Hull showing cracks skeeter boats indepth outdoors. Since the cracks are all the way through, the first step is to grind the broken fiberglass back into solid unbroken material. It is a proven hull design with a long history of providing a smooth dry ride and the strength to withstand the punishment of extreme conditions. My husband and i have entrusted this company with the maintenance and repair of three boats over the past 15 years, both sail and power. While not every edgewater will venture beyond the inlet, every model is designed to do just that. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Please refer to our privacy policy for more details. They were told by the boat builder that the stress cracks are from them tying up to bigger boats and the pulling from the bigger boats caused the stress cracks. Boats sold or provided for commercial, camp, resort, rental, promotionaldemo, government agency, competition, tournament or sponsorship use are not eligible. Most common location for these to occur is on corners and radiuss where the layup of fiberglass is typically thinner, and the amount of resin is usually more than what it should be. The repairs were typically successful if done by an experienced repairer. The fact that both bow and aft casting decks developed stress cracks in them in the 1st year of use is disappointing, but the cracked hull problem is serious. Marine body technicians stillwater we fix stress cracks.
It states gel coat stress crack are an example of abuse or neglect of the product total bs, but hope it can be squared away anyways and be covered. In 1992, that dream became a reality and edgewater boats was born. I have a 79 11ft whaler and it is covered in cracks in the gel coat, but none seem to be wide enough to tell me there is a problem. More then just stress cracks below the water line youtube. Many, if not most boats have this happen to them eventually, so there is nothing to worry about when it comes to structural integrity. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. Manufacturer of edgewater offshore boats, power boats, and runabout boats everyone has a dream. In 15 years, we have been nothing but 100% pleased with our experience. A mid 1970s boat with all cracks running athwarthship 3 to 4 inches apart on the entire foredeck. Kledgecell makes up the deck foundation and reinforces the hull side walls. Well i was cleaning the rig friday and noticed i have two stress cracks below the two upper jackplate bolts. Go at it with an electric grinder or very coarse sandpaper. This boat is 2 years old and to be honest i never expected to find something like this. I have a 2011 wx 1850 and when wiping it down last week i noticed the fiberglass showing stress cracks in the hull.
Double billed had been built to pay an investor, who sold it to talbert in a land development deal. Let one of our amazing dealers help you find the boat that is best for you. Seeks reports of first hand experience with edgewater boat quality and level swamped floatation. Who needs a transom saver trailering boatus magazine. With that, this boat should run like a scalded dog in excess of 55 mph. These people are honest, do not advise work that does not need to be done, listen carefully to concerns, and provide expert advice. Since then ive had an affinity for small boats, imagining all the ways to run around and have fun. Stress cracks around outdrive on 23 footer boat design net. I agree to receive news and promotional emails about edgewater boats products and services. You probably have stress cracks called superficial cracking in the gelcoat the white stuff of your boat. They were told that the boat does have a 5 year hull warranty but the warranty does not cover this. Buy your next boat on from dealers, owners, and brokers. And two others where the transom meets the splash well.
On the other hand, this can be extremely hard to know with any certainty because no one has the ability to follow the life history of a boat. The usual causes of stringer failure are disintegration of the stringer core material, impact damage from slamming and grounding, and fatigue from. A brief history before west system epoxy came on the polyester boat repair scene in the mid 1980s, most fiberglass boats were repaired with polyester resin. Gel coat stress cracks fall under the general exclusions from warrantypage 140 of my owners manual. There are strong resemblences to the classic hulls of the rockland era whalers in his edgewater designs. Went through the hassle of dealing with the lovely sandy and jeff to have the boat shipped back to lebanon for repairs. Not many people dream about starting their own boat company, but edgewater started with a group of avid boaters that did. In part, this was due to so many of them appearing as though theyd been caught in a monster storm like andrew, instead of a bottom of category one storms with winds barely over hurricane strength, 74 mph. Former whaler designer bob dougherty founded edgewater boats after leaving whaler. Learn more about our unsinkable foam flotation, strong hulls, deep gunwales and proprietary systems that make edgewaters one of the safest, fastest and over built boats on the water. Unless you can stop the flexing, youre wasting your time fixing the cracks. Long tandem trailer wsparecomplete interiornew 19 gallon poly gas tankcomplete tuneup kitoriginal owners manual and paperwork have nc titles for boat and trailer. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats structural integrity.
What the boats needs is a thorough condition survey with probing and testing in the area of the stress cracks. Stress corrosion cracking scc is the growth of crack formation in a corrosive environment. A number of emails addressed the issue of losing control of the boat while running with the seas. Early models reported to have stress cracks on a few of the hulls early in production. Currently dougherty has a new companythe name escapes meand i dont believe he is directly involved with edgewater any longer. Rybo runner boats for sale new and used boats for sale. Youve received some very good feed back, but we can help you better with more details, such as can you see what shape the stringers are in, any soft or spongy areas near these stress cracksand the make of the boat will also give us a hint as to the quality the year. Theyre not affecting the integrity of the boat, so dont stress out pun intended if you have a few. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. I have not had the boat for a while, i got it through a trade. On top of the stress cracks in the hull there are numerous other ones throughout the boat but this is the most alarming.
Boatus magazines mark corke shows you how to easily repair those pesky spider cracks that show up in your boats fiberglass gelcoat. Sea fox boats are built using all composite hulls and decks. Boating takes you inside edgewater power boats for a closer look at how craftsmanship and the spi process come together to create stronger, safer boats. If there is an underlying issue causing the area to flex excessively or some sort of laminate damage, then youll be fixing the same area again. At wrsc we had a boat, since sold, that had a real bad case of the cracks. The boat is in pretty good condition for its age in my opinion, but the hull does have some minor hairline stress cracks. It can lead to unexpected sudden failure of normally ductile metal. Stress cracks can be identified as longer parallel surface cracks on the hull or deck. The result is chemically bonded foam filled boat, void of delaminating problems that are very common in other foamconstructed boats this if from the edgewater website. You would expect a boat like that to be torn up riddled with stress cracks from one side to the other. The builder, inlet boat works, of murrells inlet, s. See authorized, participating skeeter dealer for complete details. Yet, because the surveyor encounters so many boats with stress cracks on the bottom, it is the surveyors task to make that evaluation. Enter your location to find the nearest blue wave boat dealer to where you will be doing your boating if you have questions for the blue wave customer service team, contact us here.
If they extend through the laminate the the boat needs major repair work. After years of running around boat shows all over europe and banging hulls with my fist, you learn to tell the difference. Ive always been harder than most on my boats well everything i own but these are the first cracks ive ever had in a transom. Hull blisters are caused by water slowly seeping into the gelcoat and hull laminate on boats kept in the water, and many warranties specifically exclude blisters. In his closing statement, bono said the glowing ads did not reflect the yachts history. There will need to be maintenance performed before water ready. Thirtyfive years ago, fiberglass boats were overbuilt by todays standards. And while an aircraft isnt subjected to the same type of forces as a boat hull, the. The price difference between the tw and the other boats under consideration, edgewater, whaler, grady, parker is really substantial, like 30%40% less than the others under consideration. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other skeeter offer or discounts. Yamaha f300xca lf300xca horsepower 300 displacement. I understand that edgewater boats are made with a similar process to the whaler. Stress cracks are a commonly occurring phenomenon with reinforced plastic boats.
Hello i am also interested in the reply, and the fix to the problem, as my boat is starting to get a few cracks in the gel coat on the deck. Yet, because the surveyor encounters so many boats with stress cracks on. I added a new t top in 2000 with 5 rod holders by bausch marine. Edgewater boats 211 dale street edgewater, fl 322 3864265457. Edgewater advantage edgewater boats edgewater boats. This boat was winterized and garaged approx 10 years ago.
A lot of boat owners get very upset when they see these. A tale of two very different refits soundings online. Stress cracks stress cracks are cracks in the gel coat of a boat that let you know there is undue stress on a particular area or a problem under the gel coat. What make is the boat and where exactly are stress cracks located and are they in fact cracks or spiderwebs in the gel coat.
I have been looking around at a couple shops to repair my boat and looked at a couple repairs in progress, pretty interesting all. There is a great deal of impact on the transom while traveling down the highway, notes rangers trailer engineer rick huddleston, and a transom saver connected to the rear cross member of the trailer is far more effective at preventing stress at the engine bracket and transom than using the. Most buyers opt for the smaller 250 hp fourstroke since they spend most of their time running nearshore or inshore. If they are just gel coat crazing, then its only cosmetic. Can stress fractures on a fiberglass hull be fixed. Edgewater 335 express tour at miami boat show duration. Lawsuit could change brokers world trade only today. In 1998 i re powered and added an armstrong bracket. The proven kevlacat hull design, seen here with a pilothouse, is popular with.
If blisters are covered, there are usually limitations. When repairing stress cracks and gouges hassis paintworks will examine. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks. Environmental stress cracking esc is one of the most common causes of unexpected brittle failure of thermoplastic especially amorphous polymers known. Arriving at the auction site, a large open field filled with damaged boats, numerous damaged small boats immediately caught my interest. If you have scraped up your boat, wave runner, or jet ski we fix it with a gelcoat repair.
How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat. You could fill the opened cracks with a high build primer, but youd be laying down a. The transom is made of a 2 penske composite transom board. The stringers are 100% foam filled composite and are fiberglassed to the hull for a superior bond.
After it is formed and cured, it is coated with epoxy and placed in to a vacuum mold where it is joined under high pressure to the fiberglass hull and deck. An edgewater boat may look like a boston whaler, but it is definitely not the same quality. The navy, reversing a trend that began after world war ii, is going back to building ships with steel rather than aluminum superstructures, in part because the lighter metal was found to crack. Our first priority is building the safest boats on the water. Best method to repair stress cracks boat design net. Boat had water in the hull and stress cracks in the bow. Aim for a 12to1 taper on the fiberglass, so for the thickness of your hull, this is 2 to 3 inches past the repair. Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Maybe thats why the edgewater 170 center console is so appealing.
Their boat has numerous stress cracks around the cleats. The edgewater 170 is a great boat for coastal and bay running. You can always repair these cracks but theyll show up again in a year or two. Repairing a tear break in aluminum hull indepth outdoors. Comments ranged anywhere from concluding that their boat had a dangerous defect, to whether they should have bought a catamaran, to whether they shouldnt be considering some other type of boat that will handle better.