HOW LONG DOES GRP LAST?

alisdair4

alisdair4

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Jan 2004
Messages
690
Location
Isle of Bute
midnightdrifter.net
Apologies if this is refreshing an old subject . However, I'm thinking (dreaming!) of upgrading from a 22 foot (25 year old) Fox Terrier to something plus 30 feet. Given the age and condition of Freya, I don't expect to get too much for her. Not a huge issue.
However, consulting the second-hand pages of this and other sites, there are large numbers of serious boats (Rivals, Moodies etc) available in my price range. Problem is, they are mostly late 70s or eraly 80s.

Exam question then, given that the sails, instruments and engine can all be upgraded, "how long does a GRP hull last".

If there is a previous thread on this, I'f be grateful for a pointer -I couldn't find anything when I searched.

Alisdair
 
From my limited experience, especially 70's, early 80's boats-a long time. My current boat is 1977 and there's maybe a small amount of minor osmosis on her. There's normal wear and tear but with care she'll probably do another 30 years easy enough. They were laid up more thickly in the 70's from what I understand.
 
1973 Hull and when we removed a plug to put a new speed log in the hull was over two inches thick!!

Absolutely bullet proof!

No osmosis, but gell shielded anyway.

On recent modern grp boat you could flex the hull with your hands, it might be racy but not great if you should hit anything like a container or submarine!!! LOL /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
More than you'll ever need !! Even when GRP suffers fire .... the remains are still recognisable !! Unuseable ... but glass fibres still there.

Osmosis can destroy the structural integrity of a hull - but only if left over considerable time and literally left to rot.

The life expectancy of a GRP hull is literally 00's of years .... not 20 or 30 ....

Many 60's, 70's boats are still giving owners enjoyment on the water ... and why you say your 25yr old Fox T is not worth much ... ?????
 
On the specific question of how much Freya is worth; I really wouldn't expect to get back what I paid for her in 2002. Although I have spent quite a lot in the last 4 years (new running and standing rigging, new OBM, new instruments).

I guess I believe the old adage about yachting being like standing under a cold shower tearing up 20 poumd notes.
I don't really have a feel for the resale value, because I haven't been able to find any fellow FT owners.... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Alisdair
 
Boat values ...

Most boats over 20 yr old will still sell at similar price to when bought 4 - 5 yrs ago.

eg - My Sunrider was £7900 .... I would expect to get around £7500 - £8000 for her today .... Year of build ... 1975

Once a boat reaches market value for 20 yr old .... she maintains that for significant period unless condition deteriorates enough to affect value.
 
Umm, I think the old adage was standing under a cold shower tearing up 5 pound notes - did it go up?

Now don't get me wrong because I prefer the use of wood, but has anybody ever seen a yacht sink from osmosis - or become unusable for that matter?
 
They started building Elizabethan 29s in 1962, and No1 and No2 are still going, as is ours (No.11, 1963) and many others. They weren't the first grp boats, by a decade, that I know of, and I'm sure many of the 1950's boats are still around. A grp hull is just like a wooden one: it will last as long as someone is looking after it, whether that's the internals, exterior cosmetics or structural maintenance.
 
You might have to resign yourself to painting a GRP hull sooner or later and, has bee nsaid, obviously, osmosis can be a problem on some boats (although some can have a very high moisture content and never really develop ny symptoms as far as I've heard). Other than that, cracking either as a direct result of impact damage (not too difficult to fix) or rig stresses and delamination as a result of (usually) water getting into the core of a closed hollw section of fibreglass are the only other problems I've heard of. I don't think the material degenerated by itself as such.
 
In Rhode Island,USA The Pearson Brothers are widely cited as introducing mass production grp to boatbuilding in the 1950s Here :
www.geocities.com/cptinrn/p28-trit.html
As has been said,in simplistic ''brick outhouse terms'' older grp hulls were usually overly engineered.If it ain't got osmosis and it ain't got visible imperfections in the hull (from overloaded bulkheads or rig tension for example),problems should be cosmetic ,subject to survey of course! It is a very poor surveyor who cannot find enough real faults to cover their fees!
Happy hunting
 
G'day Alisdair,

I have been searching for an article I read a couple of years ago, it claimed GRP has a half life of 25,000 years. On that basis I don't think you need concern yourself about wearing it out in a hurry.

As for Osmosis, it's mostly commercial hype to get you spend a stack to preserve your hull, no boat ever sunk because it had Osmosis, not that I ever heard of anyway, and I have been looking for one.

History has shown us that early GRP boats that have developed Osmosis were built using resins purchased during an oil shortage. The manufacturers of the resins 'may' have lowered the quality in order extract more usable resin to maintain the price.

Not too far from here, on St Bees Island (Southern end of the Whitsunday Passage / Islands) there is the wreck of a GRP boat that was burnt to the waterline about 20 years ago, it gets covered by most high tides then bakes in the sun. The fibres are still looking good, the glass that formed the underwater section is still in good condition and this after 20+ years of exposure and no maintenance at all.

Having spent many years repairing and refurbishing albeit small timber boats, I was converted to GRP at an early age and have never looked back. I still love the look and feel of a timber boat but oh the constant maintenance.

It sounds like you have never owned a glass boat, I suspect you will be amazed that you will have so much more time to work on 'other' areas of the boat.

Avagoodweekend......
 
Old Salt Oz (and others!) Thanks for all the feedback - most of it reasurring. In fact I do own a glass boat, and I agree with you over the minimum maintenance required. However, my glass boat is a trailer sailer and as such the scantlings are probably a lot lighter than a comparable conventional crusing boat of the same vintage. That said, there is almost no osmosis according to the 2002 survey, and my only concern relates to crazing in stress areas in areas of the cockpit. Unsightly, but probably not life-threatening!

Thaks again for the advice!
 
I wouldn't bother about the age of the hull, assuming of course that whatever boat you're interested in is surveyed. The major expense of older boats lies in things like re-engining, rigging,instrumentation etc. I still occasionally see my old 1965 Kingfisher sailing, and she still looks good.
 
Boats for sale (.co.uk)
Have

<span style="color:blue">"FOR SALE:
" TARKA " 23ft Fox Terrier
£6400.
23ft Fox Terrier 1982 Cruiser/Racer.
Contact James Phone 0777 975 XXXX for more information. " </span>

(I took the phone number out in case he gets nutters ringing him)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top