living aboard a grp boat

[gomez]

I see many of the larger grp boats being advertised as being suitable liveaboards. How does this work in
practice with the need to crane out, dry out, and avoid osmosis damage to the hull? Anyone doing this got
any advice? Thanks.

 

[charles_reed]

Osmosis is down to quality and type of layup. Isopthalic resin and gelcoat thickness are the important desirable factors

The biggest problem with GRP is condensation in cold weather. I've found the best answer is to use closed-cell PU on aluminium foil as insulation on all bulkheads and deckheads.

Lift out is determined more by fouling than waterlogging.

You give no indication of where you intend to do your sailing. In UK I'd reckon 3
months of 12 out of the water.

Interestingly some of the more exotic Scandinavian builds seem to be more osmosis-prone than UK-built cooking boats.
In the Med about 6 weeks out of 78.

Any further opinions e-mail.

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't live aboard my GRP boat but we are on board virtually every weekend of the year and last winter was the first out of the water in five years. Osmosis is generally not a problem with newer gelcoats or epoxy treatment. Drying out is much quicker and easier in warmer climates and in Spain, for example, you can find an active osmosis repair industry, much cheaper than in UK.