Westerly Fulmar Osmosis

[Amp1ng]

Hi All,

Following on from a previous post relating to Westerly Fulmars, I am currently looking for said boat with a fairly extensive list of requirements. Reviewing adverts for boats presently on the market, prices vary from low twenties for low spec ex school boats upto mid thirties for high spec well maintained examples. In particular there are a couple of adds for a good spec vessel aged early 80s and citing previous treatments for osmosis.

In general are Westerly Fulmars known for osmosis problems or is it down to the age of any GRP hull;
Can the latest osmosis treatments be considered to cure all problems or is it still a matter of time before you can tell whether a repair has been successfull and if so how long would be a the period of time before it was considered treated.
If a hull has already exhibited signs of osmosis would it be fair to say that it is prone to further occurances other than those already repaired;
For a boat like the Fulmar how much would a previous osmosis repair be expected to effect the sale price in percentage terms.

Thanks for the help

 

[sailorman]

GRP is wonderful stuff to make boats from, it never gets Osmosis as long as its never put into water

 

[philip_stevens]

Hi All,

Following on from a previous post relating to Westerly Fulmars, I am currently looking for said boat with a fairly extensive list of requirements. Reviewing adverts for boats presently on the market, prices vary from low twenties for low spec ex school boats upto mid thirties for high spec well maintained examples. In particular there are a couple of adds for a good spec vessel aged early 80s and citing previous treatments for osmosis.

In general are Westerly Fulmars known for osmosis problems or is it down to the age of any GRP hull;
Can the latest osmosis treatments be considered to cure all problems or is it still a matter of time before you can tell whether a repair has been successfull and if so how long would be a the period of time before it was considered treated.
If a hull has already exhibited signs of osmosis would it be fair to say that it is prone to further occurances other than those already repaired;
For a boat like the Fulmar how much would a previous osmosis repair be expected to effect the sale price in percentage terms.

Thanks for the help

You might get some replies from Fulmar and other Westerly owners if you you post on one or both of the WOA sites - the Forum or the yahoo groups email discussion group.

See my signatures.

 

[saxonpirate]

I know we are all different animals, different boats etc but there's no way I'd pay over £30K for a Fulmar, no matter how tidy.

Please don't be afraid of the osmosis thing ...it's 99% bull**** This will of coarse start the normal huffing and puffing from people who've picked up a snippet here and there, but trust me I know what I'm talking about. I earn my living in yacht construction and repair, and have done for over 30 years.

Go and get yourself a boat, sail it, love it and stop worrying about its sell on value before you've even bought it. It's a British disease..... Everyone knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.

 

[H4B]

Fulmar

Hi

My boat was peeled and given a proper osmosis treatment at Fox's 10 years ago( They gave a 5 year guarantee) . I have owned it for six years. The hull is as sound now as when it was new, probably better considering the proper job that was done. I think it cost the previous owner around 4K . I suspect he thought it necessary in order to sell the boat. My Fulmar is an 83 a lot of Westerly's of that error seem to suffer from osmosis to a greater or lesser extent. I have not heard of any boat sinking because of it. Many on the market will have some sort of treatment just try to satisfy yourself that what ever was done was done properly, difficult I know. My rudder does produce the occasional osmotic blister. i just grind it out, wash it, let it dry as long as possible then fill it with epoxy and fair it off.

The Fulmar is a great design. Its the first bigger boat I bought and will probably be the last. It is highly adaptable. Great fun club racing with a crew or short handed or for a spot of cruising with the wife or a few mates or by myself. There is a chap on this forum who was very helpful to me when I first got my Fulmar , who has cruised his extensively, Med and at least three Atlantic circuits. I know of another that was sailed from the South Coast up to Iceland and then through the Baltic to St Petersburg.
You will not regret buying a Fulmar. Good luck

 

[Monique]

Fiberglass is porous.. more or less. A boat made of fiberglass will get osmosis at some time in its life, unless it is never put in the water.

Epoxy on the other hand is far less porous and virtually eliminates a repeat problem.. but it can happen again too... pay your money and take your chances.

 

[Seajet]

Beware the HUGE difference between 'treatment for osmosis' - ie it's happened, unless the ad' is badly worded- or Precautionary anti-osmosis, such as Gelshield !

 

[bikedaft]

good info here;

http://www.aegisyachts.co.uk/osmosis.html

we have a halcyon clipper 27 which never comes out the sea, except for scrub,repaint etc. no osmosis from new, 1973. so its not inevitable...