odd crack in a 25 Seafari

[FishStretcher]

I really wish I had gotten this boat before the blizzard. I was pulling ice out of the bilge- it was perhaps 3-4" up from the keel. The ice means standing water, which isn't good. Not much I can do about it now, I got out what I could- it will warm above freezing this week and hopefully drain.

There was no foam under the bunks on the port side. But there might have been- there looks like spray foam residue in there?

Also there is a blocked off thru-hull under the port bunk. It is pretty small. I think it needs attention. It is in the pictures where you can see the ice before I plucked most of it out. And you can see the patch for a larger thru-hull, probably from the head. It existed ~10 years ago, but isn't there now, so maybe it was glassed in during the '04 repower, and foam pulled out at that time.

The forward triangular compartment is full of liquid water. The compartment just aft of and below the anchor locker I wasn't sure what I was looking at, when I was in there, but it sure wasn't draining.

I know it has new(er) fuel tanks in it. I haven't pulled the hatch there.

It looks like I will plan on some new bulkheads. If not now, then next winter. Maybe I will grind away one skin and replace with coosa/nidacore or just laminate a doubler to one or both sides of each bulkhead. And then try to figure out how to add the other bulkheads.

[cdavisdb]

Yep, that's spray foam residue. Looks like yours had foam in the bottom at one time. Almost for certain, it was removed because it was breaking up as the hull flexed. Means you should look very very close at your bulkheads for and aft of the fuel tanks. Also tabbing on the stringers, especially the stb side.

If it was me, I'd pull the tanks. If the bulkheads are ok, there are no hairlines in the hull near the stringers or bulkheads and you are not planning major cosmetic work on the cabin or deck, I'd stop there and just keep an eye on things. Seacrafts are so tough that any problems will develop slowly. There is also knowledge to be gained as Strick, Blue Heron and I put some time on our repairs.

If the bulkheads need replacing, you might as well go all the way, cut the necessary holes, put in the extra bulkheads, etc.

[strick]

Just as important as the tanks are the fuel lines. You might want to make sure that he replaced those as well. Some of these old fuel fill lines if you just pull on them with one hand they come apart

strick

[FishStretcher]

Re-reading this thread, and looking at scantling calculations from Dave Gerr's book, it looks like the boat might in fact be short a bulkhead. I need to check the calcs again, and maybe adjust for the large difference between LOA and DWL. The 25 seafari bow is very far from vertical.

I may install what he calls "floors", which to me would be half height bulkheads. I may also put foam core doublers on the fore and aft tank bulkheads. They were really gross with mildew, but the well coated ply seems intact except for some biscuits that have come apart.

I am installing new poly tanks anyways, so I plan to freshen up under the tanks, and double the bulkheads and build per the scantling rules. Then gel coat everything. Then I may remove the plywood bulkheads afterward. We will see. I am still working on a de-re construction plan that maintains boat shape.

I suspect I will want to add forward bulkheads/floors, but that will have to wait until the tank compartment gets finished. Probably a 2015 project. No jumping off 6 footers until then!

Strick was correct with respect to fuel lines. They were on their way out. Ethanol, I think.

[Blue_Heron]

Originally Posted by FishStretcher

Re-reading this thread, and looking at scantling calculations from Dave Gerr's book, it looks like the boat might in fact be short a bulkhead...

FishStretcher,
As you know, Dave Gerr's scantling rules for fiberglass boats are based on a structural grid of low stringers and a combination of floors and bulkheads to tie it all together. The 25 Seafari seems to be the only Seacraft model that relies on structural bulkheads. And I think you're right that there should be one more. The unsupported hull panel width between the keel and the stringers under the cabin is pretty wide.

Here's a link to my thread where I evaluated what I thought was going on with Connor's boat and what I did with mine to avoid it:

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...=knife&page=10

Dave

[bigeasy1]

Originally Posted by Entourage

I've had those cracks on all the sceptres ive had. I'm not sure as to why they happen it must be the way the inner hull meets the outer somewhere inside the cuddy. Even if you glassed the outside i don't think it would last long unless you got it from the inside as well.

**On every! Sceptre?,please tell me it wasn't several.**

Please excuse me for straying a bit on this thread,but after reading about connors dilemma and the issues with some others 23's,I'm starting to worry about my Tsunami. I'm realizing that I never really gave a lot of close inspections to the bulkheads.
It sounds stupid now that I didn't.
Just as bad is my inspection of the outer hull bottom.I checked it over pretty well a few years ago,but have to admit that other than a glance when it's on the trailer, I haven't paid a lot of attention to it.There are several layers of bottom paint on it so any minor crack might not show at a glance.

If the boat wasn't six and a half hours away,and not shrink wrapped I'd be checking it out now.Instead I guess I'll have to spend the next few months lying awake at night thinking about it.
As you can see in the pictures,I cut out the floor in the compartment forward of the fuel tank,so that I could access the inner hull bottom to clean out the 40 years of gook.After doing That, I figured why not just make a removable bottom in case I ever need to access the area again.
I made the cross members you see in the picture to give a bit of strength to that part of the liner,and to support the removable floor.They work fine to support the new plywood floor,but I'm not sure if they really are strong enough to give enough rigidity to the complete area.I can stand on it,but rarely do,the compartment is only used to store rods and reels.

It's a long compartment as the fuel tank is only 52 gallons.

From what you see,do you think it would be a good idea to glass in a couple bulkhead type crossmembers and then to permanantely glass in a new floor? or am I worrying too much?.

[Blue_Heron]

Originally Posted by bigeasy1

...or am I worrying too much?.

I think you're worrying too much. I don't believe the bulkheads in the Sceptres are structural like they are in the 25 Seafari, and the unsupported panel width between keel and stringer is less. The box stringers in the 23s seem to do fine.
Dave

[bigeasy1]

Thanks blue,I'll sleep better tonight.I'll check it out in the spring.