How Much is Osmosis Worth?

paulrae

paulrae

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 Oct 2004
Messages
276
Location
Clyde coast, Scotland
Visit site
After much searching we found a boat that we wanted to waste our money on - a 5-year-old Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32.2. We made an offer 10% under the asking price and the owner accepted /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif A very well respected surveyor (heartily recommened on this forum) checked her out today with mixed results. She's generally in good nick, but has the beginnings of osmosis /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif It's taken a while to find the right boat, so I don't want to walk away, provided I can negotiate a further reduction in the boat price, and get the work done next year.

So, what's it worth? Your collective experience/opinions would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Paul
 
Have read a few reports in PBO etc. that say approx £5k to £7k deneding upon scope / size of the problem for the remedial work...plus boat is clearly out of action ashore for a couple of months (drying time etc). However, afterwards, boat will proably be better (more water resistant) that originally build. So, whilst you want to negotiate on the real costs to you, the seller will/should take in to acocunt "betterment" of the boat afterward in your favour.
 
Jeanneau's have a 5 year hull warranty. If the boat is under 5 years old and you can prove professional hull maintenance has been carried out in this period then the owner (more probably the current owner - not you) might have a claim within the warranty period, Worth checking on.
 
Probably quite alot to you the prospective purchaser; negotiate hard for the full price of the cost of a professional job to be done - the seller may well have his eye on another boat and therefore be keen to sell. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Then if its not too bad you can add a bit of bubble popping and filling to your winter refits untill you get bored/fed-up/too many to do etc and then have the job done professionally with the money you have saved on the purchase but by now have spent on go-fast goodies in the meantime........... : /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I have still never heard of a boat sinking due to osmosis..
 
[ QUOTE ]
but has the beginnings of osmosis

[/ QUOTE ]
What signs do you have? is it blisters, or just a high moisture reading. I suppose either way 5 years is a bit young to be showing signs of old age.
 
I think it's at these times, when we've sold ourselves on a dream of ownership, that it pays to be hard-nosed. Finding the boat that fits all our preferences, wanting everything to go right, hoping, convinced that it is the right boat makes us vunerable to emotional decisions. Think hard and get the facts, the boat now has a history, what happens when you come to sell it. It might even be worth contacting the builders, a five year old boat with signs of osmosis can't be good for them. But, if you can drive a good price that covers the work and the future value it could be worth proceeding. Good luck.
 
has higher than expected moisture content or osmosis? I often heard tales of surveyors disagreeing on what is/isn't a high moisture content and whether or not it may be the dreaded osmosis.

FWIW, a friend of mine bought a nice boat for a song under similar circumstances. Turned out there was no osmosis at all, but the panic that the surveyors report caused meant that my friend ending up getting it for about 30% under the price he first agreed!
 
Surveyors don't seem to be able to agree on many things!

My purchase survery report suggested that the blakes seacocks on the heads should be replaced which I negotiated with the seller to have done.....

I kept the old seacocks, pinched 'em up a bit, used some grinding paste to reseat them, and then greased them, and they are as good as new..... no sign of any nasty electrolytic corrosion... and they now sit proudly on my cockpit drains, replacing the two previous ball valves, and doing a fine job....

I knew they were fine, the seller knew they were fine, the yard replacing them knew they were fine, but as the surveyor had pointed it out in his report, the insurance company insisted on them being replaced..... so they were replaced.....

So, read the report carefully, and use it to drive a good deal, but don't neccessarily immediately jump to and start a full scale treatment programme!
 
another point worth mentioning is that surveyors need to cover their ass. If a particular model is known to develop osmosis or there are highish moisture readings, surely they leave themselves wide open if they don't mention a possiblity of osmosis. Better, for them, to err on the pessimistic side than risk being wrong.
 
re what form is the osmosis - I haven't seen the report yet, but the surveyor told me on the 'phone that there were some small blisters.

I like the idea of the 5 yesr warranty on the hull - that's got to be worth pursuing.

Thanks everyone!
 
Sound advice from NAS, I bought my boat expecting to have it peeled and epoxied. Luckily, the owner of the boat yard who I allocated the work to is not a rip off merchant. When, at the end of the season she was lifted out he said it was just a bit of wicking which was easily remedied, (£400 as to £4000) and I have not had any trouble since.
 
Re small blisters, there are'nt many boats around who
have'nt got "small blisters, don't condemn the boat out
of hand,they can be treated.
Log on to www.yachtsurvey.com very informative
advice by David Pascoe a well known and respected
Marine surveyor
Cheers Tony
 
I wouldn't panic. But 5 years does seem a bit young. You may own it during the galloping period so value could drop alrmingly if you don't have the full treatment.
You suprise me in saying there aren't many about. Perhaps it's worth keeping looking.
 
15-20% offasking, minimum £10k. Cos all the others don't have it. Nearly as bad as having a green or yellow hull (25% off asking).

The seller can't or won't pay for the work himself, so it's actually worth *more* than the cost for the trouble and lack of use - but that's not all.

Altho you needn't say "it had osmosis but i sorted it" when you sell - if someone asks if it ever had any sign of osmosis the true answer is yes - and hence the massive price slash should reasonably include an element of diminution. It's like a completely fixed "like new" luxury car after a big crash isn't worth the same as an actually identical car that has never had a smash. If you found out latyer you had bought the fixed up like new car you'd be furious- to the tune of that diminution - perceived lesser value.

imho
 
Hello Lake Sailor,
Re: www.yachtsurvey.com, 'spect you might
know the site, if not its worth having a look, certainly took
the horrors of Blistering and Osmosis away for me, and
took my "blinkers " off. Theres a lot of false info given out
re the problem. And as far as your posting your piccies
keep em coming,sometimes i can't type a word its not
that my hands shake so much, its i can't see the keyboard
for the tears cheers Tony
 
Osmosis can be serious, but it's usually only serious when you come to sell a boat.

I agree with NAS about his opinions of surveys. Having said that, when I bought my boat the seacocks were considered suitable, yet when I tried to take the pipe off the galley sink drain seacock the metal "came away in me 'and guv" - so all I can say is caveat emptor.

And I re-iterate that osmosis is a problem for the seller not necessarily for the buyer, unless it is really bad. Cost to repair for 35 ft; IRO £6K, AFIK
 
You and RobGH both are looking at is as a buyer. Read tcm's post. 'cos at some point you'll want to sell.
The concept that it'll be better protected than new after treatment doesn't wash. Buyers still think "wow, that was a bit young to have treatment"

You can't move for Sun Odesseys on Windermere, there must be more available.
 
Give him the asking price if he - the vendor gets the job done and gives you the certificate.
A friend of mine sold a Jeanneau which had osmosis. I think he managed to get it done for slightly less than the original quote so made a slightly better margin when it was sold.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top