Delta RIB  5.5m

Acting as Marine Insurance Loss Adjusters, European Marine Services was recently instructed to inspect and report as follows:

• Casualty details including views on what caused the damage.
• Review the estimates for repairs to the third party vessel and advise whether you consider the work fair, reasonable and casualty related.
• Provide us with your reserve estimate.
• Witness details, where applicable.
• Subrogation* details, where applicable  ( * Insurer’s right to pursue a third party)
• Photographs of the damage.

The accident happened at speed and resulted in extensive damage to the GRP hull plus rupturing the inflatable tube (sponson) with the RIB being close to sinking.  Fortunately no one was hurt

View of extensive damage to GRP hull

What is important is not the results of our investigation / inspection or how the accident happened which remains confidential, but that the insurance company required the following documentation as part of its claim consideration from the insured parties

• Warranted all vessels classed and certified
• Warranted all vessels are fit to encounter the ordinary peril of seas, rivers, lakes or navigable waters, properly crewed, equipped, fuelled, provisioned and with all equipment in proper working order. Seaworthiness applies not only to the physical conditions  of the hull but to all its parts, equipment and gear.
• Were the crew fully qualified up to RYA Level 2 power boating, VHF AND Sea Survival courses.

The above clauses (extracts) being part of the Insured Marine Policy Terms & Conditions  ie. the small print

This being important to boat owners whom have the misfortunate to make a claim in the event of an accident

Therefore make sure that as an owner / operator / user of small high speed craft that you are fully aware of the Insurance T&Cs,        

If not you may possibly find that you have no cover

Acting in the capacity of an Expert Witness (CPR 35 compliant) we recently inspected a Sealine S38 for inherent structural hull defects

The background to this being as follows:

Sealine’s are generally considered to be lightly built and several models suffer from stress cracking / flexing of the hull.

The Sealine S38 suffered from an exceptionally weak hull GRP layup making it prone to vertical and longitudinal stress cracking – this being due to a miscalculation of the original layup specification by their design department *

The principal area of fault lying between the bow thruster tube and the forward engine bulkhead

Back in 2005 / 2006 Sealine agreed that additional strengthening work was required on the hull of the Sealine S38.  This however was carried out on a boat-by-boat basis, and as we understand it no general recall notice was issued and Sealine only took action when customers complained.

Consequently there are many Sealine S38’s still in the market place which have not been strengthened

As Sealine are no longer in business in their original form – warranty / claims are no longer valid.

An estimate as to the cost of rectification can be anything between £15,000 – £25,000 depending upon who carries out the work

* Acknowledgement:  Paul Homer, Homer Marine Ltd

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd – Marine Surveyors & Consultants Tel :  01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

European Marine Services recently carried out a pre purchase survey of a very nice and well maintained Aquafibre 28  

The significant difference about this boat is that despite being some 25+ years old and permanently moored on inland waterways there was no evidence of any hull deterioration or osmosis.

The lack of osmosis being primarily due to the early application of a professionally applied copper coating – no antifouling applied over.

View of Aquafibre 28                                                  Copper coating

Most of the well known range of Aquafibre GRP hull & superstructure mouldings (25′ – 55′) were built / fitted out by other boatyards around the UK, as Aquafibre were primarily a GRP boat moulding company based at Rackheath nr Norwich Norfolk and not boatbuilders.  Broom Boats being a major builder of boats moulded by Aquafibre.  Aquafibre ceased manufacturing in 2009

Back to this Aquafibre 28 …..

This design has the individual twin sliding large sunroofs over the forward driving position and saloon, making for a very nice relaxation area for socialising and watching the world pass by.

Decent sliding sunroof                                               Corroded extended skeg assembly / rudder

The significant problem was that there was no access in this particular boat to the bilge spaces and hull sides for internal examination, being due to screwed floors, furniture / panelling / soft side linings etc and the distinct absence (again) of access hatches and removable panels.

Relatively minor problems included the non operation of the auto bilge pump float switch and a corroded mild steel extended skeg assembly and rudder blade – no zinc anodes being fitted

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd – Marine Surveyors & Consultants Tel :  01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Bounty 27 – Osmosis & Gel Coat Delamination                                       

The Bounty 27 c1970 was lifted ashore for the purpose of a pre purchase survey. As with most GRP vessels of this vintage the hull and superstructure had been painted white while the bottom was badly fouled with organic growth (having not been pressure washed). In other words nothing out of the ‘ordinary’ for a surveyor to inspect.

Similar Bounty 27 boats………….

However, serious GRP hull ‘problem’ areas started to become apparent

When inspecting the bottom, some osmotic blisters were visible intermittently on port side but the interesting bit was found on the starboard bow. Where the osmotic blisters were much more  concentrated and over time have merged to form a much larger blister.

Gel coat delaminating                                        Gel coat removed from sample area

This resulted in lifting and detaching the gel-coat from the substrate.

The gel-coat being under pressure has cracked, allowing water to get into the substrate. This process is known as wicking.

Wicking happens when the substrate is unprotected either by gel-coat or adequate paint. The strands in the fiberglass mat act as a straw and suck moisture into the substrate and consequently weaken the structure. Those single strand becoming saturated with water will turn white and be visible and easy to spot in the substrate.

Moisture (whicking) taken up in substrate           Blister burst by applied thump pressure only

In the above left hand photo we see the white strand of the mat indicating wicking is taking place as well as gel-coat crack and delamination.

In the above right hand photo the area of visible gel-coat delamination equals to approximately 1 square foot. However when carrying out a ‘tap test’, the area of trouble was much greater and extensive. Note the wet patch which is a burst osmotic blister with ‘blister juice’ – this was burst using thumb only

Above left hand photo shows numerous osmotic blisters which will most probably merge in the future into a single large blister with probable delamination.  The right hand photo shows ‘other’ damaged areas.

The gel coat delamination is from a buyer’s point of view a major concern as it can be expensive to put right and has to be addressed. However the boat can be repaired and probably will be structurally stronger following the repairs.

But the question is always the same, at what financial cost ?  In my opinion this should be repaired  since the rest of the boat is in much better structural condition, and there is still a lot of life and future enjoyment left in this boat

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd – Marine Surveyors & Consultants Tel :  01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Princess 30DS – Electrolysis / Galvanic Action                                                              

We undertook a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) on this Princess motor boat and found a most unusual phenomena in so far as the antifoul paint had been stripped clean in the areas immediately surrounding all underwater bronze skin fittings

The bottom had been antifouled blue on top of a copper undercoat, which undercoating had not been left clear of all underwater appendages such a skin fittings, rudder stocks,                 P brackets etc.

It is our opinion that an electrolytic current has been set up within the copper based undercoat and the bronze skin fittings, the consequence of which a ‘reaction’ has stripped off the blue antifoul paint within the immediate vicinity of bronze skin fittings.

When the copper undercoat was applied it is necessary to leave a clean (unpainted) radius of approximately 2″-3″ around ALL bronze skin fittings

The owner of this Princess is very fortunate not to have had his props, rudder, P brackets etc attacked and destroyed by electrolysis / galvanic action

For more information on electrolysis & galvanic activity visit (search) our earlier blogs entitled……

* Anodes for Boats – A Clear and Simple Resume          PLUS:

* Searay 290        This blog / post details how a boat sank consequent of electrolysis

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants 
EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections & Engine Inspections

www.europeanmarinesurveys.com
Tel: 01603 327 123  

SeaRay 290 Sinking 

Mercruiser Stern Drive Investigation.                           

This is important information for all Mercruiser Sterndrive installations / owners.

Being appointed by a well known Insurance Company to investigate this unfortunate incident, and without going into too much detail surrounding the circumstances of this incident we detail the causes and lessons to be learnt

Through a combination of high tides, highest rainfall recorded for the month, damaged rear cover, bilge pump failure and a strong current the twin petrol engine sterndrive 32′ offshore express cruiser sank.

Investigation

There was no evidence of any hull impact damage or no skin fitting failure

We were aware that both Mercruiser Stern Drive units had been totally submerged

There was no visual evidence of the transom bellows having split being the usual problem in such circumstances.

However from a previous (similar) investigation we were aware that the Mercruiser stern drive alloy casing – enclosing the steering arm / head – BEHIND THE MERCRUISER BADGES is subject to electrical / galvanic / electrolysis activity

Consequently the alloy casing wall behind the Mercruiser Badges is destroyed with a resultant hole and the inevitable sinking

View of resultant damage & water ingress through hole (electrolysis) in outdrive casing

Due to the stick-on badges this damage (hole) cannot or may not be seen or realised by a conscienous owner

Lessons to be learnt ……….

1.  Pre-requisite to have an operational / automatic bilge pump – failure may result in an insurance claim refusal

2.  Protect exposed areas, cockpits etc with a serviceable cover

3.  Investigate and monitor the alloy casing enclosing the steering head, remove the Mercruiser labels if necessary to inspect

This boat was an insurance write off

This is the second (similar cause) sinking incident / cause that we have investigated – You have been warned

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants 
EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections & Engine Inspections

www.europeanmarinesurveys.com
Tel: 01603 327 123  

Boat Safety Scheme

  Urgent Safety Notices Concerning Gas Equipment

Recall of Calor Lite® cylinders 2008-11

Calor Gas Ltd has asked the BSS to help notify boaters that there is an immediate product recall on all 6kg Calor Lite® cylinders manufactured between 2008-2011 inclusive following concerns regarding the potential deterioration of the cylinder. Find out more here immediate recall information

Do you have a Beko, Flavel or Leisure LPG cooker installed on your boat?

Beko UK has an urgent safety notice and has asked for support from the Boat Safety Scheme.

There is an on-going Beko campaign to find and fix dangerous older models of Beko, Flavel and Leisure gas cookers that can produce potentially fatal levels of carbon monoxide, if used incorrectly with the grill door closed. Find out more here: Urgent Safety Alert

Boats with LPG (butane and propane) aboard

If your vessel has gas aboard, please remember to prepare the vessel before its examination and ensure there is a supply of gas ready for the examiner to undertake the checks.

LPG cylinder lockers – boat owners must ensure the BSS Examiner can carry out careful checking of the LPG cylinder locker for condition, including the removal of all loose portable items, base protection mats, removable false floors and the temporary removal of connected LPG cylinders.

Discuss your LPG cylinder locker arrangements with your examiner in advance of the examination as this may require your attendance or you to make prior arrangements involving service agents.

LPG lockers not accessible enough to allow an assessment of condition will involve the BSS Examiner having to return to carry out the check with the obstruction removed.

The BSS Examination includes checks on any LPG system covering aspects of the storage of gas cylinders, gas system and the connections to gas appliances.

The complete set of checks can be read in Chapter 7 of the BSS Examination Checking Procedures (See page 40 of the PDF file).

Here is a diagramtic description of the BSS requirements linked to a boats LPG system. The numbers refer to the chapters and section in the BSS ECPs refered to in the link above.

How do we check your boat is free from gas leaks?

The BSS examination includes a test that checks that the gas system is free from leaks i.e the gas tightness-test.

However, we would like to stress that the system should be gas-tight (not leaking) all times, not just when the BSS examination is due.

For boat owners the simplest way of having that assurance is to install a bubble tester and use it routinely. The examiner can also use this device to check the system is gas tight too, if it is installed correctly.

Where a bubble tester isn’t fitted, the BSS Examiner must use a device called a manometer, this has to be connected to a gas test point.

The test point is simply a threaded opening into the gas system. It is sealed by a screw action nipple. To test the system, the nipple is undone, the manometer is connected up, the test is carried out, the manometer is then disconnected and the nipple is tightened back down.  It is tightened sufficiently to seal the test point once more to prevent a gas leak, but not so tight as to damage the seal and cause a gas leak.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants 
EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections & Engine Inspections

www.europeanmarinesurveys.com
Tel: 01603 327 123  

The importance of Boat Seacock Valves & their Accessibility

Definition:  A seacock is a valve on the hull of a boat or a ship, permitting water to flow into the vessel, such as for cooling an engine or for a salt water faucet; or out of the boat, such as for a sink drain or a toilet.

Seacocks are left open or are closed depending on the situation. Seacocks feeding into or out of a closed system, like the engine cooling system, are almost always left open. Seacocks connected to something open, such as a sink drain, might be opened up in port but closed when at sea. The reason for this is that when the boat is level, the drain or other opening will always be above the waterline, and so water will only flow out. At sea, when the boat rolls in the waves, the opening may sometimes be below the waterline. If the seacock is open, water may flood the boat.

During a recent survey, I came across a major issue. Luckily not related to the structure of the vessel   But the seacocks were not up to their job and inherently unsafe

The boat is fitted with four seacocks in or near by the engine space.

The engine seacock was seized and will probably be ok after servicing however the other three all displayed ‘safety’ problems

The water intake for the head has been mounted in a very difficult to reach part of the bilge. It is next to the chine all the way under the helm station sole board and even my extremely extended long arm couldn’t reach it. And it didn’t seam to be any easier access from the top unless one removed all the wires and useful bits from the helm station and unscrewed the sole board. So I don’t think this seacock has been serviced for a long time and all seacock must be easy to access and work on.

  Third seacock

The third seacock was actually a lot easier to reach and had been made redundant. Nothing wrong with that except it was capped with a wooden bung, the bung being ‘pushed’ into the hole

A wooden bung can rot or split or dry and is mostly used as a quick fix to get a boat to safety when a pipe or a seacock is leaking. But it shouldn’t be used as a definite solution. A right solution would be to secure the seacock with a bronze screw cap and keeping the seacock closed as well.

Seacock # 4   Wasn’t actually there   The pipe was directly fixed with one jubilee clip onto the skin fitting. Now would anyone feal safe about that ?   Knowing that the skin fitting was 1.25″ diameter.  Luckily the boat had one wooden bung but this was in use already on another seacock !

  #  4

Well joke apart, any through hull aperture under the water line should be made secure and safe but also maintained in good condition. A wooden bung of the right size should be attached to each seacock so one doesn’t waste time looking for the bag of bungs in a moment of rush. And make sure your bilge pumps are in working order!

On another boat, a sea going one, I’ve found a gate valve attached via a 6” long hose to a Blake seacock fitted onto the hull. Now what had happened I believe is that the Blake valve had seized and didn’t get serviced so some one found a solution by fitting an in-line valve six inches away from the hull.  Practical yes but not logical and not safe   The Blake valve should have been serviced or replaced in this case with another seacock and job done. As at the moment the boat hasn’t got a seacock fitted onto the hull.

Original seized seacock plus second seacock added in-line

So as you can see from those photos, whether you use one or two seacocks or maybe none! It doesn’t matter, what you have to remember is that seacock are here to stop water coming in! And so they need to be serviced and kept in operational condition.

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd    (inc European Marine Surveys)         

Tel :  01603 327 123        www.europeanmarinesurveys.com

Boat Safety Scheme

A Marine Survey Service from – European Marine Services Ltd

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING – BEKO, LEISURE & FLAVEL GAS COOKERS MANUFACTURED – PRIOR TO JAN 2009

If your cooker has been converted to run on LPG (bottled gas), please click here.

These appliances are designed for cooking purposes only and must NOT be used as a space heater, or for any other purpose. CHECK THE LIST BELOW TO SEE IF YOU OWN ONE OF THE AFFECTED COOKERS. Click on the model number to download an instruction booklet if required

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU OWN ONE OF THESE COOKERS

1. FOLLOW THE PRODUCT INSTRUCTION MANUAL AND DO NOT OPERATE THE GRILL WITH THE GRILL DOOR CLOSED

When the grill burner is on, the grill door must always be in the open position. If the grill is operated with the grill door closed, the air supply to the grill burner is restricted which can cause extremely dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to be produced which can pose a very serious risk to health.

2. ARRANGE FOR A FREE SAFETY INSPECTION AND MODIFICATION

If you own or use any of the models shown above, please call Beko on:

• UK Free phone 0800 917 20180800 917 2018
• Ireland Free phone 1800 25 29 25

Beko customer care centre is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. We will then arrange to carry out a free modification to your product to remove any risk When calling please have your full model number and serial number to hand – these can be found on the rating plate at the bottom front edge of the appliance (see below).

ALL ABOUT ANODES FOR LEISURE BOATS

” Plus Bonding Systems “

How do sacrificial anodes help keep your boat in good condition and possibly afloat

Pictures   –   Hull anodes that     ” No longer have sufficient mass to be effective “

In a few words, how galvanic corrosion works.

Any two dissimilar metals submerged together in an electrolyte – sea water in our case – will create an electrical current known as a galvanic cell (like a battery), with the less noble (more active) metal, a bronze propeller for instance, forming the anode and the more noble (less active) metal, a stainless steel shaft, forming the cathode.  The electrical current will travel from the less noble metal, anode, to the most noble metal, cathode, depleting the anode from its core material in the process.

The bronze propeller will gradually corrode away and this is where trouble will start.

The way around it is by adding a sacrificial anode to the system.

This anode will need to be made of a more active metal than the other two and thus the bronze propeller will now become a cathode and be protected.

That’s all fine when looking at a simple assembly such as a prop and prop shaft.  Stick an anode on the shaft and that is generally sufficient but how about a bronze seacock and through-hull fitting?  Not very practical to stick an anode on each one of them.  So the answer is to electrically bond them to the anode.

All immersed metal components should be connected to the cathodic protection.  Many ingenious systems exist to bond the engine, prop shaft and propeller and you should see with your engineer what would be best suited for your boat.

Anodes on non ferrous boat are generally bolted through the hull.  Easier than welding onto a GRP hull or a wooden one!

But that’s great because now we’ve got two studs inside the boat connected to the outside anode.  So now we can wire (bond) the seacocks to the anode’s studs, and the engine and prop shaft to another, or the same one depending on the size of the boat, and the amount of dissimilar metal within close range of each other.  One thing to remember is that anodes can “see” the parts to be protected so long as the circuit is not broken.

A few things to look at when connecting them is that the connection is well made and kept on the inside of the hull and clear of bilge water.

Also, when you pop your head down the bilge, have a quick look at the connection as the bond might be broken due to galvanic corrosion and now what you were thought was protected by the anodic circuit is now isolated and will corrode.

Different Waters    =    Different Anodes

Three different types of anodes can be used:

• Fresh water                         Magnesium
• Salt water                            Zinc
• Brackish water                   Aluminium

The surface of a zinc anode when left in fresh water for some time become covered with an off-white crust.  This will effectively seal the anode and stop it working when it is returned to the salt water.  The consequences are that the next most anodic item bonded to the anode will start to sacrifice itself.  It is therefore important to check the anodes after trips into fresh water.  Also, if keeping the boat on the Norfolk Broads or brackish waters, aluminium anode would be a preferred choice to protect the vessel.

It is important to have them replaced when they reach ~50% of their original mass as the rate of galvanic corrosion is accelerating and your protection diminishing.

For Information: Very rapid zinc anode loss that results in bright, shiny metal being exposed is a clear indication of electrical activity, be it galvanic or stray current, usually the later, since galvanism rarely creates enough current to destroy zincs quickly .  

Bright zinc in association with heavily corroded bottom paint means you have a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. The brightness of the zinc is telling you that there is too much current for the zincs to handle. Adding more zinc is NOT the solution

Earthing – Bonding Systems:  

The purpose of a bonding system is to equalize the electric potential of dissimilar underwater metals by tying them all together with wire or copper straps. The benefits of a bonding system are wide ranging but little perceived. One is that it serves to dissipate stray current leaks. 12 volts of current focused on a small piece of metal will result in rapid destruction.

But that same 12 volts spread over a much larger surfaces, causes less damage in proportion to the size of the water exposed surfaces of the metal. Bonding systems can reduce the corrosion potential of metals inside and on the bottom of the boat.  

Vessels which have all the hardware bonded, such as the railings, will suffer much less corrosion. The general rule is that anytime a piece of metal plumbing or hardware is isolated in a system, as with a sea strainer that is joined by two hoses is electrically isolated, needs to be wired into the system.

This can be done by daisy chaining items together, but it’s a good idea not to include too many items in a chain. Obviously, at any point where a connection is broken, all those items upstream will be unprotected.

DC Current leaks are the most common form of a stray current problem

Yes I know,  We’ve just added another box to your winter maintenance tick list  But hey, they need to be looked after.

Stern Drives,   Outboards   &   Sail Drives

Now for those of you with a sterndrive, outboard or saildrive, things are bit more sensitive.  See an earlier post  SeaRay 290 Sinking – Mercruiser Stern Drive Investigation

As they are made in aluminium for lightness reasons, although of a high quality they are very prone to galvanic corrosion.  It is very important to keep all the anodes in good condition i.e the anodes are depleting and not the stern drive casing.  I often found that the little braided wire connecting the casing to the anodes was broken so make sure to keep the connection live!

Although the standard propeller is generally made of aluminium on those units it might have been replaced by a stainless steel prop for better performance, thus changing the situation.  You will need to review your cathodic protection and install an extra and bigger anode.

Another silly one is when the ‘sport’ boat is moored, the sterndrive is often kept out of the water, which in some ways is a good practice.  But on some boats the leg cannot be fully titled out of the water, leaving the gearbox partially immersed while the anodes are nicely dry in the sunshine enjoying their holiday and not doing much to protect the gearbox.  It will lead to a rapid deterioration of the gearbox casing and resulting in water ingress.

To overcome that issue you can either fit an extra anode on the transom or hang some over the side of the boat (in the water) close to the leg.

Someone once told me that you can only have over protected your boat when it sinks from the weight of the anodes!

But most of all remember that a painted anode doesn’t work at all  You can see the evidence by the end of the season when the anode is still painted and your prop is almost gone!

Now here is a simplified galvanic series.  Platinum is pretty much up there on top of the noble metals but I thought I would stick to materials actually used in boat building just to keep it relevant to us.

Steel Hulls / Cathodic Protection 

Currently most UK canal boats do not have enough anodes fitted to provide protection to all of the hull. Often we see vessels of considerable length (60ft plus) with only 4 hull anodes fitted. Typically 2 at the bow and 2 at the stern. Our literature has perhaps not helped as we do show vessels up to a wetted surface area of 56m2 with 4 anodes for protection and vessels up to 70m2 with 6 anodes. I would suggest that all vessels should as a minimum have 6 anodes, and as the vessels get longer in length they should have 8. I will be looking at updating our own literature to reflect this.

From a technical point of view an anode will only “throw” its protective current roughly 7 times its own length, which is why anodes are required to be equally spaced along the hull of the vessel to ensure good coverage. From this you can see that just fitting 4 anodes to a typical canal boat is not adequate protection for the entire hull. I suspect that most pitting corrosion you see is at the mid ships position, as this is the furthest point from the bow and stern mounted anodes.

The flip side to the argument for better cathodic protection is possibly that most canal boats operate in fresh water and this is a far less aggressive medium to salt water. Plus that anodes are used to provide a back up to a good protective paint system. However I still feel a belt and braces option is always best and especially verses the cost of hull plating.

Galvanic Series:

In this sample list, the metals and alloys are arranged in order of their potentials, measured with reference to an electrode immersed in salt water.

The list is arranged 00 – 12 with the least noble metals # 12  (ANODIC)  at the top end and the most noble # 00  (CATHODIC)  at the bottom.

ANODIC                                                      MOST ACTIVE

12:                                                                 MAGNESIUM ALLOYS

11:                                                                 ZINC

10:                                                                  GALVANISED MILD STEEL

09:                                                                 ALUMINIUM ALLOYS

08:                                                                 MILD STEEL

07:                                                                 LEAD

06:                                                                 GUNMETAL

05:                                                                 MANGANESE BRONZE

04:                                                                 NAVAL BRASS

03:                                                                 SILICON BRONZE

02:                                                                 COPPER

01:                                                                  MONEL

00:                                                                 STAINLESS STEEL

CATHODIC – NOBLE                           PASSIVE  / LEAST ACTIVE

For more information contact European Marine Services Ltd.  Marine Surveyors & Consultants 
EMS also undertake Boat Safety Inspections & Engine Inspections

www.europeanmarinesurveys.com
Tel: 01603 327 123