Crack in Transom

[wilbur]

Hello!

Looking at a Carver 350, only photos, not in person yet. One of the photos shows a decent crack in the transom below the rub rail, starboard side corner. Does this look bad to you, or would it be a fairly easy fix?

[waybomb]

Welcome aboard!

Backed into something fairly hard. Does the seller say when and how it happened? Even cracked the VIN plate. That's not just a gel coat fix. I'm guessing the transom may be wet. That could get expensive. If the rest of the vessel is great, I'd spend a lot of time inspecting and testing that area, and then obtaining a quote for the repair. May be cheap, may be expensive depending on how long it's been like that, and how do the damage is.
Good luck!

[Rocketman]

Check on the inside to see if there is any cracking. My guess is it is wet into the core. If soft around the crack - walk away.

[wilbur]

Looks like it’s right behind the toilet, which is surrounded by fiberglass, maybe not possible to inspect easily from the inside. Looks about 30 inches above the water line. Boat resides in a covered slip. Here’s a larger photo, gives better perspective of the size of the crack. Not really that big. Thanks for the feedback. Still think boat is worth a look, even though it’s a long way from me.

[bud37]

Welcome to the forum.

Really hard to give a definitive opinion from a pic. May just have flexed the corner and cracked the gel then again could be worse. If you are considering this boat because it is cheap then may I suggest you get an accredited surveyor to check this out in person as the repairs can be extensive if you have to get inside and has been mentioned, the rest of that area needs to be assessed structurally.

Heh anything can be repaired.

[wilbur]

Thanks for the welcome. Glad to be here. Agree with survey. Probably have to get behind the fiberglass panel to really check the inside. That probably means removing screws and cutting through caulk to get some space to get in there….or maybe a mirror and a flashlight from an access panel would get a view. Like you saw, things can be fixed. I wouldn’t call the boat cheap. But it has certain qualities I’m looking for at a reasonable price I think. I like the look of these boats. Here’s a photo that made me like them.

[Viper]

Welcome aboard.

I wouldn't assume it's a crack unless you've seen it personally which it appears you haven't, or someone's confirmed it actually is, but I wouldn't go by a photo, I mean that could be a spider web or any number of things just looking at the pic. Is it stated in the listing that it's cracked, where are you getting that info from?

If it's indeed a crack, ya I agree it should be looked at by a surveyor and a fiberglass technician to determine the extent of the damage and cost out the repair. If the hull ID plaque is cracked then it must have taken a good impact so I doubt it's just a gel coat repair which raises concerns about water intrusion and the condition of the core. A tech and surveyor can take moisture readings and sound the area to get an idea of what may be going on below the surface and the cost for remediation. For negotiations, I would take that cost and double it because the damage usually turns out to be worse than one thinks, and the only way to tell for sure is to open it up. I wouldn't worry too much yet about access from the inside, once the tech grinds the area, he'll be able to determine how deep the damage is and whether it can all be repaired from the outside, chances are it can but it is something to consider as gaining access from the inside will add a lot more labour.

Everything is negotiable if both parties are willing, and everything is repairable but the numbers have to work, so I wouldn't say this is something I'd walk away from until the numbers dictate such. I know you like the looks but you have to have to think with your head here and not your heart. Don't get emotionally attached, if it's not this one, there will be others.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[waybomb]

Viper now that you say it. Sure does look like spider web!

[wilbur]

Thanks for the great feedback. I also thought it might be a spider web, and it could be. Can’t tell for sure in the photo, need to go see it. It’s the exterior of the boat that looks great. Freshwater, covered slip. Gelcoat is shiny, helm seats and dash look clean, not faded,stained, corroded like other saltwater Carvers of same vintage. It’ll be my liveaboard, replacing my 35 foot sailboat, so I want it to present well, not look dumpy. The inside needs a complete refresh, which I wanted to do for my design taste. Less than 1000 hours. The open aft deck is the icing on the cake. Obviously there is emotion going on, always! But reason is still lurking.

[waybomb]

I would think with a "crack: like that would also have a fairly damaged rub rail