Front crossbar advice needed!

Hi there. I’ve recently bought a twenty year old H15 and taken it out half a dozen times. After my last sail I noticed the front crossbar has a kind of tear or split in it. I’m wondering — is this something that just eventually happens? Are there any ways to repair it, or secure it so the tear doesn’t get any worse?

Disclaimer: I don't know specifics about the H15. That's a European product, no?

Also, I'm no metallurgist, but, as I understand it, it is difficult (impossible?) to weld/patch such a crack in extruded aluminum without seriously weakening the nearby material.

I do know that, on just about any beachcat, the front crossbar is the main structural component of the platform as it takes all of the downward compressive forces of the rig. It's usually of robust design, and tears/splits are not something that just eventually happen. I'd bet that the boat has gone through some type of serious trauma in the past. Further, a front crossbar failure would likely be catastrophic and fold the boat in half. That would subject many other parts (trampoline, frame components, tiller crossbar, etc.) to forces for which they weren't designed and likely lead to their failure as well.

Pictures might get you a better prognosis, but I'd be looking for a replacement crossbar. Using the boat before the crossbar is replaced could easily make matters worse.

I hate to give such bad news regarding the new to you boat. If the seller knew about the split/tear and did not disclose it, they should have their saber broken. Any chance of getting some help with repair cost from them?

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

Thanks for your reply. I thought it was probably the case that it’s a big deal! I’ll post some photos when I can. It would be useful to get an idea of what might have caused this. When I took her out most recently it was gusting 20 knots, nothing too crazy. The only difference in terms of the rigging set up was that I tightened both shrouds by one point, but the shrouds still had some slack — they weren’t overly taut.

At the very least, I would drill a small hole at each end of the crack. This will reduce the stress concentration and prevent the crack from growing.

But as mentioned already, cracks in the crossbars are not good. If it’s split near the mast step, i would say the crossbar is probably scrap. Other locations may be salvageable. You could potentially sleeve the crossbar, or rivet in a splint.

sm

Hi

I’ve uploaded a photo of the crack in the front crossbar here:

https://we.tl/b-FzwCgReCWE

Does this look repairable?

Thanks

Seems like a strange place for a crack - maybe it is right along the web for the trampoline track?

It actually doesn’t look that bad. I would drill a hole at each end as mentioned before to stop crack growth. Then probably look into welding it at some point.

sm

Thanks — yes, I can’t really make sense of why it’s cracked there …
Can I check — is there cross bar made of aluminium? And what sort of diameter of a hole would you think is necessary?
Many thanks for your thoughts on this!

I’m sure there’s probably a calculation that could be made to determine the optimal hole size, but personally, I would probably just go around 1/8” diameter. You have to make sure that the hole is drilled all the way at the end of the crack, otherwise it won’t work. You might need to inspect with a magnifying glass to find the end of the crack.

sm