Hull Pitting and Patches - How concerned should I be?

[samtg]

Hello

I'm looking to purchase a steel motor cruiser (1976) but am a little concerned about the condition of the hull from images provided.

You'll see that there is some pitting and patches on the hull in image 1.

Image 2 and 3 give a little more detail of the hull and I cant see any signs of corrosion.

Clearly I need to get the boat out of water and surveyed but I wanted some experienced eyes to give their 2cents before I started to spend money.

To me, those pits look deep and the fact that there are patches already suggests the hull is not in an overall excellent state. However, its nearly 50 years old so on balance perhaps not so bad? What sort of work do you think I'd need to do if any?

I know I need to look inside and in the bilges to get a better picture of what's going on, but from what I've shared is there anything that makes you think I could be inheriting a hull with expensive problems?

Thanks

 

[KevinV]

I'd be getting in a surveyor who knows steel boats - that's a heck of a lot of boat to deal with

 

[westernman]

Hello

I'm looking to purchase a steel motor cruiser (1976) but am a little concerned about the condition of the hull from images provided.

You'll see that there is some pitting and patches on the hull in image 1.

Image 2 and 3 give a little more detail of the hull and I cant see any signs of corrosion.

Clearly I need to get the boat out of water and surveyed but I wanted some experienced eyes to give their 2cents before I started to spend money.

To me, those pits look deep and the fact that there are patches already suggests the hull is not in an overall excellent state. However, its nearly 50 years old so on balance perhaps not so bad? What sort of work do you think I'd need to do if any?

I know I need to look inside and in the bilges to get a better picture of what's going on, but from what I've shared is there anything that makes you think I could be inheriting a hull with expensive problems?

Thanks

Steel boats generally rust from the inside out.
However, steel can be patched adinfinitum..

is there anything that makes you think I could be inheriting a hull with expensive problems?

Yes. Big, old and steel.

 

[Mr Googler]

What boat is it? Triple engines!

 

[oldgit]

I'd be getting in a surveyor who knows steel boats - that's a heck of a lot of boat to deal with

and worth every penny on steel boat .

 

[NBs]

Hi,

I think that the pits in the picture require new steel to be welded and new steel, it is not necessarily an expensive/difficult job for a professional person.

The question is why is the steel corroded?

The zincs were not replaced, the zincs are located in the wrong place, the distance zinc - zinc is too long or is there a problem with the electrical installations?

I think it would be good to measure the whole base with NDT (Non-Destructive Testing). When you know more about Hull's condition, you can ask for a price estimate for the work to fix the problems.

The boat is elderly, so invest in a reputable inspector who understands steel boats hull and the whole technically, engine-gear-saft line.

Nbs

 

[JOHNPEET]

I would definitely pay for a condition survey including ultrasonic thickness testing of the hull as a minimum. Photo 1 shows a lot of pitting and some of the pitting looks to be quite deep! Filling the pits with weld or welding patches is the easy part of the repair! The problem is that you really need to be able to access the inside of the hull in all of those areas where welding is required. You have the risk of fire to manage during the welding process and also need to at least make good the interior protective coatings on the hull at the weld locations, if not blast and re-epoxy the whole of the interior of the hull depending on the condition.

 

[Bandit]

With steel hulls the devil is in the detail.

How well was the boat constructed and coated in the first place and how fastidious was the builder to defects.

How well has the owner or many owners looked after the boat in the mean time, regular hoist outs, checking for stray currents and earth leaks , anodes replacement and keeping on top of chipping and painting at every opportunity.

Are you prepared for the work and cost to get it back into a good condition and then the ongoing work and cost to look after it, think of the "Forth Bridge" when you have finished chipping and painting at one end, it is time to start again at the other end.

Get a good surveyor experienced in steel boats, get a hull thickness test and be prepared to walk away.

Edit: on looking at the hull there has been some severe pitting, not only do the a brackets look very flimsy but the angle Iron stiffener above the shaft is also unusual, I have not seen one like that before. Is it a home build?

 

[penfold]

Unusual to have 3 shafts on such a small vessel.

 

[jfm]

Wow those are deep pits, as others have said. Other features look questionable like the Y brackets and that rudder. Lots to be worried about, so get it surveyed and ultrasonic'ed.

 

[penfold]

Wow those are deep pits, as others have said. Other features look questionable like the Y brackets and that rudder. Lots to be worried about, so get it surveyed and ultrasonic'ed.

The brackets do look a bit flimsy and that rudder is an interesting shape!

 

[jointventureII]

Just from those pictures, it seems a bit low on anode coverage.

I'm not an expert at all on steel hulls but see plenty of them in the yards, they're generally covered with anodes.