Westline WA24 - leaks AND fiberglass damage - Any tips?

J

Jonebarl

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Stavanger
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I have two problems. One annoying and not yet expensive, the other worrying and probably expensive (I'm in Norway, so anything that needs professional fixing is £80 per hour labour!!).
View attachment 13355
1) The inner partitions (if that's what they are called) seem to be coming away from the hull. Looks like they've been repaired with fibergalss previously to no avail. How could I make a permanent repair - assuming that simply sanding, adding fiberglass mat then painting will not last. Is this a design flaw or weakness as the outer hull flexes and the inner doesn't?
Here's photo :View attachment 13353

2) I've got leaks. I suspect the root cause maybe something like my first problem, it could be the fender rubber, it could be where the walkaround teak deck is screwed through the fiberglass, or it could be the windscreen. Ayy hints if theres someone out there with a similar boat (it's VERY similar to an Aquador).
Helpful hints appreciated.View attachment 13354
 
Jonebarl said:
I have two problems. One annoying and not yet expensive, the other worrying and probably expensive (I'm in Norway, so anything that needs professional fixing is £80 per hour labour!!).
View attachment 13355
1) The inner partitions (if that's what they are called) seem to be coming away from the hull. Looks like they've been repaired with fibergalss previously to no avail. How could I make a permanent repair - assuming that simply sanding, adding fiberglass mat then painting will not last. Is this a design flaw or weakness as the outer hull flexes and the inner doesn't?
Here's photo :View attachment 13353

2) I've got leaks. I suspect the root cause maybe something like my first problem, it could be the fender rubber, it could be where the walkaround teak deck is screwed through the fiberglass, or it could be the windscreen. Ayy hints if theres someone out there with a similar boat (it's VERY similar to an Aquador).
Helpful hints appreciated.View attachment 13354
Click to expand...

your boat isn't similar to an aquador in it's construction. I've worked a lot on one. The chap who imported them to the UK us known here and may know more than I. Pm me for a phone number and give me a call. What engine do you have?
 
Eek. You need to hear from Jez on this forum. Westline have committed some grave sins, and it looks unfortunately like you own one of them. It's going to need some very serious repair work and I'm guessing you did ot buy it new so you have no direct contract with W or one of their dealers. Best of luck
 
Saraband - Yes - that was me. Boat been behaving well in all ways, great handling, no problems with the VP 210 D4 although I did pay through the nose, mouth, ears and every other orifice :eek:to get a full service on it and the stern drive from an authorised VP shop due to the reported problems with the fuel injectors in Norway. That aside, I'll PM you. Got an email from Whitelighter who was an importer of Westline to UK if I remember rightly - hope he or others (seems Elessar has good knowledge, I'll PM and call him as he kindly offers).
 
Just back from a long weekend in Devon (no mobile internet).

What year is your boat? It saddens me to say that this sort of thing is not uncommon with Westline, or certainly not in the past. Where is you second picture taken? Under the galley on the port side?
 
Jonebarl said:
Saraband - Yes - that was me. Boat been behaving well in all ways, great handling, no problems with the VP 210 D4 although I did pay through the nose, mouth, ears and every other orifice :eek:to get a full service on it and the stern drive from an authorised VP shop due to the reported problems with the fuel injectors in Norway. That aside, I'll PM you. Got an email from Whitelighter who was an importer of Westline to UK if I remember rightly - hope he or others (seems Elessar has good knowledge, I'll PM and call him as he kindly offers).
Click to expand...

happy to talk. It was whitelighter's boat I worked on and he is the oracle if he has been in touch. I still have some behind the scenes photos.

SHame they didn't get it right, lovely little boat.
 
Whitelighter said:
Just back from a long weekend in Devon (no mobile internet).

What year is your boat? It saddens me to say that this sort of thing is not uncommon with Westline, or certainly not in the past. Where is you second picture taken? Under the galley on the port side?
Click to expand...

Whitelighter:
Boat is 2005. 2nd picture is taken through the hatch on the sleeping patform so looking at the port side. Appears the crack is where the "inner hull" comes from the sleeping platform area. 3rd picture is the eber heater are again on the port side just before the door into the cabin, so the drop coming down and seeping to the very end of the galley work surface (tiny as it is).

Any experience gratefully accepted.
I have not contacted Westline yet. They do have a dealer in Norway (relatively new I believe) but they are far far away from me. Trailering a 24ft boat for a 9 hour drive I may as well take it to Sweden (14 hours), so if its a known fix for a local fiberglass specialist I'd rather go that way - boat too old for any kind of guarantee - unless they wanted to help at reduced rates for a known design fault...
 
Elessar said:
happy to talk. It was whitelighter's boat I worked on and he is the oracle if he has been in touch. I still have some behind the scenes photos.

SHame they didn't get it right, lovely little boat.
Click to expand...
Absolutely right Elessar - a lovely boat for a newbie like me, handles great, perfect size and well proportioned motor. Engine a real b*tch to get to as very tight under the hatch, but I'm no mechanic anyway so it keeps me away from trouble:o
 
I must say that looks really bad and may not be easy to fix. Did you buy the boat from a dealer or privatly, did you have a survey? In Sweden the surveyor needs a insurance for hidden faults so might be a way for you, the insurer might however quickly conclude its a design/build fault which leaves you with Westline.
If it was me I would get a proffesional to look at the damage and then talk to Westline, its clearly not something they want people to know about as it can quickly kill sales which gives you a bit of leverage.
 
Ok, so it's the inner liner. The god news is it is not a structural element - in that the hull itself is not failing. However, it does need to be addressed. The problem is I think hull flex as the construction does not have a number of stringers but relies more on a sandwich construction using divinycell for the strength. This means the hull can safely flex but with the addition of the inner liner for the furniture which is not designed to flex this can lead to cracking at the joints.

It is not something that will compromise the hull, though it does need sorting. A GRP repairer would be the best bet for the sleeping platform tabs - they need re-glassing to fix although it may well re-occur as this area will flex.

As for the second pic, I can see any de-lamination? or am i missing it?

Neither of these will be causing water ingress. Where is the water? in the cabin under the 1/4 berth, under the main berth or in the engine compartment?
 
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