42ft GB visual inspection and,,,,,

[Eli27]

So just a quick question,,, or 2.


1st. I was looking at a 42gb in rhode island. Just from a visual standpoint i noticed the bottom had some odd bumps or lumps. They didnt look right to me but im a newbie at this kinda. On the bottom side forward of the end of keel between the keel and chine you could clearly see a slight bulge,, maybe 6-8in round. Nothing crazy but definitely there. Some smaller bulges i noticed hear and there but again nothing crazy. I tapped the hull and there wasnt much difference in sound. So question, does fiberglass do that? It being a GB and ive seen a few already it looked odd to me. Any ideas?

2nd. Possibly looking at a 36woodie. Lots of work has been done to this boat. I asked the owner last time through hulls have been changed and he said "both raw water for engines are original in very good condition and cooling water for ac pump also original and in very good condition". Original scares me! hypothetical, if i renewed all 5 (2 are capped off)(this will be a liveaboard and i really dont want to wake up wet) How much would a yard charge approximately? (If the wood around is still ok) I know they get pricey but i want to sleep comfortably.


thanks
eli

 

[Comodave]

So just a quick question,,, or 2.


1st. I was looking at a 42gb in rhode island. Just from a visual standpoint i noticed the bottom had some odd bumps or lumps. They didnt look right to me but im a newbie at this kinda. On the bottom side forward of the end of keel between the keel and chine you could clearly see a slight bulge,, maybe 6-8in round. Nothing crazy but definitely there. Some smaller bulges i noticed hear and there but again nothing crazy. I tapped the hull and there wasnt much difference in sound. So question, does fiberglass do that? It being a GB and ive seen a few already it looked odd to me. Any ideas?

2nd. Possibly looking at a 36woodie. Lots of work has been done to this boat. I asked the owner last time through hulls have been changed and he said "both raw water for engines are original in very good condition and cooling water for ac pump also original and in very good condition". Original scares me! hypothetical, if i renewed all 5 (2 are capped off)(this will be a liveaboard and i really dont want to wake up wet) How much would a yard charge approximately? (If the wood around is still ok) I know they get pricey but i want to sleep comfortably.


thanks
eli

1. It is possible that there are some blisters. But 6 to 8” is fairly large. If they sound similar to the rest of the hull maybe not blisters.

2. Be very cautious in buying a wood boat. They can be difficult to impossible to get a loan on, insure and dock. Some marinas will not haul a woodie anymore. Some will. Think about resale value. Are you a very experienced woodworker? Fiberglass is pretty easy to work with, wood takes some experience.

Overall I would go with the glass boat even if it has some blisters. Get a good surveyor to give an opinion on the bottom and go from there. As to the through hulls, they are a relatively minor issue in the overall scheme of buying a boat.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, the old bronze through hulls last a long time, just need to be serviced every haul out. Only need to be changed if they break during the service.

 

[tiltrider1]

You are going to need the help of a surveyor. Instead of worrying about the integrity of a 45 year old bronze fitting you should be worried about the wood around it.

This is not an insult, your knowledge base is dangerously lacking and you need more help than we can give you here in your search of a good boat.

You should reach out to a surveyor and work a deal were they can accompany you when you do your initial viewing. This will save you from wasting time and money by avoiding obviously bad boats.

 

[BruceK]

Osmosis blisters are best seen just after hauling out, while the hull is drying off. If you drill/grind into one a nasty vinegary liquid starts to drain, sometimes slowly, for a day+. If a boat of some age has them you may find earlier repaired ones, some even not fully repaired. 6-8" is quite big, lots of dished grinding to get back to good fiberglass.
In what circumstance did you see it? Ask the owner/broker, does it have osmosis history?
Beware,if present it can be hard to eradicate.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Generally yard labor starts at about $150.00 an hour. Figure at least an hour per valve, plus the cost of the valve. Most yards charge for the lift and block, even for a few hours work. Add another $350 for that.

All together for five valves you are looking at around 2 boating units (each boating unit is $1,000).

If the fittings are brass and don't show obvious damage and the handles work, just love them and keep them. Next time you are on the hard lube them.

pete