The attached image is the interior surface of the boat hull in a semi-accessible space. The bright yellow lines are separations in the interior surface. There is also delamination of this surface. This is what I can see of the hull interior. I can’t say if this is a localised or general condition. How significant is the issue?
Fiberglass Hull Interior Issue
- Thread starter heybonzo
- Start date
The attached image is the interior surface of the boat hull in a semi-accessible space. The bright yellow lines are separations in the interior surface. There is also delamination of this surface. This is what I can see of the hull interior. I can’t say if this is a localised or general condition. How significant is the issue?
Welcome to SBO.
Has this boat been run hard aground?
Delamination is a serious issue and the boat is not safe to sail until it has been repaired. The basic repair is to remove all the delaminated glass and replace it with new glass. It is a major job and pretty expensive as it will consume a lot of fiberglass and resin as well as time.
If you are considering acquiring this boat, notice I didn't say buy, be prepared for a lot of work and expense with many hours of sanding and fairing.
Has this boat been run hard aground?
Delamination is a serious issue and the boat is not safe to sail until it has been repaired. The basic repair is to remove all the delaminated glass and replace it with new glass. It is a major job and pretty expensive as it will consume a lot of fiberglass and resin as well as time.
If you are considering acquiring this boat, notice I didn't say buy, be prepared for a lot of work and expense with many hours of sanding and fairing.
It’s a 1998 West Wight Potter 19 for sale that I toured. I don’t know the boat’s history or the nature of this condition. It could be local to the thru hull fitting; I don’t know. It’s buried behind a hatch; aesthetics of a repair would not be an issue. I would not want this to be a general condition of the hull tho. I may consider other boats.
Consider other boats. This is not cosmetic, it is structural. The boat has been run hard aground, dropped, or was not stored properly in the trailer or cradle. Tapping the hull with a hard plastic hammer or screwdriver handle will reveal the damage more clearly. Tapping the hull should have a nice clear sound. Delaminated sections will sound dull. Don't get this boat.
Potters have good reputations and even some are ""offshore" built with extra fiberglass usage. I'd call International Marine and ask them. They might have an answer for you. It is hard to tell from your photo exactly what is going on. If it is just a top coat of resin painted over the lamination, but not part of the lamination that is cracking, I wouldn't have any structural worries, but if the cracks go into the lamination, then maybe. If it is a painted coating, then my guess is that there is an incompatibility issue with the last coat and the matrix underneath it. The fix is to grind it out, clean it up and re-fiberglass. If the whole hull is affected, and you can only see this much of it, then hard to fix the whole hull. I'd contact the manufacturer.