Ciera 2655, yr1992

[zoranB]

Hi all
What a coincidence. BOC restart, and I start looking for my new boat.
Yesterday I found 1992. Ciera 2655 with Merc 5.7. price is incomparable with prices in USA, but, for European market is acceptable.
Boat is on trailer for 2-3 years, engine is (look like) protected with some grease layer, as well as drive.
Despite sellers "sweet talk" i do not believe too much that mechanics is OK, but, hey, if something there is wrong, this is just "nuts and bolts" work. unscrew old, screw back new.

But, inspecting hull (in total in very good condition, no collision marks, de-decking...) , knocking transom, I find some soft spots- GRP deflects under finger pressure, and , even knocking by fist, sound is - dull.

Question: rot or de-lamination?
if rot, marine plywood (multilayer, vacuum bonded ,epoxy primed ) or SeaCore ? For SeaCore I read that space between GRP layer must be rot and wood free. On open boats it is not so hard to do, but in Ciera "basement" ? At the and is that foam , so superior comaopring to marine grada PW?
Also , bottom of transom platform is soft .
Question: looking on Ciera hull (lower molding) shape, and line of deck-hull joint, i do not understand does transom goes all way up to the deck , or there is a gap, to platform hallow ?

Finnaly, I see some 4x4" wood pieces, inserted between motor-mount stringer and engine leg. Like some washer, spacer. is it some kind of alert?

[builderdude]

If the mechanical are as good as the owner says than have him take you on a sea trial with the boat.
I doubt there would be delamination of the interior transom skin without any transom core rot. If I was to do it again I'd use a core materials like coosa board instead of plywood but marine plywood coated with resin is a great way to rebuild. Personally I'd use epoxy.

[zoranB]

Thank you builderdude. my problem is in fact that boat is far form watter, on trailer than can not move too much around ( government make a mess with trailer registration, so , whoever buy US boat with trailer, now can throw away trailer! or use as winter storage. total mess) . i will try to make mechanical test on the ground- as far as possible . measure compression, check basic drive functionality...
but in general, you prefer some firm core material rather than pouring ?

thank you anyway.

[builderdude]

IMO it'll be next to impossible to remove any rotted transom core material or properly prepare the surfaces without removing the inner skin. Once the inner skin is removed some ridged core material can be epoxied onto the outer transom layer.
You can view my transom repair thread to get an idea of how things are put together.

[HueyCrew]

Zoran my 90 2655 has the same wood under the engine mounts. I am thinking it is there to help in engine to drive train to stern/ transom alignment and similar to rubber, possibly reduce vibration transfer at the mating points. Much less effective than rubber isolators but the rubber would also compress more than wood.....

[zoranB]

Dave

thank you for replies. I check pictures of project builderdude done, and it looks fine, except, it takes 3 years? If I properly follow the dates of post. So far, I am still in phase of evaluation of my degree of madness, since , all logical inputs says me "NO" , but hart says -yes . Size, comfort, even price (9k$... high comparing to US market , but, USA is far away...) fits to me. Fuel consumption, storage, cost of ownership - that is on negative side. Maybe I will opt for some Capri Cuddy. But, this is my decision, and I think no one can help me in this .

Still buzzing me a sentence from one movie ( Matthew McConaughey play some boat fixer) where kid say : Oh, I like to own one of these yachts! " and older dude replays " No, you just love IDEA of being yacht owner,"

[builderdude]

Yep, big long project when ya part time boat fixin