Hi all,
there's this shiny new boat in my club (20') which (wins) races regularly. It sat next to mine on the beach, so I had plenty of time to check it out while doing my countless repairs...
I noticed there was quite some crazing and a visible depression around the beam bolts (rest of the boat is clean as a whistle). The beams are all carbon, as is the rest of it wherever possible. I had thought about warning the owner, but I'm just a beginner and have no idea if this could be normal for that type of boat. Didn't want to come across as a clueless "know-it-all" moron...
Then I read this thread by Erice on his nacra dolphin striker, where someone asked if he had compression tubes. Judging from the depression on the beams on my neighbors boat, maybe his are missing or too short? Am I just paranoid, after all, it's plain to see so the owner should be able to judge for himself...

Dennis

what kind of boat is it?

You could just say one the beach one day - "hey dude, I noticed your beams have depressions on the beam bolts... is that normal?"

That way you don't come off looking like a dick.

Jake, its an Eagle 20.
Undecided, these guys get a lot of time on the water, but I always seem to miss seeing them in person! (that says a lot about how much time I get to spend on the water)
Dennis

just because they sail all the time doesn't necessarily mean they pay very close attention to the boat. Most would and do, but some people are reactive instead of proactive when it comes to maintenance on their boats.

There are a lot reason for gelcoat to crack, that do not indicate a problem. However if the cracks extended more than the thickness of the head of the beam bolt outward from the edge of the beam bolt, I would want to know why.

Carl, these cracks extend way beyond that. It looks like they have been overtightened. I'd suspect the beam bolts have no internal bracing, but that almost sounds crazy to me. I'll see if I can't trace their e-mail address or telephone number and give them a call. I wouldn't want anything to happen to them or their boat that could heve been averted. I'll risk making an butt of myself...

if there is one place in the world that i would not want a dodgy beam connection its your coast!

there was a boat at our club that,i noticed, had something seriously wrong with its rigging [I can't remember what]. i left a note on a piece of insulation tape across the deck to warn the owner.

TeamVMG, you are right, caught in the wrong place at the wrong tide with a broken beam means your boat gets sucked through an 800m long boat shredder we have adjacent to our club...
Google maps
Good idea, that sticky tape!

I was able to find the owner's phone number and gave him a call. It turns out he already repaired it himself. There was a void between the beam carbon "skin" and the original internal reinforcement web.

Thanks everyone,
Dennis

Ps: edited (url)