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Hey All,

I am witts end. I have sunk a truckload of money into my Virage with re-do and paint etc, I never wanted to lose the splashwell, I went out last week it was a little rough but nothing nuts came back in and the same crack appeared in the same location on the corner splash well, I have the transom reinforced with tie bars using 1" sold AL. rods and 5/8 Stainless end links to a 3" U-channel across the transom and fastened to the deck with 1/4" al plates above and below the deck. I have had the cracks repaired twice but they still come back last time the removed all the material in those areas re-attached the wood and re-gelled it but it still cracked this is with a 10" bob's plate and basically a stock 200 merc. I really want to put an a 3.0 litre on it, but if I cannot get these fixed I will not chance it. Any thoughts. Thanks, Dave

Something's flexing somewhere to cause it. How far did you go with your "re-do and paint"? Core replaced? Are there transom knees, or is that required on a mod vp hull.... Just throwing ideas out there, you must have a weak point somewhere!

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Metal reinforcing can't do a fraction of what solid laminate can achieve for strength. Ya need to find a really good glass guy (not so easy), and be prepared to spend big. There are no shortcuts or easy fixes when building a bullet proof hull. Properly repaired, you'll be able to drive that thing for 20 years with a 3 liter on it.

Hey Dave, didn't know you were into Streams too. Post some pics of your hull and the damage. Been a few years since I've seen you on the water.
Joe

HI Joe,

OH Yes, my first boat was a Vector and I learned to drive boats in a vector with a 2.6 GT on it. Those were the days. We used to frequent Jim Tucker all the time when he was doing Cdn editions. Visions, VooDoo etc, actually I got to water test the voodoo with the prov 50 on it with Jim when they had just completed it. I have not much Time to race, the business is booming and I lost Brad to Cancer in Dec so I have been alone this summer to handle all the work and run the business. Keegan won D-mod at the nats if you were not there with the 1st D-mod engine I did for them, I hope they had Video.

I still have a complete original 1976 Vector ALL original and solid as the day it was new, I am the third owner of the boat, it was bought new in Rhode Island with a 150 L6 sat in a boat house all it's life used about three times a summer and lifted out of the water after every use, I was planning on restoring my 150 XS and putting it on the back, I actually have the L6 150 that came on the Vector as well, it looks like the day it came out of the box.

Onto the splashwell, Ron Pratt sent me some ideas to try if not I will be deleting the splashwell and moving the gas tank to the floor and installed knees and a structural brace across the back bedded and glassed in. Thanks for the insight guys. I was expecting my new todd bucket seats today but Cardinal couriers has conveniently lost them. How nice. I will post some pics later.

I cannot post a link here for some reason so if you google scottcraft virage there is a page with all the pics of the resto and paint. It is imron black and white and then the blue matches my 2004 Silverado SS Arrival Blue.

rgds,

Dave

I've seen that boat for sale a few times lately. To be honest, if I was looking at it and saw those big braces over the splash well I'd run. It makes it look like there's a weak spot. Ron is the man when it comes to these hulls, you can take his word as gospel lol.... Good luck, I'd love to see it on the water! Probably my favourite HS hull!!

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I wish I had something better to say, but this repair is cosmetic only (and not very good) and I would have expected the cracks to return immediately.



With the brown stuff weeping from the holes, I suspect the boat needs a transom

Yes that was the first time they repaired it, The 2nd time they went right into the area re-glassed and gelled the corners but yes it was a patch the first time. I was willing to put a transom in it, they took a core sample and said it was fine and the wood around the holes is not rotten. I pulled the jackplate bolts tight and they did not sink at all into the transom. Most Virages I have seen have transom reinforcements installed pretty near identical to the ones I have on mine hence where I got the idea.

yes I have the boat for sale for a while. But now that I have started driving it more I have reservations about I will not sell it without it being repaired properly I know that.

I have to agree on needing a transom, a properly installed and glassed in transom you would not have the stress cracks and would hold up to a much larger power source, keep us posted

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David, As much as it hurt me, I had to cut out the splash well on a virgin hull. Stories like yours make me feel better with my decision. I used 2 layers of 1 1/16" marine 8 ply plywood. (left over shelving from a new fire dept.build). I beveled the top so I can get fiberglass right into the joint where the deck meets the transom.