Cracked Transom / Insurance Claim - Need Some Guidance

[NickN]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2008 Sea Ray Amberjack 270. I purchased the boat 4 years ago with a full haul out Marne survey that was clean as a whistle in 2021. Long story short, my engine had a complete failure and I replaced it. When pulling the engine, the mechanic discovered a crack in the transom. My insurance company sent a claims manager to review the crack. He spent 5 minutes at the boat and took 1 picture (see attached) of the crack.

After removing the leg and transom shield, it was discovered that there was rot in the wood core that was under a foot radius (around 6 inches or so of the crack). That said, the claims adjuster decided not to come back and inspect the damage itself. The second photo is from my mechanic.

The claims adjuster concluded that a collision event occurred within the last 2-5 years which cause the crack. This is convenient because my insurance policy covers damage from an impact within 12 months. Therefore, they denied my claim.

However, I have never had an impact and there has never been any signs of impacts on my boat. My boat is in the chuck year round and I haul out my boat twice a year for zincs and maintenance if needed. Mainly power washing the salad on my swim grid. I've had my bottom paint done twice since I've owned the boat and no one has seen any impact evidence what's so ever. There is no signs of impact of my leg and prop - they are both original.

I have since paid out of pocket for the repair while I awaited the decision from the insurance company. The claim was opened in late May 2024 and I just got the decision on October 6th, 2024... wild!

I have a few questions for this forum:

1. Is it reasonable to say that an impact event that would cause a crack on the transom would also show as evidence on the haul, leg, prop, etc?

2. With the transom core rot being less than a foot around the crack, how likely would it be that the salt water infiltration occurred before I purchased my boat or even within 2-5 years? Wouldn't there be more infiltration that occurred in that timeframe?

3. My research indicates that other events can contribute to a cracked transom like a poor assembly from the manufacturer.

Side Note: Everyone who worked on my boat and re-built the rotten transom area have told me that there is no sign of impact and that this crack could have occurred within 12 months of being discovered. The crack was a discovered June 5th, 2024 and the boat was originally hauled out on April 2nd, 2024. for the engine replacement.

Thank you for any feedback or advice. I plan on potentially fighting this in court.

Tight lines,

Nick

 

[scott craven]

In my opinion in order to crack the transom there would have to have been a direct strike to the outdrive.
Highly unlikely impact anywhere else would have caused it.
At 16 years old, it could have developed through aging ?

 

[Eden Island]

In my opinion in order to crack the transom there would have to have been a direct strike to the outdrive.
Highly unlikely impact anywhere else would have caused it.
At 16 years old, it could have developed through aging ?

To Scott's point, you might be able to get a professional opinion from someone in the business -- in Victoria I'd try to get someone affiliated with Quadrant Marine Institute - like Blackline Marine. You might be able to get opinions on the impact question and on the time that saltwater may have been infiltrating. A surveyor might also be able to give a qualified opinion.

 

[Pineapple Express]

I would be hiring a surveyor or even a fiberglass boat builder to inspect the boat and then contest the denial from the insurance company.

I agree that I do not think the crack is due to impact. I think the crack is due to flexing of the transom due to poor construction and deterioration of wood core. The crack appears to me like the bottom part of the stern drive transom shield was moving forward relative to the bilge drain plug. This movement would be caused by the forward thrust of the drive. An impact with a log or fixed object while moving forward would cause the drive to be pulled back and away from the hull which is the opposite direction and is not likely to cause a crack like what is pictured.

 

[Aquaholic]

Just to build you back up a bit, I do like the Amberjack series from Sea Ray. A decent sport fishing platform, but with Sea Ray grade finishings and comfort. Do you overnight in yours at all?

 

[ab1752]

If it was an impact event, it likely occurred prior to your ownership. Can you ask the PO if they indeed smoked something hard enough to crack the transom? Props and drive would have been destroyed for such damage upstream.

Is the drive original to the vessel? The serial number should be noted somewhere so it would be good to confirm.

Otherwise it is hard to say if this was an issue with the transom shield install which led water into the core, and weight of the drive + pounding of the hull led to the crack.

I think you'll have an uphill battle to recover your expenses for the transom repair to make it worth while. Was the engine failure covered by insurance? If so, I'd probably call it even and move on.

Cheers

 

[salmonkiller01]

If possible as said earlier reach out to the prior owner and see if he knows anything. If the wood is rotten I would say that started rotting years ago. If it was wet maybe less than a year.
When it rains do you get rain water in your Bildge? Fresh water rots wood quicker than salt from my understanding