Tansom Movement in Vkiking HELP!

[46vky]

Hi, two years ago I purchased an old charter boat, a 1984 46 Viking Sportfish. I knew I was in for a lot of work when I got it but I felt I was getting a good deal, and it would be a rewarding project. As of now, the interior, electronics, bridge enclosre, digny, ect have been replaced. In November she went in for awlgrip. My painter called me a week later and said he encounterd a problem and wanted me to come to the marina to check it out. When I got there he informed me that if you are standing in the cockpit of the boat and pull the transom towards the inside of the boat, there is a good amount of flexing in it. I was wondering if anybody knows if this is normal or not. I got in the bilge and see that there is no rotten wood, in fact it is all fiberglass. Is it possible that something is out of wack because of backing down on fish day in and day out? My painter wants to reinforce the back of the boat to stop this flexing, however, if it is supposed to do that im not sure if I will let him "fix it". Anyone ever heard of this problem?

[Richard Petersen]

Only Viking owners need answer, or dealers.

[Corpus Skipper]

Given the vintage of your Viking, I believe they just tried to save a little money by skimping on materials for the transom. If there was a major problem with structural integrity you'd see a lot of, and or large cracks around the transom. If there are none, you can probably leave it alone, but it wouldn't hurt to add a few layers of glass to beef it up.

[46vky]

Hey thanks for the reply. Suprisingly, I have no cracks at all on the boat! NONE!!! Most boats of this vintage have some from banging into pilings and such when docking, expecially being a charter in Florida. But I certainly dont have any because of the flexing going on in the transom either. I never knew Viking to skimp on materials before, but I am impressed with the overall quality of the boat to this point. I probobaly will have him beef up the glass a little bit. Better to be safe than sorry?

[Richard Petersen]

I hope you know his quality of work is going to be better than Vikings. If he does not know the problem well. The patch job over Vikings flexible area may stress the original glass and start cracks where you never had them before. Think VERY carefully before modifying a survivor. Can't say, Maybe I should have left well enough alone. Good luck.

[46vky]

Hey Richard Peterson, Thanks for the advice it's really appreciated. That is my dilema. I know Viking is one of the best built boats out there and it was built the way for a reason. I tried calling Viking and they have been less than helpful, because nobody works there anymore that knows anything about that boat. I certainly don't want to start causing problems. If the boat has done alright like that for twenty one years I would assume it would be alright for another twenty one.

[D'ARTOIS]

Some years ago, a good friend of mine bought a Chris Craft, maybe built in the
mid-'70's - no documentation was supplied.
In spite of the in general exellent glasswork, some parts were completely rotten.
The rotten parts were the glassed-in panels, bulkheads and transom.

This general problem that exists in all FRP boats that are over 20 years old and are reinforced with glassed-over plywood. Not only plywood can be subject to internal rot, also steel. The fly-bridge of that particular boat was supported by two steel beams, one on port and one on the starboardside. When the boat was gutted out, I discovered that also those steel beams wer gone.

It is confined by the multiple glass layers, but the real problem hides underneath.......