Going to be looking at a boat (fibreglass) that has been out of the water for 5-6 years sitting at a marina (Southern Virginia) on stands. This is a boat that was in salt water prior. Are there specific things I should be aware of due to it's being on land all this time?
Out-of-water
- Thread starter Flashman
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better be free
look for dry rot around the chainplates, standing water or evidence of it, electrical( bring your own battery). engine test( turns over) Starts?? ( doubt it). Many other things possible. Hopefully cheap. hence the title
look for dry rot around the chainplates, standing water or evidence of it, electrical( bring your own battery). engine test( turns over) Starts?? ( doubt it). Many other things possible. Hopefully cheap. hence the title
Get a surveyor
If there is water in the bilge, it is undoubtedly from the rain, and you need to figure out how its getting inside the boat. This could be a minor problem (coming in the companionway hatch, or a major issue. If the water has been getting in through the deck for years, you could have some significant rot/delamination in the deck. Unless this is a daysailer with a price of less than about $3000, I would recommend you have the boat professionally surveyed. I did so for my Oday 23. I was told by a few that the boat was too small and the price too low to justify spending a couple of hundred bucks on the survey, but I think it was so worth it. The surveyor spent over an hour poking his head into places I didn't know about, found some insignificant deck delamination, and also pointed out to me several things that were in his mind really positive aspects of the boat's condition that I hadn't considered. After the survey, he even gave me a break on his usual rates because of the boat's size and simplicity. Even if you know a lot about boats (and I thought I did before the survey), it helps to have an unbiased opinion. It can also help in your negotiations on price for the boat.
If there is water in the bilge, it is undoubtedly from the rain, and you need to figure out how its getting inside the boat. This could be a minor problem (coming in the companionway hatch, or a major issue. If the water has been getting in through the deck for years, you could have some significant rot/delamination in the deck. Unless this is a daysailer with a price of less than about $3000, I would recommend you have the boat professionally surveyed. I did so for my Oday 23. I was told by a few that the boat was too small and the price too low to justify spending a couple of hundred bucks on the survey, but I think it was so worth it. The surveyor spent over an hour poking his head into places I didn't know about, found some insignificant deck delamination, and also pointed out to me several things that were in his mind really positive aspects of the boat's condition that I hadn't considered. After the survey, he even gave me a break on his usual rates because of the boat's size and simplicity. Even if you know a lot about boats (and I thought I did before the survey), it helps to have an unbiased opinion. It can also help in your negotiations on price for the boat.
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