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Old 01-31-10, 01:17 PM   #1
Dshow28
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Default Transon stress cracks

I have a '97 Stratos with a 200 Evinrude on the back. There are some stress cracks around the transom area. Is this normal for a boat this old with that much motor, or should I be worried. I have allways used a transom saver while in tranport and so did the guy who had it before me. One of the cracks will catch my thumbnail if I rub across it.
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Old 01-31-10, 03:12 PM   #2
nofearengineer
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It may be "common", but it definitely isn't "normal". In a sense, all cracks are "stress cracks." I wouldn't let that sleeping dog lie, unless you like swimming a whole lot. Traveling on the trailer isn't the only thing that can cause transom damage. Too much speed in rough water, too heavy of an engine (which probably isn't your case), or just plain bad driving (whistle....) can all do it. Get that checked out. Who was it on this board who had a transom break loose on them while out on the water? I know it was a really old smaller boat, but the results would be just as ugly with yours.
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Old 02-01-10, 12:36 PM   #3
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I had a boat with a "stress crack" and i had to total it, repairs where expensive more than boat worth, but get it checked out last thing you want to do while fishing is fish for your motor after it breaks off.
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Old 02-01-10, 01:38 PM   #4
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I've owned boats since I was 16 and almost every glass boat tended to get some kind of stress crack over time, usually they were very small and did not break through the clearcoat. I would have a reliable boat mechanic check on it
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Old 02-01-10, 01:43 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dshow28 View Post
I have a '97 Stratos with a 200 Evinrude on the back. There are some stress cracks around the transom area. Is this normal for a boat this old with that much motor, or should I be worried. I have allways used a transom saver while in tranport and so did the guy who had it before me. One of the cracks will catch my thumbnail if I rub across it.

Where on the transom are the cracks ? Are they in the actual flat part where the motor/jack plate mounts , or are they in the splashwell, top cap area ?

How deep are they, run your fingernail across them, does your nail drop into the crack, or just slide over it ?

How far do they radiate out ?
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Old 02-01-10, 04:22 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonfish320 View Post
I've owned boats since I was 16 and almost every glass boat tended to get some kind of stress crack over time, usually they were very small and did not break through the clearcoat. I would have a reliable boat mechanic check on it
I know almost nothing, never had a glass boat, never had a boat with more than 60 ponies, but obviously it should be checked out by someone in real time. There is not going to be an easy way for anybody on here to know for sure, but one thing is sure, it better to be on the safe side with these things.
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Old 02-01-10, 05:21 PM   #7
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The cracks are actually in the splash well. As i mentioned one of them will catch your thumb nail but I'm not sure it is completely through the gel coat. The main one is on the back wall of the splash well near the bottom running from each drain port out about six inches. I called the local marine shop and the guy said this is very common for boats that are 10+ years old with motors this big. He said from my description he wouldn't be real concerned. The transom is still very solid but to be on the safe side, I think I'm gonna reinforce the back part of the splash well where the cracks are accuring with a 3/16 stainless steel plate.
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Old 02-01-10, 05:31 PM   #8
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Man that's ruff i would defiantly get that checked asap hate that for ya!
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Old 02-01-10, 05:53 PM   #9
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I have a 1996 Stratos 295 and it has stress cracks all over the cap including the splashwell! I called Stratos and they had a bad batch of gell coat for a few years! If the engine does not move when you lift on it or jump on it, it's fine!

Very common on those old Stratos boats and just cosmetic mostly!
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Old 02-01-10, 05:59 PM   #10
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Mine is a '97 295 Pro Elite.
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Old 02-01-10, 07:13 PM   #11
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I would assume that some of what you are seeing might just be cracks in the gel coat. If that is the case I would still be concerned, as it shows there has been a lot of stress on the area, but maybe not panic. The gel coat doesn't necessarily mean the glass underneath is failing.

P.S. Still check it out.
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Old 02-01-10, 08:24 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dshow28 View Post
The cracks are actually in the splash well. As i mentioned one of them will catch your thumb nail but I'm not sure it is completely through the gel coat. The main one is on the back wall of the splash well near the bottom running from each drain port out about six inches. I called the local marine shop and the guy said this is very common for boats that are 10+ years old with motors this big. He said from my description he wouldn't be real concerned. The transom is still very solid but to be on the safe side, I think I'm gonna reinforce the back part of the splash well where the cracks are accuring with a 3/16 stainless steel plate.
The radius areas of a splash well on a lot of boats is a common area for gel coat stress cracks.
Gel is only 1/16th of an inch thick, and most stress cracks will occur near radius, on the splashwells, where the consoles meet the top cap, where the rod locker corners meet the cap. Most occur in those radius areas because of flexing, usually caused by not being able to put bracing in those areas, and the gel being a little thicker in the curves, thicker gel will crack a lot quicker than thin gel will.
99 % of them are purely cosmetic and even when repaired will show up again usually in the same spots.
If the transom is solid, the SS plate is a good idea, and then fill the cracks with a dab of clear coat to keep any water penetration from possibly getting to the fiberglass mat.
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Old 02-01-10, 10:23 PM   #13
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It would be worth a call to stratos cause if they had a bad batch of paint come through they might fix it for next to nothing, I knew a guy who had a 91 ranger 21 footer and it did the same thing, he called them they asked him to bring it to the factory and redid the whole boat at no cost, if I'm correct stratos is owned by ranger, might be worth a call.
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