Grand Soleil purchase advice / osmosis

[Tinto]

Hi All
I have my eye in a GS45 which has been on the hard for a year. So getting readings to check for osmosis is not going to be possible and putting it in the water for a week beforehand is a pointless excercise.

many suggestions as to how I can work around the problem? Is there such a thing as an osmosis indemnity insurance policy?

or other new high tech ways of determining whether osmosis has occurred?

lastly, any advice that people with experience of this boat can give would be much appreciated

TIA

Tinto

 

[savageseadog]

No boat has sunk due to osmosis as far as I'm aware, Obvious solution is to offer £10-30K less unless the vendor can offer some assurance. I would look into the history of other boats of the same type and manufacturer.

 

[Tinto]

He came back to me with a small reduction and a 5 week window to have the sale complete by. So I have walked away. Plenty other boats to chose from.

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

Clearly the OP's prerogative but two thoughts come to mind

Firstly it is not unheard of for boats to sit on the hardstanding for that amount of time while for sale and this is the first post that I can recall saying a survey wouldn't detect any osmosis issues

The consensus on this forum has been just sitting on the hardstanding wasn't going to dry out a boat much (if at all) in any case

Presumably a dry sailed boat would be off the list as well.

 

[Tinto]

Surveyors advise that to be able to test for osmosis in a meaningful way, the boat has to have been in the water for at least 3 months prior to testing. The pressure of the boat sitting in the water is required to push the water through.

What do board members who have the opposite opinion base that on? Their own expertise and experience as surveyors? Gut feeling?

 

[flaming]

How old is the boat? What is it about the boat that has you worried about Osmosis? Do GS have a history of Osmosis?

And then I agree with LG, this would be the first time I've ever heard that bit of advice from a surveyor. Perhaps one suggestion for if you come across this issue in your future boat hunt would be to contact another surveyor and ask them how they would deal with a boat that had been on the hard for a year. Just to check if your current surveyor is being perhaps overly cautious.

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

If the OP's surveyor is really saying that the only way the survey will be reliable if the boat is in the slings having been towed to the hoist by the boat yard then that is going to limit the choices somewhat.

 

[Tinto]

If the OP's surveyor is really saying that the only way the survey will be reliable if the boat is in the slings having been towed to the hoist by the boat yard then that is going to limit the choices somewhat.

I have not said that. You can’t compare a year out the water with this somewhat contrived suggestion.

 

[Tinto]

How old is the boat? What is it about the boat that has you worried about Osmosis? Do GS have a history of Osmosis?

And then I agree with LG, this would be the first time I've ever heard that bit of advice from a surveyor. Perhaps one suggestion for if you come across this issue in your future boat hunt would be to contact another surveyor and ask them how they would deal with a boat that had been on the hard for a year. Just to check if your current surveyor is being perhaps overly cautious.

25 years old. I have had two surveyors and a boat owning friend say the same thing. A year out the water will distort the figures.

Anytime I am in the marina, most of the boats are in the water and few are out of the water. So looking elsewhere seems the reasonable and sensible option.

 

[BabySharkDooDooDooDooDoo]

I have not said that. You can’t compare a year out the water with this somewhat contrived suggestion.

Post #5 was ambiguous in my mind which why I used the word IF.

While most boats are indeed in the water, it is more common to have them on the hardstanding when for sale which leads back to my observations in post #4.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Surveyors advise that to be able to test for osmosis in a meaningful way, the boat has to have been in the water for at least 3 months prior to testing. The pressure of the boat sitting in the water is required to push the water through.

What do board members who have the opposite opinion base that on? Their own expertise and experience as surveyors? Gut feeling?

Certainly the boat has to be wet for osmosis to even be possible, but I don't believe that the pressure makes any real difference (osmotic pressure is multiples of one atmosphere, pressure increase at a metre depth one tenth of an atmosphere). So they're wrong on that, and I'm with everyone else in saying they're wrong on the rest.