Not a happy chappy at all.......

BruceB · 12 February 2011, 15:20

Remember this
"The transom had cracked and split between the glassfibre transom rear and the internal reinforcing on the knee side right along the top edge of the transom.
I am told it wasn't any more than a few inches deep but it wasn't clear until it was ground back for reglassing.
They did it gratis, if you can call three days travelling and £350 in fuel and expenses gratis! but I was told the lightpole on the transom had caused it and warned that it had to be reinforced or removed in case it happened again.
I may not be a fibreglasser but I am an engineer and do understand stresses and don't really accept that explanation. However they were good enough to repair it and I am going to cut down the pole 14" and add a brace to the deck just in case I have further problems to save any arguments if it happens again.
It was ground back and reglassed and looks like new, time will tell it is as strong as before."

Well, its back spreading out from the engine side again. I have just mailed pictures down to Humber to see what they think. I am really not very happy at the moment considering I just spent today sticking a couple of new battery mounts and batteries in ready to start using the boat again this year.

Hopefully should get something back from them Monday to see what they say about it but it doesn't look good for Orkney in a few months, again!

Top banana · 12 February 2011, 16:34

That looks bad on a nearly new boat, Id be having some very strong talks with humber, and to sugest a light pole could have something to do with it sugests to me that they are after looking for get out clauses,
Hopefully youve noticed it early enough in the season to get things sorted early on. good luck

Poly · 12 February 2011, 16:42

Bruce,

Do Quinquari have a "place" in oban somewhere? I'm not sure what the humber-quinquari relationship is but I'd be pressing for them to get their local partner to fix it - afterall its not like you are going to get any extra confidence if the factory do it.

Ian M · 12 February 2011, 16:44

Commiserations, not a very good advert for Humber - hope you get it sorted soon.

BruceB · 12 February 2011, 17:34

When this happened last year the blame was put on the aerial pole and to their credit they did repair it FOC.
To ensure it couldn't happen again the pole was shortened by 14" and a brace to the deck welded in at the height of the transom top. There is now NO flexing unless the deck is moving as well and there is a problem there.
It is also considerably more rigid now than the A Frames they sell themselves and has little weight on the top anyway.
The giveaway here that it isn't anything to do with the pole is the fact that the crack has started under the engine again and is working its way out, its a weird fault that starts away from a cause and works towards it on the other side of a knee!
I'll wait to see what they say on monday but it is not encouraging on a RIB only coming up for 110 hours use, the engine is only coming up for its first full service!

Hightower · 12 February 2011, 18:03

The light pole excuse is pathetic! I've two 50" high light poles (2" dia tube) on my transom with no problems! With 190kg of 150 horses hanging off the back there are greater forces at work

Hope you get it sorted.

Erin · 12 February 2011, 18:25

It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like some kind of delamination between the layers of ply making up the transom. Obviously they are being held quite tightly together by the engine bolts at the middle, but any inward or outward flex caused by the engine with be pivoting over the knees and causing the greatest stresses further outboard.

sarahscottiedog · 12 February 2011, 18:29

Sad news !

That really is rubbish, and a pathetic excuse to try and blame a light pole ! what about a few horses sat right next to it !! ?? Deffinately not a good advert for Humber, and I would make sure you tell them this !!!often the threat of some negative press can help to perswade manufacturers they need to do the right thing !

Good luck in getting it sorted !

Chris · 12 February 2011, 18:42

I don't suppose you could have water ingress and with the recent temperatures the chance of expansion reopening the repair?

BogMonster · 12 February 2011, 19:45

Light pole my arrs

as pointed out above some of the A frames are just mounted on the transom and I had a light pole on my old Destroyer for a couple of years with no problems at all. Mine had the old flat topped transom though.

That's about as likely as my tubes exploding (from the inside) because I'd hit something

Mr Flibble · 13 February 2011, 12:13

Pants, I'll need to go out and check mine now.

The spilt appears to be worse at the engine side of the knee and tapers out directly above the knee where the transom is at it's most rigid. That would suggest a problem beneath where the engine sits. I assume a 90hp Suzuki is well under the max transom weight for the Destroyer (170kg from memory). The fact that the fault is on the same side as your lightpole seems convenient for them to point the finger.

alystra · 13 February 2011, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

I don't suppose you could have water ingress and with the recent temperatures the chance of expansion reopening the repair?

Bruce, that is really disappointing to say the least. Something is causing the problem and I wonder if Chris has hit on it. Could it be, even, that the wood was damp when the boat was built?

I've just looked at my transom and there's no sign of any cracking at all after ten years with, until recently, an engine within a kilo of the maximum weight and being owned and driven

by a teenager for half that time.

Until now I'd always thought of Humbers as bullet proof.

Quinquari might help - Tony Hill will know. Ardfern Yacht centre have a really good reputation for fibreglass repairs and may be able to give an independent assessment.

Hope you can get it sorted.

Tony

BruceB · 13 February 2011, 14:01

My old clubs 5.8 m Destroyer is still going strong after 14 years and it has had a 150hp 2 st and a 130hp 4 st in that time without issue.
The crack is definitely coming from under the motor and the 90hp is well within the limit for weight and power.
I lost a good bit of the summer last year stripping and putting it back together again so not very pleased I may have to do the same again this year.
I am waiting to see what the reply from Humber is before I consider anything else at the mo.

wavelength · 13 February 2011, 14:04

I cant help but think there is sommat very wrong with that boat. Saw it at IoM and it looks nothing like our 6m destroyer. I remember that you went down from the suzuki standard 19 inch pitch to a 17 to get the revs, whereas I was going the other way to a 21 to keep them down! We keep in the wot rev band even with two up going to IoM with 150 litres of fuel onboard and locally with our usual 5 people and say 70 litres of fuel. Why is your boat so much harder to drive that it needs the 17 incher, and could that be a reason for stresses that the transom ain't coping with?? With a 19 inch prop I was regularly going up to and over 6k (recommended 5-5.5k) with a 17 inch prop it would be screamin its nuts off!

BruceB · 13 February 2011, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by wavelength

I cant help but think there is sommat very wrong with that boat. Saw it at IoM and it looks nothing like our 6m destroyer. I remember that you went down from the suzuki standard 19 inch pitch to a 17 to get the revs, whereas I was going the other way to a 21 to keep them down! We keep in the wot rev band even with two up going to IoM with 150 litres of fuel onboard and locally with our usual 5 people and say 70 litres of fuel. Why is your boat so much harder to drive that it needs the 17 incher, and could that be a reason for stresses that the transom ain't coping with?? With a 19 inch prop I was regularly going up to and over 6k (recommended 5-5.5k) with a 17 inch prop it would be screamin its nuts off!

I have the standard 19" prop which is just right. Remember mine is set up for cruising rather than wavejumping and has a large double width console up front with a lot of kit on and in it for cruising in out of the way places.........
While I am obviously disappointed at the moment lets see what Humber say tomorrow first.
They may sort it quickly enough as a build defect as it so obviously is to everyone including me. Quinqari sorting it for them would be even better as they are just up the road but lets hear what they are going to do first before putting the company in the pillory and chucking tomatoes!

jambo · 13 February 2011, 15:55

Hi Bruce can only echo what the guys have said in terms of sheer dissapointment for you especially after your prelonged damage repair last year!! Can only hope you get it sorted quickly and it wopuld be good all round if Quinquari could help then that at least would better for you.
Hope everything goes ok and you are back on the water soon.
Regards
B

wavelength · 13 February 2011, 16:35

Quote:

Remember mine is set up for cruising rather than wavejumping

meaning what exactly??????????????

wavelength · 13 February 2011, 17:00

Quote:

Quote:I have the standard 19" prop which is just right

you didnt seem to think that in march 2010

Quote:

I only get 5100 WOT with a DF90

I am looking for a reason for your problem Bruce not criticising your rig. I have used Humber destroyers around the world- falklands, cyprus, greece, netherlands etc etc and have driven shedloadsa them at boat shows but have not seen this problem on any or seen one that looks like yours- I assume its tube diameter but destroyers are usually long lean beasties compared to the way yours looks. which may explain the difference in performance which may impinge on your problem.
Having said that the object of this thread is to get your boat sorted so I'll just let you get on with it!

jwalker · 13 February 2011, 17:46

Bruce there looks to be very little thickness of glass on the top edge of your transom, if any. It does look remarkably like swelling of the internal ply because of water ingress. For your sake I hope it's not bogging in there.

Bigmuz7 · 13 February 2011, 17:49

Well I'd get the tomatoes out I'm afraid, after the fact they've already had one go at fixing it, and all the lost time its cost you.

Theres something moving around in there for a reason, and they obviously havent found it, or dont want to dig too deep to find it. Poor from such a company I'd say