Creaking Deck - Cabin Sole Shifted?

[Beneteausailor]

Originally Posted by MV Caroline

It sounds to me like the boat is flexing now. possibly a bulkhead problem. Beneteau has a proclivity for gluing bulkheads, liners and grids into their boats rather than bonding with fiberglass tabbing. Check bulkhead, floor grid, and liners for signs of movement.

I will have my inspection camera later today, but from everything I can get to and isnpect visually I have not been able to find any signs of movement. Other than the carpentry. The only other spots with some clear deflection are a few thin sections of the floor hull liner below the sole.

[Beneteausailor]

Originally Posted by Clivevon

To answer your question - No, its not common - at least not on older boats like mine. When I first read your post I thought you must be referring to your saloon floor - but no - it looks like it is your actual side deck which is creaking. How long is the warranty on your boat - if it was me, I would definitely get that looked at - its not right.

Your cabin sole boards are suddenly very tight? You havent been overtightening the rigging or anything, have you?

The boat still has a few years of warranty left on it. No, I have not been overtightening the rigging to the best of my knowledge. With in mast furling you don't really mess with that much.

[Beneteausailor]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

It is not something to ignore. Ann gets the gold prize from the manatee crew.
The tight cabin sole hatches and the deck squeaks DO seem to indicate bond failure between the liner and hull. It will take a bit of work and and a lot of time to see if this is the case. Out of the water, just too many pressure points on the hull which are not the normal ways in which water supports the hull. If you overtighten the rigging, you can stress the hull in ways which can damage things.
Take her out for a sail in strong not gusty winds. Anything moving, creaking, what about adding weight on both side decks. More flex anywhere? Anything moved?
I’ve used everything from thin paper artist tape to a laser to see where hulls flex.
Tape a few construction lasers down and aim them at some blue tape with a dot when you start...go sailing and see if the laser moves off the dot.
Hulls do flex...even steel ships. What you are looking for is non symmetrical flex.
You might locate the general area of bond failure easily but it’s difficult to pinpoint. What is moving and why dictates what to do about it.
This could be a symptom of a serious issue or a simple creak that’s merely annoying. You can do a lot of evidence gathering yourself which will help any surveyor. Commenting on possible ways to repair a more serious delamination is unwarranted at this point. Let’s see what’s moving first.
Mark and his manatee crew.

She is as quiet as it gets under sail even in strong wind. I haven't done any telemtry on how she deflects under load. As I mentioned in another response, she silent under sail. There are no squeaks I can detect. The only squeaking/weak spot is this one section which from a look at the boat design shouldn't be particularly high load. There are a couple of thin spots on the liner under the sole, but those are obviously built very thin. Other than some wood joints that are too tight, she is quiet. I haven't tested her in strong wind since this started, but next good day I'll take her out. It's too bad I don't have access to good instruments to measure it like I used to.

Thanks,
Adam

Note: She is in the water.

Edit: Also, I'm used to the idea of everything flexing (hulls, buildings, aircraft) I'm just not used to what is typical with the tolerances boats are built to. Plus, I don't know of a manufacturer that provides the acceptable tolerances, and how to monitor it in their documentation.