Hi all My Catalina 27 (1976) has some lateral cracks in the gel coat at the bow of the boat. I was on the hard last year when the boatyard owner took a look at the cracking (or is it crazing) and said "That's oilcanning. One day this hull is going to open up like a zipper at those cracks and you will sink in a flash." He suggested that I re-inforce the hull at the bows with stiffeners on the inside to support the hull. Needless to say his comment worried me. When I had the boat surveyed in 2002, the surveyor said the hull was sound and said the light cracks were not structural. He said if I wanted to get rid of them I would have to redo the gel-coat, but it would not affect the safety or performance of the boat. Who is correct, the surveyor or the boat yard owner? Has anyone dealt with this kind of thing before? I am thinking of putting a large water tank under the V-berth. If I need to re-inforce the hull, I would do it at that time. Comments?
Oilcanning
- Thread starter Richard McBride
- Start date
- Status
Obviously I'm not there to see your boat, but in my experience "oilcanning" is not something I've seen on Cat 27s. Even if you hull was flexing there, which I doubt, it is even more unlikely that it would open up and sink the boat. As a personal note: Marinas, yacht clubs, and maybe especially boatyards are full Salty Know-it-alls whose opinions are worth a lot less than they think they are. Take them with more than a grain of salt.
oil canning.
I would stick to pro advice. If you need the piece of mind get a 2nd opinion from a different pro. It would be worth more to you to pay for another survey than to waste countless hours and money "stiffening" a hull that doesn't need it.
I would stick to pro advice. If you need the piece of mind get a 2nd opinion from a different pro. It would be worth more to you to pay for another survey than to waste countless hours and money "stiffening" a hull that doesn't need it.
Boat yard rat
My 75 Catalina has a "loose" hull close to the bow. Again, some one in the "know" advised me to re-enforce it. As you can imagine, this advise set me to worrying about it. Latter I found out the person giving me advise was a "boat yard rat;" some one who wasn't as knowledgeable as they let on, and often were wrong. About two weeks latter, while on the hard, a woman came over who has worked in boat yards for fifteen years, highly respected by some and proceeded to tell the person working on my boat and me, what was wrong with my Catalina indicating - to her - that indeed it was an early Canadian made Catalina and thus vastly inferior. The chap working on my boat, looked at her after she was done and said my boat was made in California. Well, she went on a tear proving he was wrong. After she was done, he simply told her that maybe she was right, but the plague on the transom said made in California. After spending many dollars on some bad advise, I've learnt the hard way to get more than one opinion unless I know the person and know their background. I have also been given excellent advise which really helped me out, but no longer am I a boat yard virgin.
My 75 Catalina has a "loose" hull close to the bow. Again, some one in the "know" advised me to re-enforce it. As you can imagine, this advise set me to worrying about it. Latter I found out the person giving me advise was a "boat yard rat;" some one who wasn't as knowledgeable as they let on, and often were wrong. About two weeks latter, while on the hard, a woman came over who has worked in boat yards for fifteen years, highly respected by some and proceeded to tell the person working on my boat and me, what was wrong with my Catalina indicating - to her - that indeed it was an early Canadian made Catalina and thus vastly inferior. The chap working on my boat, looked at her after she was done and said my boat was made in California. Well, she went on a tear proving he was wrong. After she was done, he simply told her that maybe she was right, but the plague on the transom said made in California. After spending many dollars on some bad advise, I've learnt the hard way to get more than one opinion unless I know the person and know their background. I have also been given excellent advise which really helped me out, but no longer am I a boat yard virgin.
Hi all The guy who said this was Chris at Race Rocks Marine in West Vancouver. I have been going there to do work on the hard for a few years, and he has been in the business for over 40 years. In fact the only reason for posting this is because he (Chris) said it and I see his as reasonably knowledgeable. If some boat-yard beginner had made the comment, or if I had any doubts about the source, I would not worry so much. It would be nice if someone out there in Catalina land were able to say something specific about this. Since I am putting the water tank in anyway, I might as well do the re-inforcing. Better safe than sorry.
be calm and mercenary about it ...
If you have full insurance and a copy of a formal survey from 2002, call your insurance agent and ask if they would like to cover the repair now or after the boat comes apart.
If a surveyor looked at the boat in 2002 and proclaimed it sound and now there is question, get the area surveyed again (your insurance might require it before paying a claim). If the condition has changed since the last survey and you can document it, your insurance should pay. If the new survey declares the boat to still be sound, you have to question the advice of the yard. Surveyors have no stake in the boat, the insurance company takes the risk based on a surveyor's report. If a surveyor declares a boat sound and the insurance has to pay a claim because the surveyor was wrong, they can seek damages from the surveyor. I'd get a second opinion.
If you have full insurance and a copy of a formal survey from 2002, call your insurance agent and ask if they would like to cover the repair now or after the boat comes apart.
If a surveyor looked at the boat in 2002 and proclaimed it sound and now there is question, get the area surveyed again (your insurance might require it before paying a claim). If the condition has changed since the last survey and you can document it, your insurance should pay. If the new survey declares the boat to still be sound, you have to question the advice of the yard. Surveyors have no stake in the boat, the insurance company takes the risk based on a surveyor's report. If a surveyor declares a boat sound and the insurance has to pay a claim because the surveyor was wrong, they can seek damages from the surveyor. I'd get a second opinion.- Status