1999 Grady 272 Stringer Question

[Barbender]

Hello guys.

Looking at a 99 272 that has twin 250 Yamaha 4 strokes on it. Boat is in great shape but found this on both stringers leading into the transom. Both port and starboard were the same. Transom seemed dry but I cannot help but feel this is something serious. Any thoughts from you more experienced guys? Also note the motor transom thru bolt seems to have been over tightened.

Thanks in advance.

 

[seasick]

It is a concern.
It may be structural failure or it might be freeze expansion damage due to water expanding when frozen. Was the boat in an area subject to freezing temps. I am not sure if the mounting bolt was too tight or if the core was soft.
Sticking a very thin pick or screwdriver into the crack on the stringer might give you some info on whether the transom/stringer connection is soft or solid.
A survey is probably a good idea if you want to proceed.

If you have another person and can do some non-intrusive testing, you might get a better idea of the strength of the joint by having someone look at the crack for movement while another person stands on the motor lower unit and gives it a little bouncing. The motor should be tilted up a bit just to increase the leverage.

 

[Barbender]

The boat is in Florida and always has been so doubt freezing is the issue. Good advice on next steps though, thank you.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I always recommend everyone buying a boat or any other higher dollar purchase, pay to have an independent surveyor come out and inspect the boat for them. They can get moisture readings from the hull as well as any potential soft spots, they can look over the engines, electrical and look at any potential damage the boat might have. They can then give you their opinion/value on the matter as to whether the boat is worth the asking price and more importantly, if it isn't then if you should walk away, ask less, etc. I've been around boats my entire life but admittedly don't know everything about them, and having an extra set of eyes look over the boat/trailer/motors for you is money well spent. Typically a surveyor charges between $500-$1k or so, depending on the length of the boat and what all is involved with the survey. They should be able to at least hook up to motors to do a diagnostics if they are new enough, and should be able to do things like a compression check and potentially even a leak down test. I'd consider hiring a surveyor first before giving any money to the seller, get their opinion and then go from there. I can't say with any certainty what is happening in the pictures just by looking at them, it's possible they could've been overtightened, or there could be water intrusion/damage as well. One thing to note is that in Florida, the constant heat does leave a ton of spider cracks on the outside of the boat, and there could be some settling. On top of that, Florida does get hurricanes, tropical storms and very strong winds, which can cause a ton of damage to boats that are caught up in them. I'd also check the hull number on the boat to make sure that it has a clean title, and not one that is rebuilt, etc. Here are a couple of websites for finding a surveyor, if you decide to go that route. Either way, good luck with your potential purchase.

Home - The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors

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[Hookup1]

Not good! What is that snot in the bilge?

I would be prepared to do a $10,000 transom repair. Those over-tightened bolts are actually a swelled transom from water intrusion. They don't always turn to mush but the transom/stringer bond is compromised. That is the cracks/separation you see. The stringers provide vertical support for the transom. Without support from the stringers the power of the motors will eventually rip the transom out of the boat along the outboard vertical edges of the transom. See pictures below. This boat went down and "turtled" and was recovered. I have seen several of them fail this way. I'm convinced more GW's of older vintage have compromised transom/stringers that owners find a way to rationalize what they see.



I'm planning to do the transom/stringers on my 1997 Islander 268 in the Spring.

 

[Fishtales]

Your going to have to open it up a little and see what is going on. Should be easy to see if the stringer is rotten. I agree with others, you really need to get a marine glass guy to evaluate and assess things.

 

[Late Again Grady]

Not good! What is that snot in the bilge?

I would be prepared to do a $10,000 transom repair. Those over-tightened bolts are actually a swelled transom from water intrusion. They don't always turn to mush but the transom/stringer bond is compromised. That is the cracks/separation you see. The stringers provide vertical support for the transom. Without support from the stringers the power of the motors will eventually rip the transom out of the boat along the outboard vertical edges of the transom. See pictures below. This boat went down and "turtled" and was recovered. I have seen several of them fail this way. I'm convinced more GW's of older vintage have compromised transom/stringers that owners find a way to rationalize what they see.

View attachment 31958 View attachment 31959

I'm planning to do the transom/stringers on my 1997 Islander 268 in the Spring.

I agree with Hookup. That is very similar to the way my 94 Sailfish looked. Once opened up, the transom was mostly mush and the end of the stringers were very wet as well.

 

[PointedRose]

Save your survey money for a different boat, unless there is a steep discount, and like Hookup said, be prepared to redo the transom yourself or pay the labor to someone else if you do want the boat. Maybe you can find someone to do it a little cheaper in the winter. The boat likely needs various other things addressed too (fuel tank, drain hoses, etc).

 

[Barbender]

Thank you all for the replies. Late again it sure looks similar to your issue. I have hired a surveyor for the last 2 Grady’s that I looked at and both failed for high moisture in the transom. This one was close to a friend and so he took some pictures for me. Again thanks all.

 

[glacierbaze]

It always sounds like it is said with great confidence, but how many of you would actually let every 200+ pounder who came to look at your boat for sale, stand on the lower unit and bounce up and down?

 

[Fishtales]

I'd do it myself first....

 

[Hookup1]

It always sounds like it is said with great confidence, but how many of you would actually let every 200+ pounder who came to look at your boat for sale, stand on the lower unit and bounce up and down?

Not necessary. Photo’s tell it all.

Load testing like that may not show anything. My glass guy told me ”no transoms before their time”. They are too hard to take apart. It takes time and there are signs of movement.