Can this be repaired?

[nyyfan12]

We are looking at a 2005 Maxum 2200 SR3 Bowrider. On inspection there are cracks in the bow where the hull meets the floor. They do not extend to the outside of the hull. Here is a photo. They are in the compartments under the seats in the bow. We were told by hte dealer on the phone that there are "a few small cracks" This was an understatement. Other than this the boat is really nice and just what we are looking for.

The dealer is willing to repair the cracks. This is a first boat for me, and I do not have a lot of knowledge. My question is can this type of damage be reliably repaired? I have spoken to an independant fiberglass repair shop, and he said yes.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Can this be repaired?

Most definitely need to be repaired by the dealer but do NOT appear to be structurally significant to the boat base on their location.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Can this be repaired?

That's some crackage. Can you see any filtered daylight through it?

If the dealer repairs it, make sure they're doing something good like a resin/silica/chopped up mat "peanut butter" fill followed by some mat, cloth and resin, not just a "fill it with Bondo and get it out the door" job.

After they've fixed it, poke at the fill hard with a pick or screwdriver; it shouldn't dig out.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Can this be repaired?

Yeh but why did it crack?
If there ply behind that cracked panel the damage goes deeper.
The problem with bowriders is one bad owner kills the boat, all it takes is one winter left uncovered. Glass panels don't crack by their own will.

If you are buying a boat for anything over $5K it just makes sense to have it surveyed for $400, the surveyor will check the critical stuff, stringer and transom condition etc. Don't listen to the seller when they say "we had our tech check it out". BE VERY wary, theres a lot of baloney in used boat sales and you can easily get stuck with $5K in repairs.

http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/showthread.php?t=741944

This guy could have saved himself a world of grief with a cheap survey.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Can this be repaired?

Let me clarify a previous statement:

Before they've fixed it: get a surveyor to look over that area and the rest of the hull and motor. (Thanks jonesg )

After they've fixed it: take a sea trial, watch that area for flex/cracks in the repair, water intrusion, etc.

Before any buying: get the repair documented and warranteed in writing, with the warranty essentially expressing that any damage directly or indirectly caused by the cracking is covered.

EDIT: By the way, are you getting a significant discount vs. say comparable boats because of this cracking? I'm assuming you're going to a dealer and buying relatively new because you don't want a project headache...it is possible those cracks could turn into a headache, so you should be getting a discount--or looking at something else.

EDIT 2: What kind of dealer's gonna put a boat with visible cracks like that out on the lot for sale anyway? A "shyster" could hide those with 10 minutes and some Bondo, while a concientious dealer could do a real fix (assuming no core damage or delamination) with a couple hours' time and $30 worth of materials, and either way you'd probably never have noticed it on the lot. Makes me wonder what else they don't know about this boat?