What's happened to Osmosis

[asteven221]

What\'s happened to Osmosis

I was chucking my tuppence worth towards another post when I thought "heck" it deserves a whole thread to itself!!

About 20 years ago when I got into this boating lark, there seemed to be only one subject that mattered when buying a boat. Has it got Osmosis? Everyone was obsessed with it. Now 20 years later you hardly ever hear it mentioned other than in passing. I suspect if this forum had been available back then, every second post would be a discussion about the in's and out's of Osmosis. In fact I imagine it would have it's very own section! I wonder where all the boats have gone that were struck down with the disease or were showing the early signs. I wouldn't be surprised if they were still going strong. If you believed the fuss I would have thought that there would be 1000's of blistered and withered boats out there! I can honestly think of only one boat in all these years that has had a complete gel coat strip job to repair Osmosis. So - was it a lot of fuss about nothing? (unless of course you have had fork out for a repair).

 

[nimbusgb]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

Lots of chatter about it here on occasion ( and if the search facility was any good you'd be able to find it ) lots of paranoia about still. Some people go to the extent of having epoxy coatings done even before any osmosis is apparent!

 

[fireball]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

I think the Osmosis bubble has finally burst .....


in the words of JHR .... I'll get me coat.... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Ian_Edwards]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

Osmosis is still very much around, all the boats we looked at last year at around 20 years old had Osmosis, some had be fixed up, others hadn’t. The difference now seems to be that it’s generally agreed that it’s not terminal, it can be fixed, even in bad cases, and it just costs money. So when you’re buying, get a good survey, if the boat has osmosis get a quote to get it fixed and deduct it from the price, then haggle. If it’s your boat and you want to keep it, then you have to pay-up to get it fixed.... at some stage, but not necessarily right now. A structurally sound old boat, peeled, dried and re-laminated with epoxy glass will probably last longer than its current owner!
We’re generally more comfortable with osmosis and the technology to cure it .... so there’s less chatter about it.

 

[savageseadog]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

[ QUOTE ]
I think the Osmosis bubble has finally burst .....


in the words of JHR .... I'll get me coat.... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]I'd say it's still bubbling up

 

[matelot]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think the Osmosis bubble has finally burst .....


in the words of JHR .... I'll get me coat.... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]I'd say it's still bubbling up

[/ QUOTE ]

What a poxy joke! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[sailorman]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

Loadsa Rotten Wooden ones as well

 

[pvb]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

[ QUOTE ]
Loadsa Rotten Wooden ones as well

[/ QUOTE ]I think the correct term is "Classic" isn't it? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[sailorman]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

Even the Classic Dept couldnt mend that 1 /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

[ QUOTE ]
Even the Classic Dept couldnt mend that 1 /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]As we type, there will be a grey bearded bloke in a shed sharpening his chisels at the sight of that.

 

[Lakesailor]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

Same thing as the Rising Damp, Chlorination of the Foundation Slab, Tree Roots, Subsidence frights that building surveyors would visit on prospective house purchasers.
All to drum up a bit of income for service providers.

I think osmosis is going the same way as MMGW /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Richard10002]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

[ QUOTE ]
Same thing as the Rising Damp, Chlorination of the Foundation Slab, Tree Roots, Subsidence frights that building surveyors would visit on prospective house purchasers.
All to drum up a bit of income for service providers.

[/ QUOTE ]

My thoughts almost exactly, except I think the surveyors did to Cover Their A***s, so lots of trades got lots of unnecessary work, and gave worthless 30 year guarantees, (in the case of Damp Proof Courses at least).

As someone here used to say, (was it Cliff??), "We have never heard of any boat, of any age, coming to any harm due to osmosis"

Having said that, it remains a deal breaker in boat sales, and it seems must be fixed or price reduced for a chance of a sale to remain. It also seems to be a good reason for a buyer to get their deposit back and walk away.

 

[reeac]

Re: What\'s happened to Osmosis

I always feel that the climate in somewhere like Florida or Australia must accelerate any degradation of GRP by a factor of 2 to 5, say. A comment from a boat owner from those parts would be helpful - let we UK residents know if there's trouble ahead.