• Registered: 2006-08-30
  • Posts: 10

Topic: cracking sound in the deck

Hi folks:

I am asking for a bit of speculation here. I am considering getting a Contessa -- haven't seen the boat yet -- but the broker said there is a cracking sound in the Contessa's foredeck, about the place where the forepeak bulkhead is; I don't know more and the boat is fairly far away from me so I'd like to find out **speculate please**
- what could this mean? if it's an expensive repair?
- does it affect the integrity of the hull?

Thanks. NEKO

  • Registered: 2005-03-25
  • Posts: 19

Re: cracking sound in the deck

Mine had the cracking sound and it turned out to be a bad bulkhead with rot on the bottom.   The bottom inch and a have had no substance and was effectively no longer attached to the boat so when you walked on the deck or cabin at that point it would flex down.  The bulkheads are actually relatively easy to change since they are screwed in instead of glassed in as in other boats.  I ended up replacing my aft bulkeads with a beam and posts to open up the interior of my boat.  I then installed a stove with oven on the port side where the hanging locker was and am going to install a nav table where the head was( head will be moving into the v-berth area).  So pay close attention to the bulkheads when you view the boat.  If they are solid, then you may have delamination problems in the deck.

John