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Moisture

2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Minnewaska 
#1 ·
I’d appreciate some insight from the group…

I’m looking at a boat that has some elevated moisture along the starboard side of the deck (some spots up in the 30s). I haven’t had a full survey but went with the broker to do a quick once over. He had a moisture reader and we did a percussion test. Other than the elevated moisture – which appears to have come from a gelcoat crack near the anchor locker that has been repaired – there were two possible delamination spots. The broker didn’t seem too worried about it since it was basically unchanged from the survey that was done 6 years ago.

Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
... The broker didn't seem too worried about...

Thoughts?
Why should he be worried?:D

Go to a good shipyard ask them how much they will charge for a complete repair and deduce it from the price of the boat.

High humidity content leads to delamination over the years, no matter how it looks on the outside, especially if it is a cored deck as most are. If the water is there for a long time (more than 6 years) the problem is much worse than if it was a recent event.

Regards´

Paulo
 
#3 ·
I recently had a similar experience. I just bought a boat that, during the survey, had very high moisture readings on both sides of the deck. Also one area of delamination near the foredeck. In my case, the broker was worried. We agreed to have a yard send someone to look at it and provide an estimate. We re-negotiated the price based on the estimate the yard provided.

I felt comfortable going ahead because despite the high moisture readings, both the surveyor and the guy from the yard felt that the deck was solid. The guy from the yard also felt that the delamination was not serious and said it probably wasn't even necessary to repair it (I probably will eventually anyway).

In my case I came away feeling that I got a very nice boat for a very reasonable price. I would say that if you like the boat and the rest of it looks good to you, have it surveyed.
 
#5 ·
Get an independent opinion. The broker doesn't get paid unless you get past this.

It's very easy to say that there are so many boats on the market, there is no reason to accept a looming issue like this. Even if not so bad..... yet.

On the other hand, if this boat is unique to you in some way or the value far exceeds the cost of this repair, there could be reasons to accept it. Just be sure you are willing to pay to fix it, even if you decide not to for now. It will haunt you somewhere down the road. Don't believe for a moment that it will stay dormant forever.
 
#6 ·
Broker not worried about it--my chuckle for the day. Thanks!

You should worry about it. Doesn't mean it's a deal breaker, just that you need to know how much it will cost to repair, as others have said. Because even if it doesn't bother you, it reduces the value of the boat, and should you go to sell it down the line, the next guy might well worry about it and it will cost you then.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for input.

Perhaps I should have left out the part about the broker - or explained further. I realize the broker is there to move the boat and get paid for doing so. Which is why I was planning to hire a surveyor. By not worried - how about not surprised. We had a previous survey and the moisture matched what the survey said.

So, it was what we expected to find. And yes, I am concerned, which is why I posted on here.
 
#11 ·
I'm sure he was fine. But even the very good ones are influenced by brokers they know well and may work with on other projects. You always want complete independence. Hoping you had it. Good luck with the new boat. Hope you get a few miles in before its too cold down there.
 
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