E29: Split in the Transom

[timber]

Has anyone seen a split about a centimeter below the top of the transom--along most of the transom?

Could it be because Ericson only glassed the inside of the hull-to-deck joint, or is this the sign of collision damage, or something else?

I am definitely a newbie at this, but want to be sure that the integrity of the boat is fine before I start fixing things.

Thank you, in advance.

-Tim

 

[jkenan]

I have the same visual appearance on the transom of my E29, though I would not classify it as a split in the transom. Stress failures in the hull, especially over longer lengths, tend to go all the way thru, so unless you can see into the hull through the area you of which you are concerned, it is probably just wear and tear along a hard edge of the boat over the past 30-40 years. The dark areas are likely the cloth and mat used in the layup, revealed by the gelcoat being worn away. Consider dock lines hanging off the transom for years and years, perhaps crossed, or a dingy line attachment from who knows where. All the friction on that edge is going to take it's toll....

My plan is to apply some gelcoat and PVA, let it cure, and then some gentle wetsanding to restore the edge. If the edge is restored but the color is still mottled, I'll consider painting.

Just my 2c.

 

[timber]

Closer Image

Hi John,

Thank you for the reply. I have posted a close-up image. It looks like it has actually torn away--almost as if was a place where the fiberglass did not adhere to the other part--and, the gelcoat was holding it together.

Is that possible?

My Ericson 29 is hull number 32, so it is really early in the production series.

Any thoughts?

Thank you . . . .

 

[Emerald]

This is odd looking. Is there depth here? How much? What's the chance you are just looking at a void that was always there, and the corner of the glass has been worn off to expose it? It doesn't really look like what I would expect if the glass was torn apart. I don't see stress cracks in the gelcoat around it. It almost looks like someone took something and cut the corner off nice and cleanly. Is there any flexing of any part of this? If it's stable, and you can't find any flex or cracking or delamination of tabbing, I'd be very tempted to fill the corner with thickened epoxy, fair and carefull paint/gelcoat the edge and keep an eye on it. The good news here is that I think you've got something very fixable without too much effort. If you're new to epoxy work, check out the West Systems website. There is a tremendous amount of information available. Also be sure to check out EpoxyWorks magazine (from their site). It has some great project write-ups on all sorts of fiberglass repairs. It's amazing what you can do. Your boat is going to be just fine

http://www.westsystem.com/

and then a project oriented list from EpoxyWorks:

http://www.epoxyworks.com/indexprojects.html

 

[timber]

Transom Update

Hi David,

I looked at the transom this afternoon with another sailor from the marina (who has an Ericson 27), and it is not the fiberglass that has split.

It looks like there is some other type of material: bondo, plastic, or some other type of filler. It is about 1/2 inch thick and goes all the way across the top of the transom.

Whatever this material was--it has sheared evenly almost the entire length of the transom.

Does anyone know if Ericson put something across the top of the transom at the time of production? To add some height, perhaps? Or, for some other reason. My boat is hull #32, so it was really early in production.

My traveler goes across the transom (tiller steering), and would also be bedded into whatever this material is.

Tomorrow, I am going to climb around underneath the cockpit with a flashlight to see if I can see any evidence of collision and a repair.

Any ideas?

 

[Loren Beach]

Problems with thick plastic

Gel coat is brittle by nature, and the thicker layed on, the more likely it will crack all the way thru over the years as it sloooowwwlllllly shrinks due to curing and UV exposure.
Get a look at an Islander Yacht from 30 years ago, some time. They used to put on very thick gel coat, and nowadays it is not uncommon to see one with randon surface cracks all over (!) the deck areas.


This opinion worth about a penny....

Loren

 

[tenders]

My '69 32 has an aluminum strip along that joint. I think it's just to cover up an area prone to chipping, and perhaps bad gelcoat coverage.

My strip is a bit corroded, but I painted it many years ago and it seems to have stabilized. Perhaps your boat had something similar and a previous owner removed it and faired the joint with resin instead.

 

[Emerald]

I'm inclined to think something happened like the transom got caught under the edge of a pier and scraped the corner off. I think it's pretty safe to say this is cosmetic damage only. The material you're seeing could easily be gelcoat or some other fairing compound. The traveler will be through bolted, so I would not be concerned by what you're seeing here. I think I would focus on sealing it up and sailing. If you have any sort of void, thickened epoxy would be a good candidate for your repair. However, if it's really just a scrape off the corner and is sealed, it might make more sense to give it a little paint and go sailing

 

[sleather]

I think John Kenan is "right-on-the-money". Looks to me like abrasion from perhaps years of towing a dingy(possibly predating the antenna). The rip-and-tear appearance is just the fiberglass strands that wouldn't polish the way gelcoat would(leaving a "fuzzy" texture). That edge "must" be the hull to deck joint and was hand finished at the factory, so maybe it was thin to begin with. A gelcoat repair kit and some time will fix it up fine. Or as Emerald said, slap some paint on it and go sailing. BTW don't be alarmed if you see light from down below, w/ the gelcoat gone the fiberglass is VERY translucent.

 

[Jarod]

I have an ericson 27 that spent years in the San Diego Sun. The same surface on my boat is pretty cracked up so it may have been a failed repair to fix, but it does look more like a wear mark. The cracked up gel on the top of my transom is pretty much beyond spot repair so I may sand it all down until I get back to solid gel (not cracked and then refinish with gel or epoxy). If I want it to look good I may get it professionally done but the boat is over 30 yrs old and I am not looking for a perferct finish ...so I may tackle myself. This issue seems to be fairly common to the 27's and 29's in my area.

 

[timber]

Thank you

Thanks everyone!

I crawled up inside earlier today, and did not see any evidence of repair or former damage.

You must be right--it is a dark grey with flecks of fiberglass in it--perhaps the resin was a bit cold when they laid that section--and filled with thickener of some sort.

Regardless, it looks fine and I am convinced it is cosmetic. I am going to re-arrange that area anyways--thinking about a swim ladder, a wind-vane, and life-lines around the back of the cockpit (and a cup holder, or two).

I'll cover it for now to keep water out, and complete a more formal repair when I work on that project.

Thanks, everyone!

-Tim