Split Hull

[moosehead]

Well as mentioned in SlowPoke's post i have a boat with a damaged hull, it is a Legend V151 Viper. The lower crack where there is a structural rib had been previosly repaired with some kind of cold weld epoxy (the grey stuff in the pictures) which failed and opened up even larger while fishing this weekend. Also there is a new crack that also happened this weekend just above the other one, it is right in the middle of the flare out at the connection between the bottom and side of the boat, this one is approx 2' long. I did not hit anything with the boat but there was a light chop on the water

 

 

 

Looking for info and advise on what i should do, can this be repaired?

[Cast-Away]

Moosehead; send Wayne (Irishfield) a PM and ask for his advice. Nobody here knows more about metal then Wayne.

[fliptheslop]

That can be repaired, either welded or brazed most marinas should know of a place, even a good welding shop could point you inthe right direction

[bpsbassman]

Ken,

Cast-Away is definitely right about Wayne (which we already discussed), but I'm not sure what he can do about that nasty 2 foot crack.

The other place that was recommeded to me was Grumpy's Marine. He does all the warranty work for many of the manufacturers (that is where Mike's boat is right now).

Whether Wayne can fix it or not, he can certainly give you excellent advice either way.

Let's hope that its not as serious as it looks.

Keep us posted.

[bigfish1965]

The hulls of Legends are guaranteed for life... did you take it to a dealer?

[irishfield]

I'd track the sum bi atch that sold it to your down. The boat was cracked before you got it....

 

Problem with trying to weld that is setting your boat on fire...since you probably can't get at the back side of it to see if foam/fuel tank/wiring is right behind it...that and it will just crack again beside the new weld anyhow.

 

I've got to get back to the shop...will reply to your PM tonight Moose.

 

..and are you saying that new crack is 2 FEET long or 2 inches?

 

Forget that, looked at pictures....holy #$(#((

Edited May 6, 2007 by irishfield

[Cast-Away]

Moose; Outside of talking to Wayne, you really should contact a Legend Dealer; preferably the one in Innisfil since they do warranty repair work outside of the Sudbury head office location. Did the person that you purchased the boat from give you the warranty paperwork? There is a declining warranty that is good for about 10 years. The crack on the splash rail looks more serious then the one on where the rivets are. It looks like a stress crack.

[moosehead]

The inside of the boat where the cracks are is accessable no gas tank or wires there, there is foam under the wood floor though.

 

 

The warranty states that it has a leakproof for life main hull seam warranty and 10 years on other hull components. This is to the original owner and does not transfer to secondary owners.

[bassjnkie]

The hulls of Legends are guaranteed for life... did you take it to a dealer?

 

Find out about the warranty. I have a feeling it is for all welded hulls only, not the rivit type.

 

Hope you can fix that, it's nasty.

 

 

Daniel

OCH

[SlowPoke]

The inside of the boat where the cracks are is accessable no gas tank or wires there, there is foam under the wood floor though.

The warranty states that it has a leakproof for life main hull seam warranty and 10 years on other hull components. This is to the original owner and does not transfer to secondary owners.

 

I think you're right about the warranty to the original owner. When I asked you on Sunday if you knew the original owner, I was thinking you could ask him to put it through under his name.

 

As I mentioned, I think it could be welded from the inside. I think the metel is weak there from being stretched over the form to create that chine. Welding from the inside could fill that cavity but might make the next bend prone to cracking (beside the weld as Wayne mentioned). Because it is accessable from the inside it at least makes it easier for a repair estimate. You might have to remove the floor and some of the foam for the actual repair but since aluminium cools so quickly when welding I don't think you'll have to tear everything out.

 

Another possibility would be an epoxy repair. West System Epoxy is expensive but a terrific product. You may be able to fill the cavity with thier two-part epoxy with a fiber filler mixed in over glass or carbon fiber tape. This may be a good fix for you... done in a weekend and give it a week to cure. I love this stuff but ask someone with a lot more experiance about it's bonding ability with aluminium.

http://www.westsystem.com/

 

-Brian

[jedimaster]

There is a DIY solution that you can try. There is a welding product that you heat the crack with a propane torch and then rub it on. It works really well on aluminum.

Its hard to find though. Better to get it repaired professionally though.

[misfish]

Sorry to see your bad fortune,but Legend hulls are one of the worst on the market.

[Dondorfish]

Wow that looks nasty! Did you check with your insurance company - it might be covered - then its their problem to make it right.

 

 

Don

[bigfish1965]

Sorry to see your bad fortune,but Legend hulls are one of the worst on the market.

Not at all, misfish. The hull in this thread is made by Smokercraft and is an excellent product. This damage would appear to almost certainly be caused by a collision.

[misfish]

Rick there are reports out there that legend hulls dont stand up to impacts like other tinnies. Guess thats how I should of worded it to be politcaly correct.

 

Although alot of boats are made by the same manufacture,they are ALL not made of the same quality.

 

I was able to run my sylvan up on a concrete ramp here and never had a ding or even a scratch.

 

And it is one of many boats made from the same manufacture.

Edited April 30, 2007 by misfish

[bigfish1965]

I had one for many years and gave it her fair share of mishaps and it never leaked once. TNT bought it from me and still has no leaks. She's 11 years old and still tight as a drum.

I've never seen anything that shows Legends had more problems (post 1992) than any other make. There are likely more Legends out there than pretty much any other maker (in Ontario), so you will hear about more stuff.

The great hull is what made me buy a smokercraft this time around.

[misfish]

There are likely more Legends out there than pretty much any other maker (in Ontario),

 

Thats because they are sold cheap and under powered.

 

Try and buy a crestliner or a lund for 12,000 dollars like Legend does. QUALITY.

 

Im not going to keep on this and high jack this post.

[JFR]

I don't know what year your boat is, but Legend did have quality control (human carelessness) with this particular model/year, and they were/are aware. The hull warranty applies to the Original Owner Only In order to do it professionally, you will have to strip the interior to bare hull, then it can be welded and repaired properly. If you do not strip the boat yourself, you are looking at about $2,000. in labour to re & re. This is to prevent the interior from getting heated and catching on fire.

 

The previous owner probably faced this dilema, thus the DYI repair.

 

Sand down the outside of the hull to expose the crack. Then, drill a small hole on either end of the crack. Use something like, Aluma-weld it is a putty like substance. Work this into the crack with your fingers, and let it set up for 12-24 hours. Once set up, sand smooth, and use spray paint and you should be as good as.....well almost new.

 

Good luck

 

John

[fishinfool]

I have done some work on boats in the past with a product called Devcon, Google it and see what you think.

Failing that, two patches of aluminum Tig welded from the outside and the inside so that it sandwiches the bad area would work just fine, make the outside patch one inch bigger and weld it first, then weld the inside patch with a good solid weld.

Use utility grade aluminum, it stands up to stress well.

There are many grades of aluminum, make sure you get the right one.

Do you know anyone with a Tig machine, I could do your welds but I no longer have the equipment to do it.

 

SS

[glen]

But why did it crack????? What is putting stress on that area?????? If you repair the crack it may just crack in a new spot like it already has.

 

Must be some cheap crap aluminum to do that.

 

Sorry but that is a mess.

[Greencoachdog]

Can you say Titanic??? If I was going to have a nightmare about a crack in the hull of my boat, it would be one like that! I agree with Wayne, your hull was cracked when you bought it. If you'll open it up on the inside, I'm sure you'll find some kind of half-ass quick-fix job... probably silicone caulk or some such crap. You need professional help with this one.

[glen]

The Titanic got a hole because of ice. This boat looks like it didn't hit anything.

[irishfield]

Look at the original crack...it HIT something, or wore thru while tied up rubbing a rock or damaged dock. The new crack above it is fatigue.... from the original cracked spot not doing it's job of forming the angle/adding stength to the hull. Was the old crack evident when you bought the boat Moosehead?

 

Suggestions of JB Weld, or any other paste/glue/hocas pocas are not going to cut it. Fix it right...or not at all. You and your family/friends lives could depend on that repair.

[Greencoachdog]

The Titanic got a hole because of ice. This boat looks like it didn't hit anything.

 

The Titanic sank because of a gash on it's side, not too much different than this one.

 

Any name brand boat should be able to withstand a light chop or a heavy chop!!! This boat was damaged before it started leaking this time... I'll bet any amount of money that the "light chop" just broke the seal on the half-ass fix job that was used to sell the boat.

[moosehead]

I do not know what caused the crack, had it out on Sunday in a 2 foot chop but surely the boat is capable of handling that and more. There is a slight possibility that the lower crack was there when i bought it, I noticed it after my first outing and tried to fix it with a cold weld epoxy. The larger crack in the splash rail opened up on Sunday. Would a product like this work?