Bow Pulpit Fiberglass Cracks...

[Tinny]

Hello Everyone,

I have a 2007 282 Sailfish which I purchased in 2019. The surveyor noted gelcoat cracks across the bow pulpit but said the pulpit was solid and that it was of no concern. The previous owner must have got the anchor stuck somewhere and tried to force it out as the boat came with no anchor or rode, a brand new Lewmar winch and these cracks. So haven't paid much attention to it based on the survey and it seems firm enough to me when I stand up there. This past winter we had a prolonged cold snap and obviously the cracks allowed some water to seep in that once frozen flaked off a chunk of fiberglass (or really thick part of the gelcoat) on the starboard side.

I reached out to a recommended fiberglass repair individual in our area and sent him the picture below to get his thoughts on getting this fixed. His response troubled me a bit. In his opinion these cracks have seriously compromised the strength of the pulpit and he thinks it would be better to source a new or used original or after market pulpit. So just wondering if anyone here has has any insights, opinions, or had similar issue? And if replacing the pulpit is the way to go where can I find one?

Many thanks.

 

[PointedRose]

You could do it yourself, many posts on here for that if you search.

if I can interpret your fiberglass guy a bit liberally - he is too busy right now to take on any jobs that aren’t a few thousand dollars…I don’t know how closely he looked at it, but anyways, take a knife and stick it into the exposed wood and is it mushy or solid? Could drill a couple shallow exploratory holes (maybe from the bottom to preserve appearance) to see the same thing. Are the drill shavings mushy and smell like rot?

You’d probably rather not lose the pulpit on the water and then have to deal with it. If you fix it sooner than later, then you can preserve the skins and open it up, replace the core material, resin, reskin.

Possible to drill some holes and use a bent nail or an allen wrench in a drill to remove rotten core material then dry out (acetone may help) and then pour in, or use syringes to inject, a product like gitrot or similar. Check this article for some advice

edit: looked closer at the pictures, yeah, unfortunately it looks shot. Probably best not to use the windlass much, definitely not in certain conditions

Rot Repair in Glass Boats - The Rot Doctor

How to use epoxies to repair or replace transoms, floors, stringers and supports, engine bed mounts, wood-cored decks, delamination and other problem areas.

www.rotdoctor.com

 

[seasick]

I don't think there is a rotten core issue. I think that either the boat hit something hard or that the anchor got stuck and too much force was put on the pulpit causing it to bend and crack'

The cracks mid section worry me but not as much as what looks like a crack below that hole. I would be concerned about the integrity of the structure. Anything can be repaired but at a minimum I think the pulpit needs to be remove to conduct a structural assessment.

 

[DennisG01]

While a hard stress may have exacerbated the situation, the root cause, in my opinion, is the way all the hardware was installed initially. The holes for the screws were pre-drilled, but a chamfer was never made which means the screw threads came into slight contact with the gelcoat. That's exactly what can happen when a proper hole with chamfer isn't drilled.

However, that's a moot point. At this point, the only thing you can do is fully assess the strength of the pulpit (which of course we can't due from here!) and then decide on repair or replace. Note... if you're paying someone to repair it... it's probably cheaper to source a new or used one. There's a lot of labor involved in this.

 

[seasick]

While a hard stress may have exacerbated the situation, the root cause, in my opinion, is the way all the hardware was installed initially. The holes for the screws were pre-drilled, but a chamfer was never made which means the screw threads came into slight contact with the gelcoat. That's exactly what can happen when a proper hole with chamfer isn't drilled.

However, that's a moot point. At this point, the only thing you can do is fully assess the strength of the pulpit (which of course we can't due from here!) and then decide on repair or replace. Note... if you're paying someone to repair it... it's probably cheaper to source a new or used one. There's a lot of labor involved in this.

I agree about replacing if it will not be a DIY fix.

 

[Hookup1]

I can only talk about my 1997 Islander but Grady used some rather hard sprayed in material when constructing hatches, hardtop and bow pulpit. It's possible that that big "chip" is gelcoat over that underlying material. I don't know how the bow pulpit is cored but my hardtop had a honeycomb material that appeared to be waterproof. The strength comes from the top and bottom. With large crosswise cracks the pulpit may be snapped. Try hanging on the pulpit while its on the trailer to see if it flexes. If it flexes under the weight of a person then its too weak for bow pulpit use.

Repairs are more labor then building a new one. Unless you're prepared to DIY and open it up and inspect the coring yourself the glass guy is probably right.

As far as finding a new one or having one built - I have seen posts here. Good luck! Try these...

Bow Pulpit is Finally Here.

I ordered the bow pulpit for my 228 back in June was supposed to come with a boat shipment arriving mid August but with boat manufacturing delays it arrived this week. It doesn’t have mounting holes pre-drilled but there are dimples showing where the bolts go which is good. They supplied 3 tubes...

www.greatgrady.com

Bow Pulpit Repair

This is my second gulfstream, went from '89 to '97. The '89 required pulpit repair every year and my new '97 came needing repair. I will pull it from its slip soon and that repair will be a priority as I just ordered a Lewmar Profish 700 windlass. Anyone have a suggestion on a repair material...

www.greatgrady.com

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I admittedly don't have a ton of experience with fiberglass repairs and so forth but a few thoughts come to mind... did you only reach out to the one fiberglass guy? Might try a couple more, get some more opinions and quotes to see if they have any different opinions on the matter? Or I guess at least it couldn't hurt? Second, maybe try reaching out to your local Grady White dealer directly and see if they have any inputs or suggestions? Not sure if you're in Vancouver, WA or Vancouver Canada eh, but Jacobsen's in Edmonds is likely going to be the closest for you if you're in Washington, but there is a GW dealer just over the border in Canada if you do live up there. I'd reach out to them and see what they have to say. Lastly and probably of greatest importance, what do you do with the boat? Do you use the bow pulpit and the windlass system very much or is it more of a cosmetic/appearance thing? When looking for a 228 Seafarer for just over a year, I was hoping to find one with a bow pulpit on it because I like the look of it better than without. That being said, for my particular fishing and boating applications I don't think I'd ever use it for that purpose. My uncle's previous boat had a bow pulpit and anchor setup on it and in the 5 years or so that he owned the boat, I don't think I ever used it once. Which if that's the same with you, maybe leave it for the time being and circle back later on if you do decide you need to use it? I typically use my boat 99% of the time for trolling for salmon and then checking crab pots. I have a mooring buoy in front of my beach cabin on Whidbey Island, have the bow line attached at the bow eye and then the end attached near the captain's chair so I'll just drive up next to the buoy and attach it from the side of the boat and not have to walk up to the bow to do so. Unless I'm doing some halibut fishing or have a bunch of people on the boat, I personally rarely ever go up near the bow pulpit area.

 

[Tinny]

Thank you all for your input. I'm in Vancouver, Canada and I do use the pulpit all the time as I go up there to untie one of the ropes and deal with shore power every time I'm in and out of my slip. Don't anchor much, but would like to more in the future.

For me this is definitely not a DIY job. I do not have the time nor would I trust myself not to make it worse. I will connect with another fiberglass repair person and try to get them to actually take a look at it rather than just diagnose based off a picture. And I will also research this site and call around for a replacement pulpit as the costing may not be that much different than trying to repair.

Thanks.

 

[Halfhitch]

I wonder if there is a 3D printer that can handle a product that is strong enough to stand the forces that it would be subjected to. It would be an easy way to get an exact replica size wise. Getting an acceptable finish would probably be the biggest challenge.

 

[Fishtales]

Doesn't look that serious to me. Either fix it yourself (marinetex or glass and gelcoat). No need to replace IMHO.

 

[blindmullet]

The location looks normal for a stuck anchor but that's an odd looking defect. Simple repair overall but that's a lot of void without glass. Reminds me of the poor layup I have on my fwd deck.

I would want the underside reinforced and then the appropriate repair if it were me. Buying a new one will just give you another spring board.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I just mounted a capstan on mine and I swear there was no wood in the drillings. Seemed like foam, filler resin and glass. Only wood came from the deck as the drill went thru that.

Big chips on corners are common in the molded parts with lots of filler- like deck lids, hatches, hardtops and pulpits.

Chips are superficial. The cracks are usually superficial gelcoat cracks.

 

[Hookup1]

I just mounted a capstan on mine and I swear there was no wood in the drillings. Seemed like foam, filler resin and glass. Only wood came from the deck as the drill went thru that.

Big chips on corners are common in the molded parts with lots of filler- like deck lids, hatches, hardtops and pulpits.

Chips are superficial. The cracks are usually superficial gelcoat cracks.

It is all going to come down to what the bow pulpit is cored with. If it plywood it's probably OK for now (other than water intrusion). If it's a softer coring and the encapsulation is cracked all the way across you have a problem. Like SkunkBoat I don't think I have any wood in mine.

Drop the anchor and pull on it or jump up there and put some weight on it. See how much flex.

 

[Hookup1]

I wonder if there is a 3D printer that can handle a product that is strong enough to stand the forces that it would be subjected to. It would be an easy way to get an exact replica size wise. Getting an acceptable finish would probably be the biggest challenge.

This is a pretty big part to 3D print. You could make a mold and re-create the part. Or use a CNC router to carve one in foam and make a mold. Either way its going to be an expensive science project for a one-off. A good glass guy would cleanup the existing part, make a mold from it and layup a new one. Still going to more expensive than finding a new one - if you can fine one.

 

[Halfhitch]

Yeah, I agree, I was just musing on the subject. I have recently seen a TV show about large 3D printing and it's amazing what they are doing now. Of course a one-off item would be an expensive exercise. I did find out that for the experience person in that field, you can rent printer time for your project. That stuff is so far beyond my understanding it makes me feel kinda like a first grader again. I have pliers and chisels in my toolbox older than the young folks doing that stuff.

 

[Hookup1]

Yeah, I agree, I was just musing on the subject. I have recently seen a TV show about large 3D printing and it's amazing what they are doing now. Of course a one-off item would be an expensive exercise. I did find out that for the experience person in that field, you can rent printer time for your project. That stuff is so far beyond my understanding it makes me feel kinda like a first grader again. I have pliers and chisels in my toolbox older than the young folks doing that stuff.

I was making models for building fishing lures. Making silicone molds from the models and then casting lures. I used a "maker lab" called NexFab. Really cool place to hang out. 3D printers, 3D scanners, lathes, laser cutters, CNC routers, welding, soldering, software, 3D CAD tools.

Makerspace Philadelphia, PA | Community Workshop | NextFab

Join our community workshop offering collaborative makerspaces in Philadelphia! Join today & gain access to machinery, classes, & more. All skill levels welcome!

nextfab.com

 

[seasick]

They are making houses using very large 3D printers

Regarding the strength of the pulpit, an somewhat easy way to see if the damage is terminal is to unscrew the pulpit railing stanchions ang put pressure on the pulpit. If the pulpit moves, it has cracked all the way through.

 

[SouthFork]

I would also recommend putting weight on the end of the pulpit and see what happens before you get too worked up about this. Unbolt the bow rail and test it first.

 

[Tinny]

Here are some better pictures I took yesterday.

 

[blindmullet]

Here are some better pictures I took yesterday.

That looks terrible--that part has way to much filler/gelcoat. Reinforce the bottom and repair the top. That's just a bad part IMO.