Opinions about Cored Hulls ...

[albergsailor]

Was lookin at a 40 foot sailboat. One of my reservations about the boat was that it was balsa cored above the waterline. am i over reacting?? the boat is a steal.... I mean arent there plenty of boats out there 35 to 42 foot that dont have cored hulls? that wood just seems like one more thing to worry about.. i cudnt imagine recoring the sides... So i guess im looking for something full keel solid glass. All advice greatly appreciated!!

[Cheechako]

I've got no problem with above the waterline. Look for penetrations and ensure they dont go through raw core though.
Yes, more uncored than cored out there I would guess....

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by albergsailor

am i over reacting??

yes, 1000s and 1000s of cored boats out there, if the 1 you are looking at doesn't have any hull coring problems there isn't an issue

PS - a lot more problems are found in solid hull boats with cored decks with deck rot than in cored huls for the most part

[jeremiason]

There are not many boats made in the last 15 or 20 years that have solid core hulls.

Most manufactures are using solid core from the water line down and cored from the water line up. The purpose is for weight and cost.

Whatever boat you look to purchase... have a recommeded surveyor do a report on the boat

[Hudson Force]

I'd check the history of the manufacturer. I had a 1969 30' Whitney with a cored deck and hull that I sold in '73 when it had spongy decks. I saw the boat on the ways a few years later and the freeboard was a maze of warps and wrinkles! Having a cored deck and hull in itself is not a problem. The risk is with the type of coring material. Some early compressable foams are a total loss and some later composites are risk free.

[joemac4sail]

Are there really thousands of cores hull boats still out there. Looking around my home marina I know of only one and it is from a small specialised boat builder. Did any of the major boat builders follow or continue the route of building cored hulls. Having experienced walking on a spongy deck, I would not be to gone on the idea of sailing in a boat, with the possibility of it having a spongy hull. Regards Joe

[s/v Jedi]

I would not buy a 50yo cored boat because in those days they had no clue how to build them

Most modern catamarans are fully cored, as are we and no trouble at all. There has been a motorboat manufacturer who messed it up real good and that, fueled by the crusade against them by a surveyor, is the source of most anti-core stories.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by joemac4sail

Are there really thousands of cores hull boats still out there. Looking around my home marina I know of only one and it is from a small specialised boat builder.

Just how does one tell by "looking around" whether a hull is cored?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Just how does one tell by "looking around" whether a hull is cored?

It must be the one with the wrinkled hull

[jeremiason]

Here is an article on Cored Hulls that might help

Cored Hull Bottoms

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

Here is an article on Cored Hulls that might help

Cored Hull Bottoms

Yep, that's the crusader I hinted at

[minaret]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I would not buy a 50yo cored boat because in those days they had no clue how to build them

Most modern catamarans are fully cored, as are we and no trouble at all. There has been a motorboat manufacturer who messed it up real good and that, fueled by the crusade against them by a surveyor, is the source of most anti-core stories.

LOL! On this website alone there are countless stories of people dealing with rotten saturated core. I'd say at least 50% of the people here who have owned cored boats have experienced some sort of core problem. That's not a good track record. Sea Ray was a drop in the bucket, core problems are legion. Talk to any pro boatyard worker. Coring hulls below the waterline is just not smart. I'd say that's the source of most "anti-core stories", owners who have had to pay tens of thousands to fix the problem. And there are lots of them.

[Dockhead]

Cored hulls are much stronger and lighter than solid, and much more expensive to make properly.

Virtually all modern catamarans have cored hulls, because they are so sensitive to weight.

Inexpensive production boats like Bene, Jennie, Bav, Hunter, etc., are always solid fiberglass.

High end monos like Swan, Hallberg Rassey, etc. are almost always fully cored, with Oyster being the notable exception.


Cored hulls definitely create some risk of problems. The risk is less with quality builders. Certain techniques are better than others. Resin-encapsulated end-grain balsa blocks are apparently the best way to do it, although many cats use different kind of synthetic materials. Another disadvantage of cored hulls is that it is difficult and expensive to put in new through-hulls properly.

A significant advantage of cored hulls is that they are warmer, less prone to condensation, and also provide significant sound insulation.


I would avoid cored hulls on very old boats, or boats made by lesser quality yards. Nick is right -- it took a few decades of building cored hulls before the industry figured it out.

[capttman]

If the boat is balsa cored the core is probably impregniated with resin so it should be fine, just saying. My hull is aired cored hull and balsa deck and no problems for 15 years

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Inexpensive production boats like Bene, Jennie, Bav, Hunter, etc., are always solid fiberglass.

Well that's not true. My Hunter's hull is cored above the waterline and solid below. Far as I know they have been dong it that way for some time!

Should always be real careful about using the word "always"