Transom stress cracks on 25

Anita Marie · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:08 am Post subject: Transom stress cracks on 25

I found two areas on each side of the interior of my transom that have stress cracks. They are in each corner in line with the top of the transom. I am waiting for an estimate on the repairs.
Has anyone else seen this problem? It might be a good idea to check your transom if you have a 25. My boat has lived most of its life in dry storage and has very little time on a trailer.
I have more pictures in my photo album.

Fred

Alyssa Jean · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:56 am Post subject:

Fred,
I had small cracks on the outside of the transom. As I remember on each side and above the tow eyes and towards the lower corners of the engine well cutout. The factory repaired them under warranty. That was about 8 months to a year ago however.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:57 am Post subject:

Fred - we have them too, only ours are on the outside of the transom. Les noticed them while installing our kicker. A big crack on each side...

Ron on Meander · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:14 pm Post subject:

Mine are in the same place as David and Pat. Will be getting the dealer to do a warranty repair sometime in the near future.
Ron

journey on · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:38 pm Post subject:

OK, Pat, what are you doing about those cracks. I have a gel coat crack, but I don't see where it goes any deeper. Are you just going to fix the (brittle) gel coat, or look at the laminate?

Boris

JamesTXSD · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:34 pm Post subject:

Fiberglass has some flex, gelcoat doesn't. It's not necessarily a sign that there is anything deeper than the gelcoat... have someone qualified take a look at it.

thataway · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:02 pm Post subject:

This looks like the typical thick gel coat crack--not a serious problem. See what happens when you bring the motor up position, put pressure on the lower unit while someone observes the crack and transom for deflection. Most likely just "V" out the crack and fill with new gel coat will take care of it. If I am correct this is more the pan liner, than the actual transom.

Sea Skipper · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:52 pm Post subject:

Carefully looked over Sea Skipper this afternoon for stress or gel coat cracks in the motor well area and did not find any. But I do have two small gel coat cracks near the upper outside edge of the kicker jack plate mounting bolts. These outside bolts are located just at the transition point were the transom thickens and is reinforced. Last winter I epoxied additional support inside the hull to spread the load. The cracks are about 1 to 1-1/2" long and at this stage I'm not too concerned.

Butch · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:44 pm Post subject: I saw them also...

About a year ago before my mild stroke I looked at a 2004 C Dory 25 that was in GREAT shape at Cutter Marine in MD, however, the ONLY issue I did find on that loaded boat was the cracks in the gelcoat at the transom corners going up to the gunwales... the cracks were on both sides just as you all described. I chalked it up to putting a single 135 HP Honda over the transom. After all the transom is the part of the boat where the thrust and stresses of the motor are transferred to the vessel being propelled over the water.
From what I saw it appeared to be only the brittle gelcoat crack that exposed the glass to the elements. That was the only issues I saw with the boat...
I was ready to make the offer when the stroke sidelined me. That was a bummer for sure, however, I am getting back in the saddle slowly.

The C Dory is a really well built boat and the factory is great about working with you on the Oh SH...'s that do crop up as new boats are broken in. In my opinion... for the money... the C Dory is hard to beat in value.

Just my 2 cents... Butch

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject:

Before anyone fixes it, I intend to be sure the factory has cleared it as covered by the 5 year hull warranty - we shall see.

squidslayer · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 12:53 am Post subject: Cracks

Its just Cosmetic....the jel coat...had one on my 1990 Angler...use some touch up.....the motor is not going to fall off

Dick
255 TomCat
Orinda, CA

Pete in NY · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:14 am Post subject:

I don't quite agree that this is just a cosmetic issue. While I do not think it is structural to the hull it certainly is a design defect in the engineering of the gelcoat/laminate mold geometry on the 2004 CD25. The geometry at this location is definitely a design defect with inadequate radius if left exposed. On my 2004 CD 25 there is clearly not enough radius on the top of the transom where it meets the inner vertical wall to be left exposed. This is why you do not see sharp corners in molded fiberglass products. It is well known that sharp corners in fiberglass laminate will crack the gel coat at the corner's edge unless a substantial radius is designed in.The black molding on top of the transom is an effort to cap the transom. This would work fine, but it is too narrow and leaves some of the top of the transom exposed. From "Anita Marie" 's photo at the start of this thread you can see a larger radius that the factory addresed on later boats after the cockpit design change. On my boat, the gelcoat was cracked on the port side of the engine when delivered and the crack has widened. Another crack has appeared in the gel coat on the starboard side. Engine vibration might have been enough to cause this. The transom's on these boats are massively built and I don't think they flex very much if at all, even if trailered and bumping on the road.

The problem with cracked gel coat is that this gives an oppening for water to migrate into the underlying fiberglass laminate. This is why I keep the cracks taped, pending a more permanent solution. I don't expect the transom to fall off anytime soon, but this is a defective condition that needs more than duct tape to effect a more permanent solution. Maybe an additional molding installed on this edge with 3M 5200 that is somewhat more flexible than just a hard filler/gelcoat repair and might cure the issue permanently.

There was a thread this past winter about a 2003 CD25 for sale in New Jersey, the "Frequent Sea", and one of its problems apparently was moisture in the transom from a cracked transom. I suspect that this cracking issue on top of the transom was the cause of moisture migrating into the transom from these same type of cracks.

I have emailed Bret Reynolds at C-Dory regarding this issue on my boat along with photos and I will discuss with him how they have repaired other boats with this condition since my boat is still under warranty.

In any case, however, if your boat has a crack in the gelcoat you really should seal it to prevent any water getting in and causing any deterioratioin in the laminate under the gelcoat.

Photos are below.

Regards,
Pete in NY

William and Beth Tucker · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:05 pm Post subject:

Hey Pete in N.Y. ! I agree with you. Those cracks are not supposed to be there.....Keep us posted.....Keep your life jacket on, Tucker.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject:

Here is a photo of the crack on the transom port side - Les noticed it while the kicker was being installed. I don't know if it is "merely cosmetic" but I don't like it, and seems to me to be a hull defect that the warranty should cover.

oldgrowth · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject:

What would we do without duct tape and baling wire?

_________
Dave