Advise for buying 1st fiberglass boat
Submitted by roddo on Mon, 2020-01-13 17:29
Hi all
Well it's time to buy another boat as our round Aus trip has finished and I'm missing having a decent sized boat.
I'm looking at an older 80s model baron fiberglass boat that looks in great condition has the odd crack in the gel coat but appears nothing serious any advise on what I should be looking for my last boats have been plate ally. I cant feel any spongyness in the floor it has a pod conversion already which looks pretty good. Some of the cracks in the gel coat are on the underside possibly caused from the trailer is this common on fiberglass boats that have not had the trailer setup properly and is it anything to be concerned about
Cheers Rod
Francis
Posts: 326
Date Joined: 17/06/08
Cracks in the gel coat are
Cracks in the gel coat are nothing to be worried about in my opinion. And good that your feeling for soft spots on the floor.
Is there any way to access the bilge for a more detailed look ?
Does the transom have any flex ? A good way to test this is using the motor's power trim. You can see the flex when moving the motor up or down.
And finally a water test. Back her down the ramp, make sure there is no water in the bilge and take it for a good swim. Let it sit in the water for a little while and also put it in reverse to try and force water in to any possible entry points in the transom. Then see if any water has ingressed into the bilge or anywhere it shouldn't.
I've got a swiftcraft that has some soft spots on the floor, some flex in the transom and lots of cracks in the gel coat. It used to leak when I first bought it but I spent a bit of time drying it out and fixing the leaks and the worst soft spots (i'm by no means a boat builder!). So I don't think it's the end of the world if there is a slight flex - depends on the cost of the boat I guess !
Swompa
Posts: 3786
Date Joined: 14/10/12
After rebuilding one, look
After rebuilding one, look for soft spots in the deck perticularly in the high traffic areas and in the stern where cater could potentially pool. Look for chunks out of the keel or any sort of impact damage along the bottom of the boat. Feel around the bung holes for any soft spots (any signs of rot).
Lift up the motor, lock it in place and then push down on it looking for flex in the transom. Have a look around the pad eye in the bow (where the trailer winch rope connects) for signs of rust or fatigue in the bow (my u bolt had snapped where it entered the hull but only flexed enough to be seen when i was winching the boat up.
If there are any hatches in the deck, look for any flex in the structure.
Overall, chips and lines in the gelcoat arent neccessarly a bad thing and you should be able to clearly see if it is just a expansion/contraction thing or from impact.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8050
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Pretty sure it was only going
Pretty sure it was only going to cost me around $300 to get a Shipwright to do a hull inspection for me (5.5m boat) when I was initially looking at an older hull. Piece of mind and might save you a bomb
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
z00m
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 10/05/14
Gelcoat cracks
Gelcoat cracks come from impact or stress. Cracks on the underside could be indications that the hull is flexing which would indicate poor internal structure (rotten stringers, poorly rebuilt, etc) or improper trailer setup. Cracks on the topside next to gunnel rubber is usually from drunk docking. Cracks in corners or specific spots will also indicate flex or stress where it shouldn't be.
Like JackFrost80 above, a few hundred bucks to have it inspected is invaluable if you don't know what you're looking at yourself. Soft floors are easy to replace. Soft transom or underfloor structure is a much bigger job.
Paul200990
Posts: 290
Date Joined: 22/05/19
Lift the engine up and swing
Lift the engine up and swing of it and see if the transom moves or flexes
squidvicious1
Posts: 821
Date Joined: 22/07/10
Bit hard to lift the motor
Bit hard to lift the motor with pod, read his post. Ask how long the pod has been on and who put it on, backyard or professional.
Paul200990
Posts: 290
Date Joined: 22/05/19
Sorry mate was a quick
Sorry mate was a quick comment trying to help. Didn't have time to read the whole thing but was just trying to help. Good luck mate
Brock O
Posts: 3163
Date Joined: 11/01/08
Why is it hard to lift a
Why is it hard to lift a motor on a pod ?
Paul200990
Posts: 290
Date Joined: 22/05/19
Just is mate lol read the
Just is mate lol read the comment hahahah I wouldn't buy the boat if ya can't tilt it if it's on the pod!!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17867
Date Joined: 11/03/08
another one to look for
another one to look for depending on the seat setup for skipper and passenger, if pole type thats bolted in there can be a bit of rot where the bolts go into the floor
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
eziliving
Posts: 865
Date Joined: 30/12/09
Or someone very large has
Or someone very large has been sitting on it and has lent to far back and lifted the fibreglass up
Get busy living, or get busy dying!
roddo
Posts: 482
Date Joined: 16/10/09
Thanks for all the comments
Thanks for all the comments it has helped heaps.