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Crackling deck on e-27

Marc Beroz

Junior Member
I am looking at a 1976 Ericson 27 that's for sale. It has the best looking deck I expect to ever see in a used boat. There are no cracks at all. The boat is in excellant condition & the asking price is reasonable.

There is one major concern though. When standing on the foredeck and shifting weight from one foot to another I can hear a crackling sound. This problem also is on the side decks about as far back as the chainplates. This must be separation of the fiberglass skin from the core. When tapping the deck with a screw driver handle I can hear a hollow sound more often than not. The sound changes right at the bow, forward of the rode hawse. The sound there is also hollow but the sound is one I associate more with a wet core (only my best guess). None of the deck surfaces are soft. I've been on boats where the core is wet & the deck moves like a trampoline - that is not the case here. The deck is solid. The creaking deck problem is more extensive on the starboard side than port side. There is a hatch directly over the v-berth area on the foredeck, but the hatch appears to be well bedded.

So here is my take on what I've seen - There is delamination to various degrees on the foredeck & sidedecks. I am guessing that the core in these areas is dry. If there is a wet core problem, it is limited to the very nose of the boat. If my assumptions are correct, is this boat a potential headache? I don't mind ordinary maintenance, but I do not want to be cutting decks & dealing with a delamination problem that requires repair.

My next step is to check the deck out with a moisture meter. If that works out OK, I'd get the boat surveyed.

I'd appreciate any of your collective wisdom.
Thanks for your help. Marc
 

Jim Baldwin

Member II
crackling sounds

Old, dried out gel-coat makes crackling noises when you walk on it, whether you see visible cracks or not. This is probably what you are hearing and not any major delamination issues. (Kinda like walking on egg shells?)

This is not serious but just sounds awful. Unless a boat has been kept under a cover this is inevitable.

There are numerous remedies, from a complete re-fiberglass job to hi-tech epoxy coatings. I opted for the epoxy-fix but I still have a few areas that insist on crackling. (I may not have applied enough coats of the epoxy.)

The boatyard will probably tell you that the only way to really fix it, (guaranteed) is to completely sand off the old gelcoat and re-apply a new one. (Do sit down while they figure it up.)
:boohoo:
 

Martin King

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
Marc,
I agree with your assessment. The boat most likely
has a relatively dry core with seperation of the
top skin in various areas. I've seen this occur
particularly around areas that have plywood
sandwiched in. If the deck otherwise seems sound,
you are probably looking at injecting epoxy to cure it,
nothing more. Pay particular attention to the core
up in the bow, as replacement of some core up there
is pretty common in a boat of that vintage.

Martin
 

Marc Beroz

Junior Member
I decided to walk away from the boat. I may be able to fix the problem with epoxy injections or the problem may be much worse. I've been on boats with creaking decks & know I wouldn't want to live with those sound effects even if there was no immediate need for repair. As you often hear - There are lots of boats out there. You just need to wait for the right one to come along. So I'm still looking for an Ericson 27. If any of you know of one in the Northeast, please let me know. Thanks. Marc in Connecticut
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
trying to understand the problem

Why is delamination a concern? If nothing is done about it, what are the pitfalls? If the repair entails injecting epoxy, doesn't the hydraulic pressure of the injection create further delamination? I'm trying to figure out if I should be worried about my E27...or if I can just relax and go sailing.
Please advise ???
thank you for any comments.
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
Marc,
If you are interested there is a '73 or '74 E27 for sale here in RI. It belongs to a guy that works here www.marineconsignment.com IIRC, he is asking $5000.00 I have only looked at the boat quickly but it seems pretty decent given the price. Its sitting in the consignment shop yard. Let me know if you want me to take a closer look for you. RT
 

NateHanson

Sustaining Member
Why is delamination a concern? If nothing is done about it, what are the pitfalls? If the repair entails injecting epoxy, doesn't the hydraulic pressure of the injection create further delamination? I'm trying to figure out if I should be worried about my E27...or if I can just relax and go sailing.
Please advise ???
thank you for any comments.

It's a concern because it compromises the rigidity of the deck structure. A laminated deck is like an I-beam. The fiberglass layers on top and bottom are like the flanges of the beam, and the wood core is like the web. Alone, any one of the three components are very weak, and the strength of the structure depends on their solid connection. If the deck is delaminated from the core, the three layers are moving independently, and it's as though the web has been cut from the top and bottom flanges of an I beam. Each part can now bend under much less weight.

That's the basic idea of why delamination is a problem, as I understand it.
 
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