Cracked tabbing on a Eastbay49

My 2002 Easbay is showing signs of tabbing cracks. Grandbanks says it's not uncommon and should be repaired using epoxy and screws or cutting out the areas that that the tabs are cracked and redoing the Fiberglas. I'm surprised to see this on a high quality boat but everyone seems to shrug it off as not a big problem. Just fix it! Ant comments would be helpful.

 

Welcome to the forum.

It's a known issue and the choices are what you have. I dislike the epoxy and screws approach, though this is what most yards will do, if it's an insurance call. For whatever reason the tabbing seems light in areas, so I'd consider any around the visible cracks suspect and drag out the grinder. Grind back to good laminate and lay in some biax or a combi fabric (1208, etc.), set in epoxy. Error on the too much side of the how much fabric equation then on the same as before. The penalty for too much is, a slight increase in cost and effort, which is a lot cheaper then the alternative.

 

Tabbing repairs

Thank you PAR for your advice. My yard will be grinding away this winter. One question:,what are the penalties of not fixing them? They seem inconsequential to anyone from GB.:?:

 

Well, simply put the tabbing will continue to crack and delaminate from the bulkheads typically (my assumption). The usual cause is insufficient prep and/or not enough fabric, though bad laminating practices and procedures can also come into play, which GB doesn't want to admit too. This isn't uncommon with production built yachts, though some are much better then others, most have no choice but to have an "issue" forced on them (read law suit) before the insurance companies will let them admit to inconsistencies in the building process of any particular model. This is especially true in slow economic times, where cuts to every aspect of the process takes place, in an effort to save money. Your boat was built in '02, so before the recession, but '02 wasn't a banner year and yacht sales had been on a decline, so "steps" where likely being taken by management.

What ever loading has caused the delamination/cracking will continue, so grind back to known, good fabric and laminate, lay in sufficient biax, with the intention to offer more then what was there previously, with better prep and possibly longer over laps and "reach" up the hull shell/bulkhead interface.

 

Par

Well, thanks again. Looks like I or my yard have some winter projects, along with the varnish, winterization of all systems, bottom sanding and painting. All the things that a meticulous boat owner does.she only has one cracked tab that I know of but it is large enough to have caught my eye when I was snooping around the engine room, now I'll have to look for more. I've also noticed that the paint or gelcoat is cracking or peeling in places like behind cabinets. GB told me to scrape it , sand it, then paint it with GB paint???

 

If you let the marina do it, they'll use CSM and polyester and probably make the same prep and fabric weight mistakes the manufacture did. Insist on an epoxy and biax laminate, extra tabbing overlap or at least vinylester and a combi fabric laminate.

You'll find this sort of thing in several locations I'll bet, so look in all the most difficult areas you can.

Naturally they'll want you to use GB paint, which is a re-badged product, formulated by someone else, so find out what type of paint they used and match the color with your local paint shop.

 

PAR,
Is it possible to send you a photo of what I'm talking about?
Gas doc

 

You can post it here or send it to my privately through email (click on my name).