What is under this unusual fiberglass in my P-42?

Sean5306

Sean5306

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Jan 22, 2008
13
Hunter 42 Shilshole Marina, Seattle, WA
This photo shows what looks like a shoddily fiberglassed-in something on my 1990 P-42. It is located under the port bench, under the table (all which have been removed). It is looking down toward the flooring, which has obviously been removed too.
I had to cut the fiberglass (toward the bottom of the area in question) to removed the bench. They had fiberglassed over the interior lining overlapping onto the bench (AND hiding a screw! Grrrrr..)
WHAT THE HECK IS IT? I can't see enough from the cut to identify it. It could be a stack of cash, or drugs, or some piece of legitimate equipment. I didn't put it there. Do other boats have it?
I bought the boat from the original owner more than a decade ago and no one has come after it, so I'm guessing not cash or drugs. Any thoughts?
IMG_2879.JPG
 
C

Calif. Ted

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Jun 8, 2004
2,960
Catalina 320 Dana Point
I'd bet ballast, I've seen resin bricks full of spent lead bullets in similar areas of other boats that appeared to have been added at the factory. I'd guess someone put something heavy back there and felt the need to glass it in because they thought to make it permanent. It's to level the boat side to side, lots of heavy stuff like batteries, water tanks etc on the other side ? Wonder if you could get a little inspection camera in there without tearing it open, you might want Pandora to remain in the box.
 
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C

Capt jgw

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Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Can't believe anyone would try to hide anything like that, it's so obvious they'd get caught for sure if they got searched. On the same token if you ever got boarded in smuggling waters the Coast Guard is sure to show you what's in there. You may want to find out yourself first.
 
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SG

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
Before you "cut" the fiberglass cloth away, Was it "waterproof"? I have no idea.

It look like there are passages for wires down there. Did someone put the fluxgate compass down there? What's under it?


(But then, some manufacturers just do things like this for seemingly "no reason".) It cant be ballast, no one would seal something that might be moving in with just some loose-ish impregnated cloth.

I'd send it to Marlow or Hunter and ask the question -- What? I'd probably include a photo that puts the sub-compartment in "context" in the boat.
 
Skipper

Skipper

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Oct 9, 2008
1,742
Bristol 29.9 Dana Point
Maybe for additional bench support. I see the lip at the top. Maybe the po was a fat guy tired of the seat collapsing.
 
SG

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
There's a floor board that is above this which covers it. Sean has unscrewed the board and exposed the subfloor.
 
Sean5306

Sean5306

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Jan 22, 2008
13
Hunter 42 Shilshole Marina, Seattle, WA
Thanks for all the ideas everyone!
The local hunter dealer is "confident this is an after-market install". I'm inclined to agree with that.
I'm not 100% sure, but it probably was "waterproof". There doesn't appear to be any wires leading into or out of it. The fluxgate compass is just forward (to the right in the photo) of the area in question.
No, SG, the floor board is below this - sorry for the difficult to interpret photo. The wire draping through the photo (on left and bottom) is sitting in the flooring support. The bench sits on (and screws into) the two 1/2" wood pieces. The wood paneling above the area in question is the bench back that the cushions velcro to. Whatever the glassed in thing is, it is sitting in the indention meant for storage. The bench (when installed) doesn't touch the fiberglass in question (so can't be fat-guy protection, I don't think). :)
I appreciate the suggestion CJ - it does look too suspicious not to address.
 
J

Jim_H42

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Apr 21, 2017
75
Hunter 42 Passage Punta Gorda
Given the hard ridge at the top of the fiberglass, it sure looks like there is a box or container of some type in there. Someone also did a lot of work - given the masking and painting of the area. I'm wondering with a little bit more fiberglass removal if it would be possible to get a phone camera photo of what's inside....
 
Sean5306

Sean5306

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Jan 22, 2008
13
Hunter 42 Shilshole Marina, Seattle, WA
Calif. Ted was mostly right on the money! There seems to be metal bars, presumably ballast stacked inside (underneath) and covered over with a strangely robust, if not uniform, massive layer of fiberglass.
I cut into the upper-left corner of what I showed above. Here are a couple of pictures inside.
fullsizeoutput_17b.jpeg
fullsizeoutput_17d.jpeg

Now, should I patch it up? Should I install some removable opening so, if boarded, they can look behind there too, if they want? To access the section I cut open the bench has to be removed. I'm really quite unimpressed with how this little gem was implemented!
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Why give a pile of useless lead a ride? Pull it out and and find a way to bring the boat back on her lines...maybe some useful lead batteries on the same side of the boat.
 
jon hansen

jon hansen

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May 25, 2012
4,338
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
leave it right there, that is you ballast. the builder placed that there for a reason. i've seen those alot over the years. all builders use those to trim out new vessels as needed. your boat has a very shallow draft. the righting moment is very important. huge mistake to take that out.
 
C

Capt jgw

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Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
True about the ballast, but swapping it out for something useful of the same weight would make sense if you can do it.
 
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Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
That isn't ballast, it is offset to one side of the boat. That is weight being used to counter something heavy item on the other side of the boat that would otherwise impart a list.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
You said "metal bars"... are you holding out on us, and they are really GOLD bars? I'd check into that if I were you :shhh:
 
jon hansen

jon hansen

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May 25, 2012
4,338
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
OK, lets reframe this discussion. DO NOT TAKE ANY OPINIONS ABOUT LEAD BARS IN YOUR BILDGE FROM ANYONE ON THIS WEB SIGHT. INCLUDING ME. call 386 462 3077, ask to talk with the design team.

got it! anyone that is not a ship/ yacht designer telling you such is DANGEROUS
 
Doug4bass

Doug4bass

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Jun 9, 2004
615
Catalina 385 Marquette. Mi
Really? If removing 100#s of lead from the hull would constitute danger....I wouldn't want the boat. :)
 
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Doug4bass

Doug4bass

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Jun 9, 2004
615
Catalina 385 Marquette. Mi
If it was my boat...I would leave the whole arrangement intact for the coasties to tear apart and wonder........and wonder.
A while ago an OVER JEALOUS CG "officer" boarded my boat and made me prove to him that there was no overboard Y valve installed on my C-270. 38 screws involved to remove board over the holding tank. The idiot had no idea what he was looking at. Third boarding for the year. The other boardings were another story.
This is in Upper Michigan...cant imagine the harassment in FL.
 
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