Repaired hull

[bmunson]

I'm looking at a boat that appears great and now have found out that it has had a hull repair after storm damage. The repair has left it "better and stronger than new". Do I bother with a survey and keep looking into it - or run the other way? It's a freshwater boat and I'm told the damage was a hull crack - which is now not visible at all.

[FrankLanger]

Fibreglass is relatively easy to repair well, if you know what you are doing. I would want to know what caused the crack initially (is it structural, accident, poor workmanship, etc.), and who fixed it (ie. professional or amateur) and how they fixed it. If professional, how long ago, and is there any guarantee/warranty on it.

I would probably also get it surveyed by an independent professional surveyor, giving the surveyor all the information about this situation. And I would also try to get a somewhat reduced price (that may not work if the job was well done, and in fact has made it better than new, but still worth a try).

Let us know how it works out.

Frank.

[avazquez]

Definitely GET THE SURVEYOR and do a "haul and hang" check the hull, keel, rudder, bearing etc.

[sailingdog]

I seriuosly doubt that it was repaired "better than new" as most secondary repairs don't have the degree of crosslinking that occurs in a new fiberglass layup. You really need to get a good survey done and definitely get the boat hauled...

[bmunson]

Didn't even need the boat hauled. Surveyor found too many issues for me to want to pursue it (deck moisture off the meter, sole rotting from the bottom up, engine issues, etc).
Thanks for the feedback.