Boat recommendation for a newbie.

Flynnbarr said:
Nice boat that one,think Byron knows all about it?
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I certainly do, she was the 1972 Earls Court boat. Same owner all her life and maintained professionally regardless of cost. I've driven her many many times and she's a delight to handle, almost as docile as a Broom 35 European.
When I heard John was selling I was sorely tempted to buy her myself. Someone is going to get a really nice boat with bags of style. I have the dinghy Freeman made for her gathering dust in my Barn. Many have offered to buy it but I want too much.
 
If I didn't already own a really nice Freeman 32, I would have been seriously interested in Ivory Gem. I used to own their first Freeman. A 30 now called Silver Gem..... now on the Broads.

What's the condition of the bottom like??? I've heard there is some osmosis? Is it "seriously advanced" or just the regular 40 year old Freeman situation?
 
Alpha22 said:
What's the condition of the bottom like??? I've heard there is some osmosis? Is it "seriously advanced" or just the regular 40 year old Freeman situation?
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I heard it's just the usual Freeman Osmosis and nothing that can't be fixed. After all she is over 40 years old. About the same age as Pheran has been wearing the same underwear.
 
It will have less Osmosis than mine :p

If you consider the way GRP is laid up, Osmosis is highly unlikely to be an issue on a heavily built boat. the worst way, you could get it skimmed, washed dried and re-Gelcoated, reckon £6-8k but it'll come back with a vengeance afterwards!!

Perhaps it's best to consider you're buying a £150k boat for £25k, and enjoy the cheap boating, knowing all you need to do is lift her out over winter every year or two, and monitor the hull.

They all have osmotic blistering at this age....
 
No Regrets said:
It will have less Osmosis than mine :p

If you consider the way GRP is laid up, Osmosis is highly unlikely to be an issue on a heavily built boat. the worst way, you could get it skimmed, washed dried and re-Gelcoated, reckon £6-8k but it'll come back with a vengeance afterwards!!

Perhaps it's best to consider you're buying a £150k boat for £25k, and enjoy the cheap boating, knowing all you need to do is lift her out over winter every year or two, and monitor the hull.

They all have osmotic blistering at this age....
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Right on and who's ever heard of a boat sinking from Osmosis? (oh dear, I've done it now)
 
Depends on the state of the osmosis...a few blisters aren't a problem, but better treated in the the long run.....as for it never being a problem, it's better to understand what it is than understand the layup process
 
If that is the one I think you are thinking about Pat. It was a wooden sided and decked one (all structural) and she had lain with water in the bilges up to floor level for many years. There was a certain amount of rot involved in her problems too.
 
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