Hull Blisters,Hole in prop

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russ

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My first boat, my first survey and look what it came up with.
Blistering to the hull which came away when scraped. They mainly appear around the bow area and 4-5 feet back.
The broker says they will dry out as its been in the water for so long and American boats are constructed differently to UK boats. Its only 5 years old.
Also one of the duo props has some chips on it and a hole near the anode. Should it be repaired or replaced? Walk away or renegotiate and by how much?
Other than that its a nice boat. Help!
 
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Budget on £1000 for a new set of SS props.

As to the bubbles, what exactly does the survey say? Are they just in the antifoul or in the gelcoat as well? - difficult to tell from the photos.
 
Under the gell coat I believe as I'm waiting for the full report to be posted to me.
I am led to believe this is not a water proof barrier as in UK boats but a cosmetic finish as the water proof layer is behind this membrane. True or false? Its all new to me.
 
"The sleeves will ride up with wear sir".

You are being led up the garden path IMHO.

Steel developments may be able to repair the props, but get the price of a new pair off the boat and if they can be repaired it's a bonus.

As for the bubbling, if it's through the gelcoat you need to get it repaired properly if you want to ever sell the boat. You need to budget many thousands for this. It's true gelcoat isn't truly waterproof, that's what osmosis is - water passing through the gelcoat. Different construction in Fatland. News to me.

It's a buyers market. Big, seriously big discount or walk is my advice.
 
russ said:
Under the gell coat I believe as I'm waiting for the full report to be posted to me.
I am led to believe this is not a water proof barrier as in UK boats but a cosmetic finish as the water proof layer is behind this membrane. True or false? Its all new to me.
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Partially true, but missing the point.

Gelcoat isn't entirely waterproof, but osmosis (bubbles) only happen when there's lots of water getting past, and it finds left-over chemicals from the fibreglass curing to create an oooze that expands and bubbles underneath the gelcoat.

Although not terminal, there are plenty of boats out there without this problem, so unless you can get several thousand knocked off (£1k for the props, plus a few k for the bubbles), I would keep looking.

dv.
 
one thing I would say is don't believe a word this broker tells you, would love to hear his description of American GRP Layup though.

If those blisters are under the gel then that is a nasty case of the big O and will cost lots, if it is that severe then the chances are there is lots more of it.

If the hole in the prop is electrolysis then it is scrap, Solas Prop £550 Volvo £700 S/S £1000. If it is electrolysis then check the drive carefully.
 
I'm with Elessar on this. If those really are osmotic bubbles on a five yr old hull, then you should run away. There are lots of boats out there, don't saddle yourself with a problem. Fixing a poorly laid up hull, which it must be if it's got osmosis after such a short time, is expensive to have done properly, and your boat will have a stigma attached when you come to sell, which may make it harder to sell or you'll have to sell for less.

You're being spun a yarn about the gelcoat. It's what's underneath the gelcoat that determines susceptibilityto osmotic blisters. Good quality modern resins that are properly mixed, laid up and and cured should last at least 15 years before any signs of osmosis appear, and many will go significantly longer.
 
Im with the rest on this 1, can believe the brokers telling you things like that, be very carefull, I wonder what else is hiding inside the boat, id keep looking if I were you.
 
They say 'osmosis has never sunk a boat' but it has certainly stopped many sale.

If you buy it and pay for the expensive treatment, you may find it returns.

Only last week I was looking at a yacht that was treated for osmosis a few years ago. It was surrounded by men expensively dealing with the latest outbreak.

Whatever the offer, walk away.
 
russ said:
My first boat, my first survey and look what it came up with.
Blistering to the hull which came away when scraped. They mainly appear around the bow area and 4-5 feet back.
The broker says they will dry out as its been in the water for so long and American boats are constructed differently to UK boats. Its only 5 years old.
Also one of the duo props has some chips on it and a hole near the anode. Should it be repaired or replaced? Walk away or renegotiate and by how much?
Other than that its a nice boat. Help!
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That osmosis looks like it is actually repaired osmosis where the bubbles have been counterbored out on an earlier occasion and filled but no protective coating was applied IE Gelshield.


A further repair can be done however the whole hull should be protected afterwards with Gelshield.

If you do a search on this subject you will find many folk describing how to repair the blisters WITHOUT shaving of the gelcoat. Many american boats I have seen are so light in construction I would be reluctant to allow some of the cowboys I have seen doing gelcoat shaving loose on one as they can remove so much underlying fibre glass as to weaken the structure. if this is a lightweight bow rider or something then better off treating it blister by blister. Lightly sand blast the whole hull first , then afterwards apply a few goats of Gelshield. You will have to wait for several weeks after counterboring the blisters and also wash the hull with warm water daily to remove the osmotic fluid which has a vinegar smell before filling.

This is certainly the basis for getting a price reduction unless the blistering is already covered by the asking price. The choice is yours whether to negotiate or walk away as we are not in your shoes and don t even know what sort of boat it is.
 
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You are assuming that the bubbles (osmosis) is a defect in the Gell Coat/hull construction. But what if the hull has been damaged and not repaired properly by perhaps using "car body filler" which I believe is unsuitable for below the waterline. If this has been (bogged up) as we say in the motor trade, and bogged up BEFORE the hull was properly dried out then the filler will bubble up.
However as the boat was made in the US, can you not look on any US boat forums such as this to see if this "alleged defect" has occurred to other identical make and model boats such as yours. And why not (disregarding the cost) find a big US boatyard on the internet who specialises in fibreglass hull repairs/osmosis treatment, telephone them advising that you are going to buy a boat such as yours and ask if the hulls are known for osmosis. They will know. But first make sure the word "Osmosis" is used in the US as it may be known as "soft hull rot" or "money pit rot"
 
Do hope this is a Diesel ?

Other than that its a nice boat. Help!

Very simple choice as others have said,there are loads of small sports boats languishing abandoned in boatyards around this time of year,many bought after one hot summer day and for no better reason than a wild goose chase after a dream.
At the end of the season reality kicks in and its up for sale most probably at the ridiculous inflated price that the seller paid when he lost touch with common sense that fatal day during previous summer.

Walk away....or ....annoy everyone including the seller,the broker,the forum, and anyone else who has paid daft money for a boat and offer say 33% of the asking price for the heap and then walk away and wait .
You just may get it for nothing,in which case get a secondhand set of props for £3/400 quid slap a coat of new antifoul over those pimples and use the boat for a few seasons until you actually see the boat you really need(probably something sensible with no zips )

Keep the rest of the cash in the bank and then probably flog the boat for what you paid for it or more,there is always someone sitting on a beach somewhere watching a power boat going by and immediately thinking about just about exactly how much the bank will lend him :)
All IMHO.
 
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Steel developments will repair the props for about £40 each. However, the hole in the prop would indicate galvanic corrosion, ie the anodes have either been consumed, or not correctly earthed. Therefore there could be a bigger corrosion problem with the outdrive. Not necesarily easy to spot!

Can't add anything on the blisters.

In conclusion, unless there is a compelling reason to sela the deal on this boat, I would have a look at alternatives.
 
Got it. Plenty more out there.
Just hope the next boat surveyed is ok. Spending £700 each time i see a boat is going to hurt.
Before you say it could have cost you a lot more in the long run if I had bought it, I know that's what a survey is for.
I guess i have no claim on the broker for the lifting and jet wash fees?
 
rafiki_ said:
Steel developments will repair the props for about £40 each. However, the hole in the prop would indicate galvanic corrosion, ie the anodes have either been consumed, or not correctly earthed. Therefore there could be a bigger corrosion problem with the outdrive. Not necesarily easy to spot!
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not stainless they won't it's more, can't remember how much more but more than double I think. And they cannot repair corrosion damage only impact damage which is why I said "if they are repairable"...........
 
russ said:
Spending £700 each time i see a boat is going to hurt.
Before you say it could have cost you a lot more in the long run if I had bought it, I know that's what a survey is for.
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£700 is lot lot for a survey for a boat that size. And you didn't need even a £70 survey to tell you there were busbbles as they were obvious - simple, do a pre survey yourself.
 
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