Buying a 'Pre-Disastered' Boat

[scook1]

Typically, you get what you pay for. That is not to say that there are not some great deals out there. But how much are you willing to pay for your mind being at ease? Best of luck,
Spencer

[Canibul]

I would not rule it out, if the price is right. I would look at the photos, talk to whoever repaired it, and be sure in my own mind that it was repaired as good as or better than new. But once I was happy with that, why not? It's just fiberglass. It's easy to repair it right. If it was just glassed over they would never have mentioned it to you.

As far as it taking from one year into the next to repair it...down here you can easily wait months for some parts depending upon where they have to come from and how much you want to pay for shipping. A mast, for example, might come by boat from timbuktu. Maybe some parts came that were wrong and had to go back and wait for the right ones...etc.

[ctsbillc]

Good advice all. The broker has not replied to my communication. He is probably following this thread with dismay.

Tks,
Bill

[osirissail]

If the boat is on the east coast or in the Caribbean and "damaged in 2004" then it most likely is a Hurricane Ivan boat. Over 600 boats were damaged during that storm and the repairs, were probably extremely sub-standard. I know because I was there at the time and watched many boats being put back together the "wrong way" - cheap and quick. So take the advice of others above and stay away from any such boat. And for any boat with a "low price" find out where it was during those years. Boats are sold "as is, where is" which means after you plunk down your money, the history and all its problems are now yours.

[sailingaway221]

A good fiberglass repair can and often is the strongest part of an older boat.......the question is what is your purpose for the boat...ie sailing accross the pacific in hurricane season or coastal cruising? The ask yourself if you will be able to sleep at night with the repair....on your chosen adventure. If its a good repair...( that probably means asking a fiberglass boat builder what he thinks....) i'd have no problem wiht it.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by sailingaway221

A good fiberglass repair can and often is the strongest part of an older boat.....

- - Very true in and of itself but with a major asterisk attached - The quality of the repair and the knowledge & skill of the "glass man" is critical to making the statement being true. For instance, with brick or concrete block buildings, the composition of the mortar and techniques of laying up the brick/block makes the difference between a "3 piggies proper brick hut and a straw-quality hut."
- - With FRG, there is an additional requirement to know how the various glass fiber matt, roving, or fabmat orientation reacts to stress imposed by standing rigging and other stresses placed on the hull. Knowledge of resins and resin to glass ratios can make the difference between a better than new repair and a repair that will break away/separate from the original hull during the first storm as sea.
- - I have watched the repairs made at yards in the Caribbean and even in some yards in the USA and shake my head as I know that repair is destined for failure and loss of the vessel. The workers are hired off the street and have no interest in or knowledge of how to do the reconstruction correctly. And unfortunately after the repair is finished and the boat is painted, there is no way to know if the job was done properly or "slap-dash." The owners are normally in a hurry to get rid of the boat and recover whatever money they can get.
- - So unless you really know the history of a repaired FRG boat it can be very risky to take such a boat out of sight of land. But just like ferro-cement boats knowing the history and how the boat was put or put back together can make all the difference between a fabulous good deal and a disaster waiting to happen.

[ctsbillc]

The broker still has not responded.

I wonder if they've sold it.

If so, I wonder if the buyier is following this thread?

The saving was probably 20% over a undamaged boat. Of course, there is no garauntee that a boat sold as pristine does not have hidden damage.

Bill