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Old 16-12-2009, 05:42   #1
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Exclamation '75 Ericson 27 - Creaking Deck

Hi,
My mom and i are looking for a good liveaboard boat. The Ericson 27 has come around and we are looking at it as a viable option. There is one for sale for a good price and has so many things we want-no holding tank, marine ac..9' beam etc.

The problem is that the guy said when he stands on the tip of the boat above the Vberth the deck creaks (deck delamination?). Should we be concerned about this? We plan on having a survey done but im wondering if this could turn into a big problem in the future. Will the deck continue to rot if it already has some deck rot?

Does anyone have any information on where the wood is located exactly in the deck and what problems this could cause.

Thanks so much again for help in my pursuit for my moms perfect liveaboard boat.

Danielle
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Old 16-12-2009, 06:04   #2
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Creaking alone does not mean much. Could be many reasons for that. A good quick test is to lightly tap the deck from the outside with the plastic handle of a screw driver. If the sound id sharp and crisp you are good, if it dull and hollow you have trouble. After that the surveyor should be able to tell you a lot more.

No holding tank? May not be legal once again consult the surveyor on this one.

Good luck

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Old 16-12-2009, 06:26   #3
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I own a 1973 Ericson 37 and have just completed replacing the deck. On that size boat it is a monster job to tackle by yourself and (I assume) very expensive (probably more than the cost of the boat) to have done at a yard. The boat was constructed with a balsa core deck and there were several design flaws that allowed water to penetrate. Once it does, the area turns to black pudding and provides no support for the laminate. I had to replace around 90% of the deck as well as the cockpit and several bulkheads. This issue is not limited to my boat as in 1987 the owner of a sistership advised me that he had had to replace the entire deck. I can't say anything about Ericson 27 - my boat was built as a race boat in its day and the Ericson 27, as a production boat may have had thicker laminates to protect the core. However, that I suspect it may not be uncommon for boats of any manufacture of that vintage. If you Pull a fitting in the area or us a moisture meter you can probably tell. A surveyor with a good ear can probably tell a lot just by tapping with a hammer. Good luck.
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Old 16-12-2009, 09:16   #4
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Cracking means something is wrong. If the deck is cored, then delamination might be the reason. Look for a healthy example of the same design instead.

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Old 16-12-2009, 11:24   #5
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It's really no big deal.......

I wouldn't worry about it, if it bothers you fix it yourself or hire it out. Replacing wet core is easy and inexpensive, there is nothing to fear about wet core.

Here I am re-coring the transom of our 61 footer. It took 3 weekends and maybe $300 in supplies.



Finished results, not perfect but good enough for a season prior to repainting the whole shebang.

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Old 16-12-2009, 11:32   #6
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I would not worry too much about it either. It's not like you are going to put your foot through it. It just happens with many older boats. Usually its more of a nuisance than anything structural that you have to worry about. You could always add a few stringers under it if it bothers you.
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Old 16-12-2009, 11:35   #7
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I wouldn't worry about it, if it bothers you fix it yourself or hire it out. Replacing wet core is easy and inexpensive, there is nothing to fear about wet core.

Here I am re-coring the transom of our 61 footer. It took 3 weekends and maybe $300 in supplies.
Nice work Joli.
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Old 16-12-2009, 12:40   #8
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barnakiel A cracking or creaking noise does not always mean something is wrong. Fiberglass can do that sometimes. I had a Contest 25 that always made cracking noise underfoot when walking the deck. I owned that boat for 27 years and nothing ever came of it. To declare a boat no good because of a noise is plain silly. Thats not to say you should not do further investigations but get all the facts before just walking.

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Old 16-12-2009, 13:17   #9
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Thanks David, done a ton of it. I love wet balsa, it paid for a chunk of college.

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Nice work Joli.
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Old 16-12-2009, 14:09   #10
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Thanks so much for all your advice. it really is helpful. It seems like a good boat, and we are going to get a survey done it, i'll let you know how it goes.
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Old 16-12-2009, 14:37   #11
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barnakiel

A cracking or creaking noise does not always mean something is wrong. Fiberglass can do that sometimes.

To declare a boat no good because of a noise is plain silly.
A cracking noise in a sandwich area is indication of possible delamination. A boat surveyor in place will confirm the actual reason and may be able to indicate the approximate cost of repair.

Indeed it would be silly to declare a boat no good because of a noise. Unless the noise is caused by stepping on delaminated sandwich area.

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