Just Bought My First Boat - About to Give it to a Scrapyard

[aftica_1]

Hello Everyone

Sailing has been a dream of mine for years and I come from a family of sailors.
I recently bought a Catalina 30 following a great survey, and positive feedback from my family on the condition of the vessel.
Unfortunately, it appears that after I bought the boat problems completely out of my control started to mount and I have no idea what to do.

The main issue I am facing is the need for bottom paint. It appears no boatyard near me will let me paint it myself (even after hauling it out I have individuals telling me I can't do it, the boatyard owners, contractors at the boatyard, and even other boat owners within the yard) and no businesses are available to do it either.

I spoke with one business who agreed to paint it after getting the bottom sandblasted, but after the blasting, it turns out the hull has hundreds of blisters and this was enough for that business to step back from painting it.

On top of all this I lose my insurance if its not bottom painted in about 10 days (yes this sounds ridiculous, but that is the term every broker I talked to gave me - fix the survey recommendations in 30 days or the insurance is void and bottom paint was on the list).

My boat is now stuck in a boatyard for $2000 a month and there is nothing I can do to fix it. I can't do the repairs myself as I don't live near where to boat is currently.

I am so down right now. I've always wanted to sail, but this has been an ordeal and I've almost spent what I paid for the boat on an unsuccessful bottom paint venture...

Is it time for me to give up on the dream and give the vessel to a scrapyard?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Take it somewhere you/someone else can fix the blister and apply paint?

 

[kappykaplan]

Welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear of your woes with your new-to-you boat. Blisters are not uncommon and can be repaired. Your surveyor should have found them during the survey. Recommend you speak to your insurance company to explain the situation and find another boatyard that will do the work.

 

[aftica_1]

Welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear of your woes with your new-to-you boat. Blisters are not uncommon and can be repaired. Your surveyor should have found them during the survey. Recommend you speak to your insurance company to explain the situation and find another boatyard that will do the work.

Take it somewhere you/someone else can fix the blister and apply paint?

I've called every boatyard in the region, and company I could find (even after asking locals of the area, I've been at this for about a month now) and none want to take a look at my boat. I have attempted to paint the boat myself (like others are doing at the same yard) and got an earful about it...I even got an angry call from someone I spoke to earlier telling me I was a fool for attempting to paint it myself.

Would it be safe to sail it with exposed fiberglass about 100 miles to the next town? Even then I don't know if the story will be the same with the boatyards and contractors....

 

[dlochner]

Would it be safe to sail it with exposed fiberglass about 100 miles to the next town? Even then I don't know if the story will be the same with the boatyards and contractors....

Assuming no safety issues, then the absence of bottom paint is not a big issue. Without the antifouling you will get growth that will need to be removed, but it won't sink the boat.

Some yards do not allow owners to paint boats to increase their profits and to avoid paint spills and such that are environmental concerns. There are paints that should only be applied by professionals with the right equipment and PPE, but there are many geared towards consumers that with the right level of caution you can apply.

 

[kappykaplan]

Would it be safe to sail it with exposed fiberglass about 100 miles to the next town? Even then I don't know if the story will be the same with the boatyards and contractors....

Assuming no safety issues, then the absence of bottom paint is not a big issue. Without the antifouling you will get growth that will need to be removed, but it won't sink the boat.

 

[dLj]

Where is the boat currently?

dj

 

[TimFromLI]

30' boat could probably be trailered to your home or a cheaper storage site where you could do the work yourself. Buy a set of stands. Progressive offers insurance no survey needed (up to $75K value) $2K per month is insane, as far as putting it back in after soda blasting, hopefully someone who knows will answer that one. I would think that your barrier coat is gone. Fresh or salt water?

 

[Davidasailor26]

If the rest of the boat is in good shape it’d be a shame to have to scrap it just for the condition of the bottom, so I hope you find an alternative. Around here most yards allow you to do your own work, at least bottom painting is very common, so I can’t imagine the frustration of being told I couldn’t. In any case motoring it or sailing it without the bottom painted won’t do any harm. Eventually the bottom will grow slime, and barnacles if the water is fresh, but that will take weeks before it’s any kind of issue. Since it’s been sandblasted and you already have blisters eventually they’ll get worse if the blisters aren’t repaired and a barrier coat applied. That’s hard work but not especially difficult technically, and it can also wait until you move the boat someplace better.

 

[higgs]

I see you are from Canada. Most of us are US so our laws are different. Many US yards allow one to do their own work. Perhaps you can find a private individual who is willing to let you store the boat on their property while you work on it. You don't say how extensive the blistering is. If there aren't so many that you can attend to each individual blister, then the repair is doable by you. What year is the boat? If you are from the Vancouver area perhaps you could move the boat to the US while you work on it.

 

[aftica_1]

I see you are from Canada. Most of us are US so our laws are different. Many US yards allow one to do their own work. Perhaps you can find a private individual who is willing to let you store the boat on their property while you work on it. You don't say how extensive the blistering is. If there aren't so many that you can attend to each individual blister, then the repair is doable by you. What year is the boat? If you are from the Vancouver area perhaps you could move the boat to the US while you work on it.

The hull has hundreds of blisters unfortunately... its a 1982 Catalina 30

30' boat could probably be trailered to your home or a cheaper storage site where you could do the work yourself. Buy a set of stands. Progressive offers insurance no survey needed (up to $75K value) $2K per month is insane, as far as putting it back in after soda blasting, hopefully someone who knows will answer that one. I would think that your barrier coat is gone. Fresh or salt water?

I wouldn't be able to trailer it with the mast unfortunately, it would have to take a ferry ride as well. the barrier coat is definitely gone now after the blasting, and its in salt water.

I honestly would love to pay for someone to fix the issue, and the boat is in one of the busiest sailing destinations on the west coast, but whenever I explain the work to any business I've tried, they decline. Its a little disheartening. I can't move it closer, I can't go to it for any decent length of time that the repair requires, and no one is available for me to pay them to do it. I'm in boatyard purgatory.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Exactly where are you on the Wet Coast ? The idea of not being able do your own work on your boat indicates that you are in the rip off centre of the coast. That's what almost everyone does here in the spring.

I'm all for employing those on parole but when they collect together and pull these kinds of stunts, that's organized crime. It's time to head out ..................... in a big hurry and don't come back.

 

[garymalmgren]

Simple question.
Where are you?

gary

 

[kappykaplan]

Simple question.
Where are you?

His profile says British Columbia.

 

[SoSound]

Marina Park Marina is located in Sidney, BC, Vancouver Island.

 

[jssailem]

The hull has hundreds of blisters

Oh, No, the Pox!

Well, what do you know? A boat built in 1982, about 40 years ago, has likely been immersed in water most of that time and ignored. My guess is that if that had happened to you, you might also come out of the water looking a bit like you had leprosy.

You don't share how much this challenged boat cost you. If free, then the adage, there is no free lunch, might be appropriate.

The magic of a fiberglass boat is that blisters can often be repaired. In many cases, the blister is between the gel coat surface layer and the Fiberglass matting of the hull. It will be a lot of sanding and work, but you can repair a blistered hull.

 

[Belzoni]

My advice: take a deep breath. Think of those bottom blisters as a force 7 wind with 3' seas; In this scenario, the $2k/mo yard fee represents a lee shore. What are you gonna do? Keep your head. Reef early and aggressively. And find a way to a safe harbor.

Remind yourself of all the positives in the survey. And put it all in perspective - as pointed out above, the lack of bottom paint, even with loads of blisters is no reason to keep you from sailing or motoring the boat to another yard where you may be allowed to do the work yourself, or pay someone to do it.

I would start by going back to the insurer (or a different one) and writing a new policy that removes the expiring bottom paint stipulation - they'll probably agree to give you an extension of 30 more days in order to find a place to haul it out. If not, someone else would likely insure it with better terms. The terms of your current policy are boiler plate for a new purchase (fix survey items within 30 days). A human intervention should be able to give you some breathing room.

Then, start scouring the secondary ports that you can get to in a day's sail/motor.

Bottom line - you've got a new boat owner's perspective that is causing you to loose sight of the big picture. What's the big picture? A: It's just a boat. All problems can be solved with patience, determination, knowledge and money. It's not out of your control - you just need to take a deep breathe and find a path forward. And get out of the $2k/mo yard, FFS!

 

[Belzoni]

Looks like New Castle Marina in Nanaimo may be a good option for you if the boat can make the trip. Found this in the the comments section of a Practical Sailor article:

John Carter December 1, 2022 At 6:00 pm
My all time favourite here in southern British Columbia is the Newcastle Marina in Nanaimo. The staff is friendly, very savvy, and helpful. On one haul out l needed a hand reinstalling the rudder. Two workers spent nearly an hour with me, grunting it back into place. When finished, ready to splash, l went to the office to pay my bill and for their time and was told, “Its okay. No charge.” The place is well equipped, sells bottom paints and supplies at good prices, and there are chandlers nearby. Five-stars.

 

[Hello Below]

Marina Park Marina is located in Sidney, BC, Vancouver Island.

If that is his location, a 15 nm trip to Maple Bay Boatyard should be his destination where 80% or more of the work there is DIYers. The staff there will do it if you would prefer. Get a fixed quote if you go that route.
My choice would be Stones in Nanaimo but it is another 25 nm up the coast.

 

[Hello Below]

Looks like New Castle Marina in Nanaimo may be a good option for you if the boat can make the trip. Found this in the the comments section of a Practical Sailor article:

I do not have any personal experience with the New Castle Boatyard but sailing mates have used them and have nothing but good words to say about them.
If you are at all able to get the boat to Stones in Nanaimo, I would give Andrew a call. You will not meet a more reasonable, accommodating and understanding boatyard owner operator. His yard master, Mitch, is top drawer in my books. I used Maple Bay for the past 17 years. I decided to bypass the recent change of management this year and took the trip to Stones. It was a surprisingly pleasant experience.
Stones Boatyard