2000 Carver 404 Survey - Percussion Test Failure

[Briangates]

Hi we are nearing the final stages of our purchase of a Carver 404 and the survey has come back indicating several areas on the forward and side decks that did not pass the percussion test. The decks are stiff and show no signs of softness and I am wondering how serious these indications are?

The owner said that he has recently resealed the windlass and also where the base of the rails attach to the deck to prevent any further intrusion of moisture.

I have read that finding moisture in the core on a deck isn't uncommon with an older boat.

It doesn't appear to be serious and there are no signs of moisture coming through the deck into the cabin. Al of the material lining the roof and sides inside show no staining whatsoever.

I have seen videos of replacing damaged core from inside the vessel and I am really not too interested in taking on this type of repair as it looks difficult and expensive to do correctly.

So does anyone have any experience with moisture found in their vessel? I am thinking it is probably something owners do not openly discuss or are unaware that their vessel may have taken on moisture through one of the various attachments to the fibreglass.

Any thoughts on whether this is a deal breaker would be appreciated.

[Viper]

Really depends on the severity of the problem. Delamination and or wet cores in those areas is pretty common for just about every brand after a number of years. If the outer layer has delaminated but the core is dry, sometimes you could inject product into the void between the glass layer and core to re-adhere the two surfaces together. If the core is wet but structurally still intact, it could be saved by vacuum bagging the area though not many places are familiar with the process or have the equipment to do it. This will dry the core in most cases. The same system can then be used to draw resin throughout the area, saturate the core, and adhere the outer glass layer. If the core is rotten, there's not much you can do short of replacing it, that can be done through the top or bottom.

Is it a deal breaker? Get an experienced fiberglass tech to assess and report. Based on his findings, get him/her to quote the repair but keep in mind that the condition might be worse once they start the work and dig deeper. Then decide from there if the boat is for you. Remember though that chances are most boats you check will likely have those same issues in varying degrees. How much you're willing to put up with depends how much of your time you're willing to spend on repairing it yourself or how much you're willing to pay someone else to repair it for you.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Cooler]

My humble opinion only. By percussion test, I assume you mean the surveyor tested by tapping with a hammer and listened for differences in sound. Another way to get a better idea is to have some readings done with a moisture meter, I am surprised the surveyor did not use one. Resealing something that is already wet core does not solve the issue, as the moisture will not dry out, but will eventually rot. Any boat in the class of Carver, Cruiser, Sea Ray, etc. will have some water intrusion somewhere, just a matter of age. I would say, not a deal breaker, but deserves some more analysis. You can always adjust your agreed purchase price, by the anticipated cost to repair. It is probably a real concern for the seller, now that he/she knows it. That percussion sound effect can also be coming from the fiberglass delaminating from the balsa, but still leaving the balsa dry, or minimally moist. Could drill a couple test holes to determine condition of wood. Good luck, let us know what happens. er

[bud37]

I would be interested to hear what your surveyor said about his findings. In my opinion, with a good meter he should be able to identify/come close to the point of water entry.

Really to make any qualified decision as far as deal breaker status, the extent, amount of moisture etc needs to be known and like has been said anything can be fixed. A boat here recently had maybe 10% of the side hull wet ( not a Carver), all fixed now and you can't tell..guy did a great job !......that boat was much , much newer than the one you are considering.

Like I am sure you already are aware, 20 yr old boats are going to have moisture somewhere, after all they are not new any more....as always good luck with it....

[Briangates]

Thanks for the replies. I took some photos which show a number of slight cracks in the deck.

While I was on the boat we had a pretty good downpour of rain and I notice areas on the front and side decks where it appeared that the water had not dried and the deck remained wet in larger areas. Near the bow pulpit and windless pedals.

I am going to discuss the water meter readings with the surveyor as none were written on the report.

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[RGrew176]

i hope this works out to your satisfaction. If not, let the search begin again. When I bought my Carver it was not the first boat I had chosen. The first one ended up with some fiberglass issues so I ended up passing on it then I found my Carver.

Good luck to you as you move forward.

[Cooler]

That last pic looks like it may be a test hole drilled to determine condition of wood. Maybe my misinterpretation, but it looks round and then filled in. I would ask the owner for an explanation and a results report from whoever did that. er

[Briangates]

Interesting and I will ask . . . the entire deck had no soft spots whatsoever and I tried to do my own percussion test which didn't really show much to my ears. Easier said than done . . ..

[Viper]

The last pic looks like an old condition. If you look closely, you'll see several spider cracks radiating from a central point. It could have been a test hole but it's been there for a while. If that's the case, they didn't do a proper job of both drilling and prepping the hole or repairing it. It could also be that something heavy fell there and cracked the gel coat, or the core is soft there and walking on that area caused it to crack.

It looks like there's enough areas of concern that will require further assessment and hopefully there's only isolated areas requiring core repairs rather than the whole deck. Either way, in the end, you'll be better off redoing all the non-skid so isolated repairs aren't noticeable. I would insist on that if you go ahead with repairs.

[bud37]

Just to catch up, is that two areas , unless I am not seeing it right.

Has the surveyor expanded on his findings yet ?