Trapper 400 and fracturing of the deck

[1114C]

We are, at last, going ahead and getting a boat for the new season and we have found one which looks ideal. However there is a potential glich in that there seems to be a design fault with it, as described in a website of the boats previous to current owners:

"One of the principal differences between the Trapper 28 and the 400 is that on the 400 the main bulkhead has been brought aft making room for a heads/ hanging locker ..................... The downside of all this is that the mast step is no longer supported directly by the goalpost beams forming the doorway in the bulkhead and the balsa cored deck is consequently prone to fracturing at that site"

Does anyone know if this problem is enough to prevent purchase really being a good idea or are there simple solutions that can be done to make this problem negligible?

Would be very grateful for any input from any other owners

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Our last boat was an Atlanta 25 from which unbeknown to us and missed by our surveyer) the previous owners had removed an interior bulkhead. The mast step split on a trip to the Isle of Man and the mast nearly came through into the cabin, not funny! The bulkhead in question didn't support the mast directly but worked in tandem with the forepeak bulkhead.

A decent surveyor should be able to give you the right advice, we ended up having a compression post fitted under the mast step which did the job but cost 800ukp!


Regards,

Peter
http://www.mistressofmourne.com