I'm sure you know to be extra careful in
buying a salvaged
boat. There are many degrees of "salvage." Visible damages are not the only damages to beware of.
Corrosion or
salt water absorption doesn't always show up immediately. Be especially skeptical about
rigging and
electrical systems. My
Beneteau 50 was a Constructive Total Loss in Irma. The
boat was still floating,
mast was still standing,
rigging was still in place. I wouldn't trust the rigging to carry a sail without it being replaced. Hundreds of
boats were lined up side by side in Paraquita Bay. The violent surging of the
water and
wind banged the rigging of the
boats together. The
hull had two small holes in it. One was not very significant but the other one was near the chainplates, which could affect the integrity of the rig.
Can my former boat be successfully salvaged and put into use again? Of course, but a buyer needs to be aware of the
money and/or time he will have to spend on the boat to be confident of it. If its intended use is island hopping in the
Caribbean or up and down the US coast, it can be a great boat. If you want to take it or one like it
offshore, then that's another question.
If the seller tells you about all the wonderful refitting that has already been done on the boat, demand to see the receipts and know who did the
work. Otherwise, walk away.
One more warning:
marine surveyors. Having formal credentials is not the same as being competent. Choose your
surveyor extremely carefully, follow him like a shadow while he conducts the
survey, and be sure to point him to any areas you have concern about.
I think there will be some real bargains in the salvaged boats for the right person--meaning someone who can do his own
work or can get work done at prices well below boatyard prices. My bigger concern is for the people who will pay normal prices for salvaged boats that have disguised their
salvage history.
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