Nice crack I just found on the keel...

Yamtt125 · #1 05-22-2007, 05:20 PM

While I was sanding the bottom paint off, I noticed a nice crack on the bottom of the boat...I'm gonna need some advice/guidence/words of encouragement on this one...haha

Toward the bow, the crack stops and its just bare glass, as you can see

Anybody have any ideas on what to do? My plan was to take the first couple of layers of glass off and see how deep/bad it is, and take it from there. Thanks for any advice.

-andrew

[image]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e247/yamtt125/Keel%20Crack/KeelCrack001.jpg?t=1179864912[/image]

[image]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e247/yamtt125/Keel%20Crack/KeelCrack002.jpg?t=1179864972[/image]

[image]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e247/yamtt125/Keel%20Crack/KeelCrack003.jpg?t=1179864991[/image]

[image]http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e247/yamtt125/Keel%20Crack/KeelCrack004.jpg?t=1179865036[/image]

1bayouboy · #2 05-22-2007, 05:43 PM

Repost...I changed your image links...

Yamtt125 · #3 05-22-2007, 06:06 PM

thanks...so i know for the future, what was wrong with them?

FELLOW-SHIP · #4 05-22-2007, 06:06 PM

The first thing you will have to do is determine if this long crack is just a bad scrape like some of the scrapes I see on the bottom of the boat OR is this a flex type crack that happened from the inside and is now showing up on the out side of the hull. From what I see it doesn’t look good. You will need to pull out the grinder and grind until there is No More Crack. IF you are in the middle of a re do project you could go in from the inside and look and maybe remove the center stringer and see if you can see any cracks there and start from the inside and then work on the outside.

FellowShip

_______________________________________________

My motto: Just for the Grins

Capt Chuck · #5 05-22-2007, 07:48 PM

Andrew, Iv'e seen this scenario before

I might be wrong but by looking at the deep groove in the keel and the numerous gouges/scratches in the surrounding area; lend me to believe the boat is improperly set up on the trailer. I doubt you are running the boat up on rocks and rough sandbars and if you are "QUIT"

Follow "Fellowship's" advise and Good Luck

1bayouboy · #6 05-22-2007, 08:17 PM

I took the "?t=1179865036" off the ends.....it should end at the .jpg

MMikeB1 · #7 05-22-2007, 09:44 PM

That crack i believe is from a Float On trailer that did not have any padding covering the trailer axels. What happens is when you drive it on the trailer the deep vee hits the top of the trailer cross memebers, usually that spot cause thats where it is the deepest. If you are going to use a float on trailer use KEEL GUARD it will help a lot. Float On trailers are nice and easier but there is a price to pay. Goodluck and keep us informed.

ocuyler · #8 05-22-2007, 10:40 PM

You JUST found that?

I agree with Capt. Chuck. This is repeated power loading gouging. Yes, the trailer needs to be set up properly. If you treated your kid with that degree of recklessness and neglect, we'd see you on CNN... We're advising SeaCraft child services.

Seriously, you will need to dig in there to find the end of the damage and start your repair from there. Best of luck.

Yamtt125 · #9 05-23-2007, 12:19 AM

I am glad to say that I didn't cause it...I bought the hull completely stripped in january of 06' as a project, and I have yet to be out on it. The guy that I bought it from only owned it for mabey a couple years at most, and he did buy a roller trailer for it, but its not much of anything, and is most likely set up wrong, and deffinately doesn't have enough rollers. The plan is to restore her, and keep her in a slip, so the trailer thing isn't really a big deal. For some reason i just never looked at the very bottom...atleast i can say that even if i knew the damage was there, i still would have bought the boat.

Does anybody think that i could do the repair with no or very little acess through the floor? I had planned to redo the floor in a couple years because i just want to get her on the water. There aren't any soft spots in the floor. I have replaced the wood in the transom though.
Thanks for that advice thus far...i'll prob be able to post more pics tomorro of what i uncover.

FELLOW-SHIP · #10 05-23-2007, 10:27 AM

The problem from working from the bottom with out flipping the boat is gravity. You are wanting the epoxy and glass to seep into not separate from your working surface but if you use the vacuum bag method that will overcome the gravity issues.
Things to do:
1. grind, grind, grind to there is no more crack and then feather it out 4 to 6” out from there. If you run out of hull glass and put a hole in the boat’s bottom so be it.
2. determine if you have to go into this project from the inside. If you do that means removing the CC, and gas tank, it’s deck, and removing the wood center stringer.
3. rebuild with epoxy and glass to ½” thick hull or maybe a little more that that. Using Vacuum bag method. Then repair scratches all around and re gel coat the entire bottom of the boat then if you are putting in the water bottom paint.

This looks like a keg of Beer type job to me + I hate working upside down. This job should be done on boat stands not on the trailer and to get her up in the air a high as possible so you can access the bottom easier. Sorry for the bad report but it is what it is.

FellowShip

_______________________________________________

My motto: Just for the Grins