Lagoons Have Cheap Brass Thruhulls

[amarinesurveyor]

I find this problem all the time on Lagoons and some other French made boats. I'm not quite sure what causes it but I think it must be the type of bronze alloy they use. I also wonder if it could be slowed down or stopped if they were connected together and tied into a bonding system protected by some zincs.
The attached pictures are from a 2007 Lagoon 420 that I surveyed last month. Sometimes it looks like the fittings that are threaded into the valves are galvanized steel and there is a reaction between the dissimilar metals. They must know about this problem but continue to use the same junk fittings. (I couldn't get the pictures to download)
Brian

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by minaret

Unless you include the cost of haulout. Or any potential damages due to a failed thru hull. And as long as you think this sort of thinking was used ONLY for this one part of the build.

+1

0.7% here, 0.7% there - it all soon adds up to real money. Whether on list price or s/h.

Not to say that every boat (whether or not so called "high end" vessels, of whatever hull configuration) doesn't have to make similar choices, including on price.

But as a simpleton I do kinda feel that $500k should buy something without too many money scrimping features - but I accept that in the real world money spent on the soft furnishings is more commercially worthwhile for a boat manufacturer rather than "wasting" money on any nuts and bolts stuff (especially those in the category "out of sight out of mind").....at the end of the day, the market always gets what it pays for - whether it is wanted or not!

[Blue Crab]

More regulation is needed.

[mrohr]

Hi all: I don't know any thing about Lagoons,but I don't think I need to.
Whether evaluating buildings,motor vehicles, boats ,airplanes or even people, if one detects shabby work or materials in a very important part or the total package that is readily discernible; then one should wonder as to the quality of all that remains hidden.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by mrohr

Hi all: I don't know any thing about Lagoons,but I don't think I need to.
Whether evaluating buildings,motor vehicles, boats ,airplanes or even people, if one detects shabby work or materials in a very important part or the total package that is readily discernible; then one should wonder as to the quality of all that remains hidden.

And the simple fact that they have crossed oceans through numerous storms for year after year accounts for nothing?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating .

Dont get me wrong, Lagoons are far from my favourite boat and crappy skin fittings aint good, but its pretty silly to shitcan a boat based on a single observation of one part.

[neilpride]

Lots of short cuts to save cost, Brass truhulls is just another in the list,
i can point a long list of miserable things designed and executed by the builder, like the project i have in a brand new Lagoon 50, there is a pool in front of the mast where the guest can have some relaxing fun and enjoy how the pool fill with water with every wave slaming in the trampoline , the funy part is to see that the pool drains to the anchor locker and the drains in the anchor locker is just 2 holes size 1 inch and the anchor chain resting in the bottom, no drain at all with the chain blocking the holes , water coming up in the locker and filling the Skyper cabin by a big hole in the bulkhead where electrical cables pass for the windlass.

Brass trhu hulls is not Exclusive to Lagoons, i see this same **** in other french boat builders, seems to me we ran out of bronze in the world ???

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Brass trhu hulls is not Exclusive to Lagoons, i see this same **** in other french boat builders, seems to me we ran out of bronze in the world ???

Brass or poor quality bronze?

Originally Posted by amarinesurveyor

I find this problem all the time on Lagoons and some other French made boats. I'm not quite sure what causes it but I think it must be the type of bronze alloy they use.

[siroismi]

Do you guys see any issues mixing stainless (valve) with bronze flange and thru hull?

Michel

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by siroismi

Do you guys see any issues mixing stainless (valve) with bronze flange and thru hull?

Michel

I believe the proper way is top quality bronze from top to the bottom .

[BambooSailor]

Because its oh so hard to replace a through hull with bronze, marelon ...

Indeed, it is hard or in some cases impossible. There is not enough space to put proper seacock in place of existing thru-hull, it is very difficult to even get to some of these fittings, you have to remove most piping & wiring that go close to thru-hull to make space for flange and flange base, there is not enough space to use large wrench neccessary for larger fittings, etc., etc...

[clockwork orange]

Originally Posted by BambooSailor

Indeed, it is hard or in some cases impossible. There is not enough space to put proper seacock in place of existing thru-hull, it is very difficult to even get to some of these fittings, you have to remove most piping & wiring that go close to thru-hull to make space for flange and flange base, there is not enough space to use large wrench neccessary for larger fittings, etc., etc...

All this is very true on many boats, a sign of a low quality build imho.
Steve.

[amarinesurveyor]

Here are some of the pictures.

[atoll]

taiwan lookalike brass skin fittings with cheap italian chrome plated ballvalves,fail after 3 years.

had a friend on delivery of a 7 million powerboat,had 1 of these fail in the fwd section,coast guard had to tow them in backwards as the rudders were out the water due to flooding in the fwd crew accom!!!

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by amarinesurveyor

Here are some of the pictures.

Jeezus, those pictures are pretty shocking. After only 5 years too.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by BambooSailor

Indeed, it is hard or in some cases impossible. There is not enough space to put proper seacock in place of existing thru-hull, it is very difficult to even get to some of these fittings, you have to remove most piping & wiring that go close to thru-hull to make space for flange and flange base, there is not enough space to use large wrench neccessary for larger fittings, etc., etc...

Very common. Even more common in production multihulls, where space is often at a premium and thru hulls are often in difficult locations. Anyone who has replaced a great deal of thru hulls will tell you that while 80% of them are indeed a breeze, the other 20% more than make up for it. I have in the past had to go to extreme measures to replace a thru hull, like cutting out a section of bulkhead and replacing it afterward. Powerboats are often the worst, with thruhulls under engines and in all sorts of other strange inaccessible places.