A bad break

[milkman]

Serial numbers:

QVVPE035E808 hull that cracked on its 3rd outing
QVVPE036E808 hull that lasted less than 20 outings before cracking
QVVPE039E808 hull that lasted 3 years before cracking
QVVPE004B808 hull that lasted 5 years before cracking

Looks like the two short-timers were made about the same time ... and the one that lasted 3 years was part of the same sequence. Might be hope for the 20-timer once I weld its crack. It has the nastiest shaped crack of the four boats though. It's going to be hard to weld. The hull that did best would seem to be an early one. Not sure what the B and E after the production number mean. The 004B808 has a different style bulkhead though and didn't come with knee pads or sidepads, where the other boats did. The 004B808 is the only one that didn't crack under the seat and it's the only one that had a floating seat--the seat had come unglued and I never bothered to do anything to fix that other than attach the seat to one of the thwarts to hold it in. In reinstalling the seat in the 3-year-old Prelude after welding, I did the same thing--no gluing, just attachment to the thwart.