West Wight Potter 19

Marine Survey Adobe Acrobat

Marine Survey Unformatted

AMATEUR MARINE SURVEY

Inspector: Mark A Laughlin

Vessel: 2002 West Wight Potter

Location: Custer, South Dakota

Survey Date: September 20, 2026

General Condition

The vessel presents with a generally clean and well-maintained appearance. The non-skid surfaces are in good condition. The following observations were made during the inspection.

Hull, Deck, and Structural Components

Foredeck and Mast Step

Possible water intrusion was detected in the foredeck balsa core in the vicinity of several deck-mounted hardware fittings.

There are eight machine screws penetrating the deck immediately aft of the mast step for the daggerboard hoist turning block. Normally, this turning block relies on the mast step and compression post for its support. The additional deck-mounted hardware may indicate that the original arrangement has been modified. The area should be inspected for water intrusion, deterioration, or rot in the balsa core.

Gelcoat stress cracks were observed around the mast step. These cracks may be associated with movement, localized loading, or a possible underlying compromise of the balsa core or deck laminate. Further inspection is recommended.

Similar gelcoat cracking was observed along the leading edge of the coach house deck. This area should also be inspected for possible core deterioration or delamination.

Tapping of the coach house deck indicated a possible change in sound near the main halyard cam cleat, which may warrant further investigation for a compromised core.

Daggerboard Trunk

The daggerboard trunk has additional epoxy reinforcement around its base. This may indicate that the trunk has previously experienced damage, potentially from a hard grounding. The existing repair should be evaluated.

A proper structural repair, if damage is confirmed, would generally involve removing damaged material back to sound laminate and rebuilding the affected area with appropriate layers of fiberglass and epoxy resin.

A crack was also observed approximately midway up the port side of the daggerboard trunk. This should be repaired and the surrounding laminate inspected for additional damage.

The galvanized daggerboard itself appeared to be in good condition.

Mast Compression Post

The mast compression post has separated from the fiberglass structure securing it to the hull. This connection should be properly repaired and reinforced before the vessel is returned to service.

Transom and Motor Mount

No apparent problems were detected with the plywood reinforcement associated with the transom motor mount.

The bilge drain through-hull fitting is cracked and should be replaced. Although no soft areas were detected in the transom during this inspection, a defective or leaking through-hull fitting could allow water to enter the transom structure and potentially compromise the plywood core over time.

Rudder

The wooden kick-up rudder appeared to be in serviceable condition at the time of inspection.

Trailer

The trailer was generally found to be in good condition.

The tires showed no obvious signs of age-related cracking, although they are somewhat old and replacement is recommended as a precaution.

The wheels are equipped with bearing protectors ("Bearing Buddies"). Wheel bearings should be inspected and properly greased.

The carpet padding on the trailer rails requires repair or replaceme

Recommendations

The following corrective actions are recommended:

Repair and reinforce the mast compression post-to-hull connection with appropriate fiberglass reinforcement.

Relocate the daggerboard hoist turning block back to the mast-step support structure, consistent with the vessel's original design and rigging arrangement.

Remove the eight machine screws aft of the mast step and inspect the surrounding balsa core for moisture intrusion, deterioration, or rot. Remove any compromised core and properly fill and reinforce the affected area with epoxy and suitable structural material.

Inspect all deck hardware that penetrates the balsa-cored deck. Where the core is sound, remove the hardware, over-drill the mounting holes, fill the oversized holes with epoxy, and re-drill the appropriate-size holes before reinstalling the hardware. Any deteriorated core should be removed and repaired before the hardware is reinstalled.

Inspect and repair the daggerboard trunk-to-hull connection. If previous damage is confirmed, remove any damaged laminate and properly rebuild the area with fiberglass and epoxy.

Repair the crack on the port side of the daggerboard trunk and inspect the surrounding structure for additional damage or delamination.

Replace the cracked bilge drain through-hull fitting in the stern. Verify that the drain plug is installed and secure before launching the vessel.

Replace the trailer tires due to their age, even though no significant cracking was observed.

Inspect, clean, and grease the trailer wheel bearings.

Repair or replace the carpet padding on the trailer rails.

Overall Assessment

The boat has a generally good appearance, and several components—including the daggerboard, rudder, transom motor-mount reinforcement, non-skid surfaces, and trailer—appeared to be in serviceable or good condition.

However, the suspected moisture intrusion in the cored deck areas, cracking around the mast step and daggerboard trunk, and separation of the mast compression post from its hull attachment are structural items that warrant further investigation and repair. The vessel should be carefully evaluated and the identified structural issues addressed before extended u