Buying a boat with Osmosis, Y/N ???

[Brabs70]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for some advice on a westerly Corsair, in-mast furling, so i have been offered the corsair for 26k after some negotiation, this is the specs, All taxes paid. UK Reg. In mast main.(fair) 2xGenoa(good) almost new Yankee. New electronics 2024. B&G. Ais. Hydrovane. Ram auto pilot. Electric Lewmar winches in cockpit x2. 4 more winches in cockpit. New dect tread 2025. New fridge 2024. Freezer. New bateries 2024, 1x start and 3 house 330ah. 650W solar +2x30A MPPT's. 2x heads. Front and aft cabin. Electric winlas. BBQ. water maker, new tv. 3000W inverter. 1000W generator. Vectron charger.

So my issue is, she has a few blisters size... 10-15mm.(and smaller) Wide spread mainly aft, as you can see she is kitted out for offshore cruising, but the question is, do i buy or not, please give me your honest opinions, if i buy obviously a full survey will take place, i have added some pictures,

 

[Minerva]

That’s a lot of boat for the money! I’d be snapping their hand off

 

[fredrussell]

…So my issue is, she has a few blisters…

Do your research online re osmosis treatment. ‘Refit and sail’ on YouTube has a good explanation of treatment and a full series on him treating an ‘osmosified’ boat of a similar size and age to this westerly.

 

[Brabs70]

Do your research online re osmosis treatment. ‘Refit and sail’ on YouTube has a good explanation of treatment and a full series on him treating an ‘osmosified’ boat of a similar size and age to this westerly.

Will take a look

 

[Tranona]

Presumably that is not in the UK. If it is in the EU then it may be EU VAT paid status depending on where it was on 31/12/2020. If it is outside either territories then the "all taxes paid" is meaningless. Probably one of the reasons it is not much more than half the price of a similar boat in similar condition in the UK is because it cannot be brought into either territory without importing it and paying VAT. Whether you buy it depends on your plans. If you intend ocean cruising and not bringing it to Europe then it may be a good buy. Registration is irrelevant. If you have more on the provenance - its past history of changes in ownership and where it has been you might be able to work out where you can use it.

Osmosis blisters are common on these boats and not a reason for rejecting it. Plenty of material available as already suggested to help you understand how to deal with it and keep sailing.

 

[Brabs70]

Presumably that is not in the UK. If it is in the EU then it may be EU VAT paid status depending on where it was on 31/12/2020. If it is outside either territories then the "all taxes paid" is meaningless. Probably one of the reasons it is not much more than half the price of a similar boat in similar condition in the UK is because it cannot be brought into either territory without importing it and paying VAT. Whether you buy it depends on your plans. If you intend ocean cruising and not bringing it to Europe then it may be a good buy. Registration is irrelevant. If you have more on the provenance - its past history of changes in ownership and where it has been you might be able to work out where you can use it.

Osmosis blisters are common on these boats and not a reason for rejecting it. Plenty of material available as already suggested to help you understand how to deal with it and keep sailing.

Hi Tranona

Thank you for your reply,
My intention would be to bring it to the Caribbean in the near future — the plan is to use it for offshore cruising, so VAT status isn’t a deciding factor at this stage.

I agree on the pricing point as well — being outside those markets clearly affects value, which is part of the appeal from my side.

I’m currently trying to build up a clearer picture of the boat’s provenance and ownership history, just to understand where it’s been over time.

Also agree on the osmosis — from what I’ve seen and read, it seems fairly typical for boats of this age and something to manage rather than a reason to walk away.

Appreciate your input.

 

[Concerto]

The price for the boat is very keen for one of these. The condition of the interior woodwork is showing signs of lots of wear. This is not expensive to solve. Westerly used a 2 pack lacquer, not varnish. On my Fulmar I stripped my woodwork back to bare wood and recoated with 3 coat of the original lacquer. I made a PowerPoint presentation on how I started this. I should mention I changed the stripping from a cabinet scrapper to 1½" chisel sharpened on a small diamond grinder and using the burr. The lacquer is quite soft and easy to remove. I did the whole boat in stages of stripping and immediately refinishing immediately. You would need 10 litres and this should cost about £140 including 5 litres of thinners.

https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/2/25/Interior_Woodwork_Concerto_PowerPoint.pdf

 

[Brabs70]

The price for the boat is very keen for one of these. The condition of the interior woodwork is showing signs of lots of wear. This is not expensive to solve. Westerly used a 2 pack lacquer, not varnish. On my Fulmar I stripped my woodwork back to bare wood and recoated with 3 coat of the original lacquer. I made a PowerPoint presentation on how I started this. I should mention I changed the stripping from a cabinet scrapper to 1½" chisel sharpened on a small diamond grinder and using the burr. The lacquer is quite soft and easy to remove. I did the whole boat in stages of stripping and immediately refinishing immediately. You would need 10 litres and this should cost about £140 including 5 litres of thinners.

https://wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk/images/2/25/Interior_Woodwork_Concerto_PowerPoint.pdf

Hi Concerto,

Thank you for your reply, very good presentation you have put together, if i decide to buy, i will tackle the interior, my main concern is buying the boat with Osmosis, if i do buy her, it will be a long term thing, so not really concerned about the re-sale value