a piece of wood and have a very serious problem, in which case you should walk away from the boat. Good luck. Josh
Rob, just to clarfiy; there are three things being talked about here, all of which I have had to deal with to greater and lesser extents. 1)Spider cracks in the gel-coat: this is not a big deal, since the gelcoat on these boats is so thick and so old; at this point it's probably old enough that you might want to consider painting anyway, but you don't need to and with alot of work you can work those cracks out through sanding and polishing. The point is that this is probably only an aesthetic issue. By the way; I'm 90% sure this is what you were looking at. 2) water in the deck coring. Ed spoke about this, and probably most of our boats have this issue to a certain extent; I'm not terribly worried about it in my boat (neither is Ed if I remember our conversations correctly) since the boats were so heavily built in the first place, I think the cabin can handle a great deal of pressure without the coring at all. If you have most or a good bit of coring, I wouldn't worry too much at this stage about it. It's worth tapping the whol deck with a little hammer to hear where the coring is and is not up to snuff. 3) As far as the chain plates are concerned, Scott is correct, they have nothing to do with the deck, except insofar as the water can leak through the deck and get into the deck, contributing to problem number two, and also leak down to the points where the shrouds are ultimately secured to the bulkhead. Check the wood around the plates attached to the bulkhead by jabbing the surrounding area with a screwdriver--jab pretty harshly. Obviously, if the wood is limp and weak, there is water damage where the shrouds attach. If this is the case, as was the case with my boat for one of the shrouds, you will need to scarf in a new piece of wood in place of the bad wood and glass it in, and then reattach the plates. It's not the end of the world, but it is a big deal. I had rotten wood where the chainplates attached to the bulkhead for one of the lower shrouds, which was less of a big deal than if it were in one of the main shrouds. I had this proffessionally done since it deals with the integrity of the boat and must be done with precision (one of three projects I had dones proffessionally, out of I can't even count how many projects). Hope that's helpful. In terms of factoring these problems into your deal should you proceed, if any of these problems exist, number one is no big deal (all it means is that the previous owner didn't keep up with polishing the gelcoat); two is relatively common with our boat but should probably factor into the deal (the integrity of the cabin has been compromised, hoowever minutely), and three is a big deal and should definitely factor in to how much you pay for that boat. (Having someone professionally scarf in a piece of wood cost me about $1700-$2000). Also note about problem three that if the size of the damaged wood area around the chainplate is large enough, you will be unabl to scarf in a piece of wood and have a very serious problem, in which case you should walk away from the boat. Good luck. Josh
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