How Did This Happen??
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: Anything Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=49348
Printed Date: March-04-2025 at 2:07pm
Topic: How Did This Happen??
Posted By: MI-nick
Subject: How Did This Happen??
Date Posted: October-15-2020 at 4:53pm
I had noticed an abnormal amount of water in the bilge since Labor Day...water up to the top of the bilge pump after wakeboarding for an hour. Didn't think too much of it and planned on removing the RR seat, back panel, etc. when I pulled it for the winter to investigate...figured airguide hose or exhaust or maybe even platform bolts. Needless to say I was pretty shocked when I pulled it out of the water and took a look underneath when it was on the trailer. Big question is what caused this? This boat lives up north on a lift so it gets used roughly every other weekend late april - early october. When it's being used it has ~1000lbs in ballast and the lift isn't all the way up so the boat is partially in the water. The hole is also roughly at the end of the boat lift bunk and right where the secondary stringer "cuts in" at the back of the boat. I figure boat lift bunk corner + ballast + boat bouncing from waves all summer or maybe just one big wave? what do you guys think? Luckily I found a guy fairly close (~45 minute drive) with 40 years experience repairing fiberglass who says "no big deal"...last photo is the boat at his shop...it was a nice day...   ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Replies:
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: October-15-2020 at 5:57pm
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Looks like you hit something to me. Many years ago, on my 1st boat, the trailer bunks cracked the hull like you suspect, but they were long cracks. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: October-15-2020 at 7:28pm
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definitely didn't hit anything ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: October-15-2020 at 7:47pm
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Nick, Maybe there's someone on your lake that isn't very happy with large wakes that are eroding the shoreline?
 ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: 67 ski nat
Date Posted: October-15-2020 at 7:48pm
| Did your stringer crack and pull-up the exterior hull into the bilge |
Posted By: DVskier
Date Posted: October-15-2020 at 8:16pm
| Good one Pete! Any boat with a tower is suspect! |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 4:14am
| Those close ups are interesting but I can’t make heads or tails of them without a little context (size and location). Can you take more pics from inside and outside zoomed out a bit? |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 8:16am
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Pete, that definitely occurred to me...i figure they would use a drill or hole saw...not hit it repeatedly with a hammer...besides, my wake causes far less damage than a day with 20 MPH wind...or the ice every winter...or a similar sized, unweighted boat plowing along at 10MPH, or a "tri-toon" with 20 people plowing along...etc, etc... Tim, I don't have any other photos and the boat is 4 hours away awaiting repair. the damaged area (hole + cracks) is roughly 6" diameter, about 14" from the stern, and inline with the starboard side secondary stringer. ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: GottaSki
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 8:31am
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One theory... If your lift is like some lifts i've seen, I believe a bunk on the lift was loose and flipped over, can occur upon reversing, the boat was later raised, the upright and hardware punched through when raising the boat. ------------- "There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worthwhile as messing around with boats...simply messing." River Rat to Mole |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 8:56am
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no "bunk flipping" possible with the lift...its a hewitt cantilever with "Al V-Bunks" ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 12:08pm
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I’ve seen boats on lift bunk brackets that barely made a scratch. Something very strange here |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 1:21pm
| If you've definitively ruled out damage from the boat lift and damage resulting from a failure inside the hull, then my guess would be hit from a sledge. The hole appears very uniform. Was there shrapnel on the inside? |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 2:47pm
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no, i think it's from the boat lift as i mentioned above. the "hole" lines up about with the end of the boat lift bunk which, with this lift, is like the corner of a 2 X 4...so it could generate a large point load under certain conditions (ballasted boat + waves). also, it wasn't really a hole...that photo is after i poked my finger in there. it looked to me like it had been repeatedly flexed in that area and the gel cracked away and the resin cracked allowing water in. that seems like the most reasonable explanation to me, just wanted to see your all's ideas. no shrapnel on the inside. appreciate all the input! ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: October-16-2020 at 3:15pm
| Ahhh, ok, that makes some sense. I had a Hewitt CL lift and I’m sitting here trying to remember the layout.... |
Posted By: zwoobah
Date Posted: October-23-2020 at 10:34pm
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I’ve also got a Hewitt cantilever lift. Works fine, but in low water I managed to scrape the hull on the bunk while backing off the lift. The corners of the bunks are certainly sharp enough to damage fiberglass. I think your theory is correct. If you’re gonna have it on a lift, the lift needs to be raised until the boat is solidly planted on the bunks. ------------- 1968 Mustang 16 - 351W powered |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: November-12-2020 at 9:02am
all repaired now. guy did a great job and the damage was $500 which seems very fair to me. If anyone needs fiberglass repair in NE Michigan, D&D in Black River is the way to go...Don's the man...  ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: ultrarunner
Date Posted: November-12-2020 at 10:00am
| NICE. Good time to grease the rudder! |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: November-12-2020 at 1:08pm
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Now that's a clean bilge! ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |