Weed Damage to Hull Stripe

[Ian_Rob]

Because of commitments, I couldn't be there when my boat was lifted from the water.

When I returned a few days, I found that the 70mm stripe on one side of the hull had been scuffed and ripped in 5 places fore and aft [in each case at the bottom]. I was attributing this to strop damage but having raised the issue with the yard they say that it was caused by a large amount of weed growth as the boat is on a swinging mooring.

They write:

"........This would inturn have an effect on the stripping on the side of the boat and when lifting the boat and power washing these particular areas were vulnerable being lifted off due to losing its stick. Unfortunately, I can only apologise as it is unavoidable when trying to remove the heavy build up of weed and growth on the side of the boat".

As the whole stripe is going to have to be replaced the material alone is over £120.

Surely with care damaging the stripe was avoidable?

Would weed growth really have weakened the adhesion of the stripe as they maintain?

 

[sarabande]

it seems unlikely that weed growth would have selectively eaten adhesive, resulting in disparate ablation of the strip by the power washer. Have you inspected very closely the affected areas, for evidence of scratching in a vertical direction by strops ?

In any case , can't you replace just the torn bits with identical patches ?

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

Sounds more likely to be the fact that the bloke with the pressure washer was standing on the ground and pointing the washer upwards thus hitting the bottom of the stripe and lifting it.

 

[LadyInBed]

It's all your fault
You have loaded the boat too much so putting the strip too close to the water
Remedy: Raise the water line

 

[Simondjuk]

If the fouling was heavy, it's possible that as the weed grew, it could have forced it's way behind the stripe, thus lifting it away from the hull.

 

[Ian_Rob]

I am sorry for not responding yesterday but was tied up all day.

The boats was on a swinging mooring in Poole harbour from March to mid-November and the weed growth was certainly more than it was at a marina on the Itchen and curiously, more pronounced on the port side - the side damaged. My instinct is that it is strop damage or caused by powerwashing/ over vigorous brushing but who knows.

I'll will probably end up patching it for next season as suggested.

Thanks for the replys.