stress cracks new boat HELP

[florida bound]

Hi everyone I am new to this forum and need some advice on stress cracks. I have a 2006 express cruiser with a hardtop the boat was bought new in 2007 and used one season. I have developed about 40 stress cracks in the hardtop and cockpit floor, the boat is still under warrranty.The manufacture wants to repair these cracks without giving a good reason for the cause they say its the gelcoat but some of the cracks in my opinion are more than gelcoat or cosmetic. I could understand a couple of cracks but not 40. Does anyone out there have a professional opinion on the cause? Or does any one know of a good fiberglass expert in the New York Long Island area that could help.

[TeddyDiver]

I reckon Dave Gerr is NY resident..

[florida bound]

Who is Dave Gerr?

[afrhydro]

wow seems excessive
i have done some warranty work on the cruisers already
mostly radar arch blister very view gel cracks
i would have it surveyed

[Meanz Beanz]

Something is not stiff enough, thing is you will probably need a core sample and expert advice to determine if the layup is adequate. Unless there is a techo way of doing it with ultrasound or some such thing that I am ignorant of. I'd be looking at a structural test of some sort just to reassure me, yes gelcoat stress cracks but something has to be flexing more than the gelcoat can handle --- you need to determine how much of an issue that is beyond the cosmetics, beside the fact that its not something you want to see even if its only cosmetic damage.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by florida bound

Who is Dave Gerr?

He's a naval architecht, author and surveyor.
Just google "Dave Gerr NA"
In the results are also links to other surveyors etc..

Ps He's also a member in this forum as "dgerr" I think..

[safewalrus]

Not professional more personal but in the car trade (something I avoid) I believe its called a 'lemon'!

Do with that as you wish but luck with whatever you do (it sounds like you just might need it!)

[kengrome]

Something is not stiff enough

Exactly right, the boat is flexing too much and the builder knows he screwed up -- possibly big time, which may be the reason why he won't tell you what's really wrong with it.

I have a contract to fix a fiberglass boat with "stress cracks", and it's going to require removal of the doghouse, then the engine, then the tanks, then the cabin furniture and built-ins, then the bulkhead between the engine and cabin. Then I'm going to have to clean out the hull interior and install full length structural stringers where they should have been installed by the original builder -- but were not.

Imagine removing thin plywood covered with glass in various places inside the boat (apparently installed to hide the shoddy workmanship) only to learn that the engine logs are only 4 feet long and bonded only to the hull -- with no bulkhead tie-ins or full-length stringers whatsoever. With the huge heavy diesel in this boat it's no wonder everything is flexing and breaking apart. In fact it's just pure luck that the boat didn't break in two and sink when they were running it hard in waves.

I certainly hope your boat is built better!