GRP cracks

[Mandj]

Hi,
First post !
I’m interested in buying a 1991 Broom, however around the 3 front windows I’ve noticed there are cracks in the GRP.
I’ve been told the windows were replaced around 3 years ago and the cracks were there previously , although I’m unsure why the original windows were replaced.
Any advice on the sorting problem and the approximate cost greatly appreciated

 

[Portofino]

Too much flexing for the structure between the glass .
Insolvable problem , short of totally rebuilding the thing from the inside adding reinforcements everywhere.
Walk away .

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

I dont think that is bad as it looks. Does the boat have water intrusion inside in that area?
I would get a GRP guy and see what he says. I would also think that those hairline cracks are coming from the expanding or moving of the window frame.

 

[Mandj]

I don’t believe there’s any water intrusion,
Out of interest do Brooms’ have an ‘issue’ with flexing of the front window frames ? up to now the ones I’ve seen seem to be sturdy boats.
Many thanks for your comments.

 

[plumbob]

I don’t believe there’s any water intrusion,
Out of interest do Brooms’ have an ‘issue’ with flexing of the front window frames ? up to now the ones I’ve seen seem to be sturdy boats.
Many thanks for your comments.

Brooms are great boats and very well constructed. It's possible it's been lifted without"spreaders" at some point in its life which may have caused this damage. IMHO it's way too bad to make a sensible repair. Walk away. Good luck

 

[PlanB]

Check for water ingress at points well below the crack locations.
We had some hairline cracks high on the hull from an impact and in heavy rain, water appeared under the dinette carpet.

 

[miket]

We owned one of these and found it excellent and very well built. These cracks look most odd. Walk away and find another. Fine sea boats but we had VP 306 hp. Ford Sabres at 225 and 275 hp seemed a bit light weight. Check the flexible shaft couplings. Those fitted by Broom were a bit light weight. We had one go, with dire consequences.

 

[[164147]]

The cracks aren't terrible and assuming cosmetic could be ground out and filled. It looks to me like someone has used the screen to climb up and down.

 

[Greg2]

Whilst I get the ‘walk away’ advice the current market doesn’t provide too many options so here’s my tuppence worth….

We have had two Brooms and they were built locally to us so we are very familiar with them. They are well built, quality boats, particularly the older ones so that is a good starting point.

A key thing to establish is whether they are cracks in the gel coat or in the GRP as well. The former are quite common on boats because GRP flexes whereas gel coat is brittle so such cracks are more of a cosmetic issue as opposed to being of any structural significance.

The location is a little unusual so I would want to have them properly looked at by a GRP specialist to establish exactly what the problem is and to get a quote for a proper repair., which may involve removal of the windows. That could form the basis of negotiations on price if you still want to buy the boat.
.