Which boats have cored bottoms?

[500DA]

I am looking at purchasing a 1995 500da. I understand Sea Ray began using balsa cores in 1995. Does anyone have a resource to determine if a boat bottom is cored by hull number?:huh:

 

[gwa348]

I just emailed Sea Ray customer service about the same thing. They wrote me back within 24 hours and answered my question. Very helpful

 

[500DA]

I emailed them yesterday, I guess my ADD wants an answer sooner. Thanks.

 

[tobnpr]

Chances are, based on the year and model, probably cored...

 

[Pietro]

What about the current boats? Have they solid bottom, finally??

 

[katricol]

coring isn't a problem if done right..sounding the hull will tell if all is ok...ric

 

[500DA]

I have concerns because upon initial inspection there are soft spots on the foredeck. It is safe to assume if they had problems sealing the deck that the same problems may turn up in the hull. The hull survey will have to be very thorough. The deck can be repaired fairly easily, not cheap, but not a deal breaker. I am still waiting for a clear answer as to whether this boat has a cored bottom or not. It will be a much easier decision if it turns out it has a solid bottom.

 

[fwebster]

Your assumptions are not correct.

The problem with moisture in deck cores comes directly from bad seals of the bedding compound. Everything put on the deck is bedded with either silicone or polyurethane. The seal eventually breaks down and water leaks in.

The coring used in hulls is completely sealed inside the fiberglass structure, unless someone has added a transducer or thru hull for some reason. Other causes for hull cores getting wet are physical damage caused by hitting an object and puncturing the hull or hitting a piling or other above the waterline obstruction hard enough to damage the structure followed by an improper repair.

Just because a boat has a cored hull is no reason to avoid it. You do need to have a qualified surveyor both sound the hull and take moisture readings in a grid pattern to determine if the hull is wet. If it isn't, then hull coring isn't a valid reason to pass up an otherwise sound vessel.

If your boat was produced in either Sykes Creek or Palm Coast the chances are that the hull is cored.

 

[500DA]

The boat I am looking at was built in the Palm Coast plant. I understand it is less likely that the hull coring has been compromised compared to the deck, but it only takes one careless installer/repair guy to start the process. An unsealed screw to attach a bilge pump/float switch, bad seal around a through hull fitting etc. I am not necessarily going to run away, just be more cautious and diligent in my pre-purchase inspection/survey. I am still waiting on the final word from Sea Ray as to whether this hull was cored or not.

 

[fwebster]

Most boats, I don't know on the 500DA, but most Sea Rays have a solid pad(s) in the bottom for mounting intakes and transducers. Bilge pumps and float switches are not screwed into the hull, but into a wood plate glassed onto the hull after it comes out of the mold. Even if that area were cored, the mounting screws wouldn't penetrate the hull and coring. The risk is if some boat yard without adequate knowledge has taken a short cut or easy way out and mounted a transducer in a place other than where SR intended for them to go.

 

[500DA]

Agreed, those are definitely the suspect areas that need to be closely inspected. Anyone here ever had a core rot issues?

 

[fwebster]

The only 500Da I've even heard of with a hull core problem was where the owner broke a hull vent on a piling and replaced it without using a bedding compound underneath.

This hull is an old design that began as a 480DA in about 1991. By the mid 90's Sea Ray had worked out any design problems they had with the hull.

 

[sbw1]

I have concerns because upon initial inspection there are soft spots on the foredeck. It is safe to assume if they had problems sealing the deck that the same problems may turn up in the hull. The hull survey will have to be very thorough. The deck can be repaired fairly easily, not cheap, but not a deal breaker. I am still waiting for a clear answer as to whether this boat has a cored bottom or not. It will be a much easier decision if it turns out it has a solid bottom.

This is the reason I switched brands. Each of my SR's had serious leaks that were expensive to fix and maintain. I gave up because of the cost of fixing them. All were brand new boats but the warranty runs out and then it is your dime. Contrary to the often mentioned argument...."All boats leak.", this is not true. I would be very leary of an older model 50 foot SR because of leaks. And then you have the issue of old diesel engines which will eventually need to be replaced or repaired at great expense.

 

[tobnpr]

And then you have the issue of old diesel engines which will eventually need to be replaced or repaired at great expense.

I'm trying to understand what point you're trying to make with this statement.
All engines need to be replaced at some point. Usually, gas engines become scrap iron looonnnggg before diesels.

Are you saying that 14 year old diesel engines are so old that overhaul or replacement is imminent? My engines are as old as my marriage, and thankfully, both operate as new. The Detroits could be ready to blow up, or they could have thousands of hours left before overhaul. Only the surveyor will have a clue. Anyone that owns a diesel boat knows the possibility exists for major and expensive repairs that can easily cost more than a new gasser. However, that can happen with a two-year old engine just out of warranty or one that's twenty-four years old like mine.

 

[sbw1]

I'm saying that if the engines need work because of lack of proper maintenance the cost of doing the work could be equal to the cost of buying the boat. Diesels are a lot more expensive to repair or replace than gasoline. My neighbor repowered his Bertram a few years ago and the cost was what he paid for the boat when it was new 20 years earlier. Another friend repowered his Hatt with pretty much the same experience. Both owners took very good care of their boats, were the original owners and got good service from them. We are talking about a used SR in this thread with an unknown maintenance history. The boat may be fine. Then again it could turn out to be a very expensive boat to own.