Bad paint job by boatyard

[danfoley]

Hi all,

Sorry to have to pull this discussion but in the case of an ongoing dispute it's fine to discuss the circumstances, as in the OP below, but naming companies and individuals can cause problems, not just for us but potentially for the claimant.

Dan


Hello everyone, I'm a newbie and HOPE someone out there can give us some advice.

Had our boat totally repainted last year, picked it up in July and it was beautiful. By the end of November, the paint all over the topsides had blistered and was lifting and it's deteriorating and spreading each time we see it. Boatyard now admitting it's an unacceptable paint job but they're refusing to do anything about it until they know what caused it. Our surveyor we appointed inspected the boat and stated that not enough top coat paint had been used, so it was down to application. The surveyor the boatyard appointed was so wishy washy and amibiguous, his report wasn't worth the paper it was written on. A solicitor we've now appointed wants to instruct another surveyor to produce an independent report that will determine whether we have a case for litigation or not.

We're at our wits' end now and the only thing we know for sure is that we spent a very large sum of money for a pristine paint job that has failed.

Anyone out there had a similar experience?

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Edit/Delete Message

 

[lw395]

I for one would be interested in the technicalities of what went wrong, how a good paint job can turn bad in the space of a year. And how to prevent it. Maybe an opportunity for a mag article on the perils of painting GRP? (It was GRP?). Get some input from all the paintmakers. Maybe the painters too?
Good Luck to the OP.

 

[Lakesailor]

Wise decision Dan.

 

[lw395]

I accept the decision to intervene, although I may have missed the most contentious threads.
However much of the content of the thread was fair and legal IMHO, maybe it was not necessary to lose the whole thread just some posts.
As I said above it's an issue that interest me because I've been there in a very small way and would like to understand more.

I think we sometimes need to be careful what we say on the basis of limited information, especially when questioning the competence of trades and professions. Are there better ways of moderating a thread when this line is crossed?

 

[Jim@sea]

In order to win you need to start the legal ball rolling. I would go to the Small Claims Court and sue them for the following. 1. the paint job is not of Merchantable Quality and you want ALL your money back. 2 you want damages as during this interim period you are unable to use your boat and costs.
This gets the case listed, I would get 2 surveyors reports and make sure that one of them will be prepared to go to court as an "Expert Whitness" Keep one of the reports a "secret" as if it goes to court you can "suddenly" produce it to back up the surveyor who is there with you.
When your boatyard "Admitted" that it was an-unnaceptable paint job, was it in writing or witnessed by anyone. The survay that the boatyard had done being "Wishy Washey" works in your favour.
Do you know what make of paint was used. I would contact the Manufacturer and ask for their Technical person to inspect the boat. He may spot that the primer used was wrong. I once did an expensive paint job and I used a "new" primer" recommended by my paint supplier and it reacted with the top coat. The top coat paint Technical person said it was the fault of the Primer, but I still had to take them to court.
Show you mean business, issue a summons, just remember "Time has begun to run"

 

[VicS]

Jim@Sea

You obviously missed the original thread. Unfortunately the account above is not the whole story!

Paint Co was suggested and has been involved but no help. A consultant has been employed by yard but findings not known.

Thread pulled I suspect at request of consultant .. he was named although neither yard nor paint co was named.

Suggest you leave it there or we will go down the same route as before and it'll get pulled again.