Bottom Issues?

[Avjo]

So, I completed a survey on a boat I have under contract and don't have the report back, but there was one surprise and I wanted to get some perspective.

First of all, the boat has an all-epoxy hull and my understanding is that it should be fairly resistant to osmotic issues. Thus, I was a little surprised by blistering along the keel trunk. It was probably a dozen or so "pox" and probably not a big deal, but there was another spot in the hull that was about 2 - 3 inches around that sounded like a void.

I'm still waiting on the report and I'm going to have the yard take a look at this before I make any decisions, but I wanted to get some impressions on this. The blisters don't appear to be a big deal, but I am a bit concerned about the apparent void. Is it possible that it was a bad spot in the hull during manufacturing. Obviously, it needs to be opened up and repaired and I guess it will be apparent then -- it was not blistered or soft in any way, just hollow-sounding.

Any thoughts?

If you were the seller and I came back asking for an off-set in price to cover the cost of repair, how would you feel about it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[macd]

Epoxy hulls are something of a rarity, which is perhaps why you've had no response. My suspicion would be that any blistering is more likely due to a fault in lay-up or a bad repair...possibly due to solvent entrapment.
Could the 'void' be an old skin fitting which has been filled in? If so (or even, if not), doing a proper job on it probably wouldn't be expensive.

 

[pvb]

First of all, the boat has an all-epoxy hull ...

Is this a production boat? I can't think of many builders who use all-epoxy.

 

[Concerto]

My advice would be to wait for the surveyor's report. You are jumping the gun at the moment. He will advise on what the problem is, what should be done to repair it and how much it should cost. Once you know that, then you can decide on you next action. You could renegotiate a lower price, the owner may pay for the repairs or you walk away.

Also it would be worth chatting with the yard as they may have a different opinion to the surveyor abou what and how to repair any problems. Not everything a surveyor says will be correct. When buying my boat, the surveyor also commented on a small area of impact damage had caused some local delamination. When I got to sort it out, all I found was the thick layer of gel coat was damaged and loose, but the laminate was untouched.

The size of the problem will also relate to the size of the boat, its age and cost. In older boats you are more likely to find problems than newer boats. A small void on a large vessel will probably not e a major problem, but vice versa........... Repairs of several thousand pounds will seem a lot in a small old boat, but on a new large boat is just a regular bill.

From your post it sounds as if you are buying through an agent. Although he is working for the vendor, his reputation is important to him, so have a chat with him once you have more information. He only gets paid if he can secure a sale, so you can use that to your advantage if there is a major problem - so make him effectively work for you.

 

[sarabande]

it might be worth asking the surveyor for a comment on the particular items you have listed. Just in case he hadn't noticed.....