Transom Cracks

[Wild Bill]

My 2004 SE has 800 hours on it and has been perfect. There is nothing I have had to fix or ask the dealer to fix. The boat is towed long distances and of course the F225 is a heavy motor. I tow with the motor tilted just high enough to clear the bottom of the boat, not straight out.

Withing six month I started noticing fine cracks in the gel coat in the corner where the transom meets the deck. There are also some around the battery boxes in spots. The cracks now extend nearly the entire way across the splash well section of the transom and deck. The cracks are very narrow and have not gotten wider over time.

I asked my dealer how I would know if this was a serious crack and he said that the crack would widen. It has not. He also said the cracks occur in the corners because the gel coat pools up there and is thicker. I would also think there is loads of stress during towing when bumps are hit. I tow to Montauk over the Cross Bronx Expressway and go as slow in the middle lane as I think I can, but it is really bumpy.

Do you trusty Parker owners think this is something to worry about? The boat is stored dry on the trailer. Is this structural or just cosmetic. I like my rig to look good but these cracks are small and I am probably the only one who notices them.

I was considering a fix. If I do it I was thinking of grinding the cracks with a Dremel and small burr. Fill the grove with white Marinetex for some strength. Then grinding again just a little and coating with Parker's interior gel coat. Do you think this repair will last or will the cracks just come back?

Would like to hear what other Parker owners think.

Thanks.

 

[Porkchunker]

Is the 225 on a bracket? I have twin F-115s on a bracket (combined weight of 840 lbs), and have noticed no such cracks. I tow from Annapolis to Norfolk, VA each year, which is about 4 hours one way. Road is mostly smooth.

I know they sell the 25' MV with twin F-150s, which would come in about 900 lbs combined weight...and haven't heard any problems.

Did you hit one hell of a hole somewhere along your route which would have put a lot of torque on the transom?

 

[Wild Bill]

The boat is a notched transom 23 SE w/o bracket. Never hit anything and am not alarmed. The cracks are the width of a hair and have never increased in width. I think it is strictly a cosmetic gel coat situation. My 21 SE did the same thing and I had it four years. Water never seemed to go anywhere. I think they are very shallow cracks. The transom and boat will outlive me. I was just wondering if others have them and if anyone tried to fix them.

 

[nelson.m]

i would fix them or seal it, water can get in and rot the transom

 

[gw204]

Agreed. If for no other reason that cosmetic, they should be fixed. But it's not an easy fix. You'll need to grind off the gelcoat and lay some additional glass in suspect areas to build strength. But, the dealer should do that cause the boat is still under warranty...