Boats that sat on hard

[Thomas1985]

I am going to see a boat Saturday with crazy low hours on a Yanmar (2009 with 125 hours). Talking with broker it came out the boat was not launched at all last summer. So, it’s been at least 1 year out of the water.

Is this concerning? How long is a long time to be on the hard?

[HeinSdL]

Not a concern, better in fact

[Woody]

As long as the boat was supported adequately it shouldn't be a problem for years. If the ground underneath the boat is soft the stands/blocks can begin to shift and settle over time. I have seen boats that have sat blocked for long enough that the support jacks have sunk down into the asphalt. If the boat wasn't built well or there aren't enough supports to evenly distribute the load, you could have some issues with distortion of the hull or even penetration into the laminates, assuming a fiberglass hull. Wooden boats will dry out the longer they are out of the water, which can be useful, but usually isn't.



One of the boats I owned was stored in a yard for years and sat through a hurricane. There was a "flood line" water mark on some of the interior bulkheads and cabinetry that could be seen where water had sat for some time, before being drained.

[thomm225]

Mine was on the hard for 5 years basically unattended.

Diesel was pretty much already shot, but everything else was fine.

Running rigging was very dirty so I soaked and washed it in the bathtub then used it for about 8 more years.

Photo on stands is how I found it in 2011.

Photo on lift is from 2019.

[rls8r]

Thomas1985 -

Yep, one year is nothing if the boat is properly supported - especially for fiberglass boats. We used to have problems with wooden boats either hogging or sagging if not properly supported - but I haven't really seen much of that problem with glass boats.

The previous owners of my boat spent 12 years taking it around the world. The man died upon his return and the widow left the boat on the hard, uncovered and open, for about 4 years (or so). Most things needed to be repaired or replaced, but three surveyors looked at it and declared that none of the fiberglass was damp and that all fittings and supports (like the rudder stock, chain plates, etc.) were in great shape. Since the boat had good "bones" and was declared by the surveyors to be "bulletproof", I purchased it and fixed it up.

The photo on the left is how it looked in 2017 when I bought it; the photo on the right is what it looked like when I put it back in the water (after putting some antifouling paint on it) last May.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Mine was on the hard for 5 years basically unattended.

Diesel was pretty much already shot, but everything else was fine.

Running rigging was very dirty so I soaked and washed it in the bathtub then used it for about 8 more years.

Photo on stands is how I found it in 2011.

Photo on lift is from 2019.

Ps. I was sailing the boat with a couple weeks after I bought it after I did a bottom job and cleaned all the crap out of it. PO was a bit of a pack rat.

PO did remove the electronics which a friend of his mailed to me after I bought the boat.

It was a VHF, 2 GPS Units, Depth, and tiller autopilot. All from the 1990's.

I used these for about 8-10 years until they failed. Depth is the only thing still working from the original electronics.

A month or two later I removed the 352 lb. Bukh Diesel, engine mounts, prop shaft, stuffing box, diesel 20 gallon fuel tank, all related wiring, copper fuel line, controls, gear box, prop, and anything else to do with the engine.

All grounding wires I bolted together and attached to battery negative.

Then added outboard bracket and new 5 hp outboard.

[Thomas1985]

Nice boats gentlemen

Any thoughts on such a low hour yanmar? The thing must have barely ran from the haullout to the slip annually.

Think it’s been used so little that it’s a problem? Less than 10 hours per year average…

[rls8r]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

Nice boats gentlemen

Any thoughts on such a low hour yanmar? The thing must have barely ran from the haullout to the slip annually.

Think it’s been used so little that it’s a problem? Less than 10 hours per year average…

Have you started it to see if the hour meter works? If so, perhaps they just didn't use the engine (or the boat) that much. I've been in my slip in my marina for four years and I've seen sailboats that have never gone out. Otherwise, is it the original engine?

Also - note where the supports were in the 2017 photo of my boat. There was a support placed at each of the bulkheads, and an additional one towards the stern to hold it up. That provided maximum support to the boat and didn't encourage "high spots" to develop in the hull where the bulkheads are. This is especially important for some of the "newer" boats that have thinner layup which often allows the hull to flex a bit. You may want to glance at the supports for the boat you're about to inspect - just to provide some peace of mind - or to indicate something else to look for.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

Nice boats gentlemen

Any thoughts on such a low hour yanmar? The thing must have barely ran from the haullout to the slip annually.

Think it’s been used so little that it’s a problem? Less than 10 hours per year average…

Those hours are extremely suspect. Get a local qualified diesel mechanic, preferably with Yanmar experience, to go over it with a fine toothed comb…unless you feel qualified to do so. That engine may have records proving it was maintained to, or exceeding, manufacturers specs or it may have been sadly neglected. You must determine which before proceeding.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

So, it’s been at least 1 year out of the water.

Is this concerning?

No, it's typical.


It is rare for sellers to make a decision to sell a sailboat at the end of a voyage and then price it to move. Usually the boat has been in declining use for a number of years and spends one or more years on the hard before a decision is made. Often boats are sold by estate executors or heirs.

How long is a long time to be on the hard?

Depends on the location. In warm, tropical locations by the ocean they can deteriorate quickly in a couple of years due to UV, salt, heat, humidity, and, how shall we say, high foot traffic in the vicinity.


Covered, in a quiet boatyard in, say, Chicago, nothing much changes in five years.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

Nice boats gentlemen

Any thoughts on such a low hour yanmar? The thing must have barely ran from the haullout to the slip annually.

Think it’s been used so little that it’s a problem? Less than 10 hours per year average…

It's probably fine but you wouldn't want to assume that. Engines age with the earlier of hours and years. Just don't make the mistake of assuming that it's in materially better shape than a 2009 Yanmar with, say, 3,000 hours on it. It's a 15 year old engine that has probably seen little maintenance, assume that belts, impeller, hoses, exhaust elbow, heat exchanger, are all suspect.

[Thomas1985]

Repowered in 2009. 125 hours since.

Granted last 1-2 years at least it hasn’t even been fired up.

[Shrew]

The average recreational (weekender) POWERBOAT sees about 50 hrs/yr on avg. If you're just chugging into and out of marinas and anchorages with a sailboat, it will take a long time to reach 125 hrs. I wouldn't think anything of it.

[diverd]

My Boat was the same, new engine, but it never ran correctly and eventually left almost abandoned on the hard for 6 years. It has a few inches of water in it, but scrubbed and cleaned and it was fine. During the 17 hours sailing home i discovered the fuel line and return had been crossed over by the installer and 4 hours into our sail home i replaced the lines and set them right and she ran perfectly the whole way home - mostly as a test. couple of steering issues on the trip home, easily fixed at the marina. Diesel bug and numerous small problems were sorted after, i always believe the first 2 years of boat ownership are undoing old owners bodges. Year 1 i got the wiring, electronics, maintenance and the like and not, year 2/3 i am working on cosmetics and she is probably 50% to where i want her. Basically years on the hard is not an issue, but use the time on the hard before re launch to do the obvious anodes, sea cocks and the like

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

I am going to see a boat Saturday with crazy low hours on a Yanmar (2009 with 125 hours). Talking with broker it came out the boat was not launched at all last summer. So, it’s been at least 1 year out of the water.

Is this concerning? How long is a long time to be on the hard?

Why the concern if it was layed up properly.