Boat of the Year – Oslo 2004              ” A Great Charter Yacht “

We recently conducted a pre purchase survey on a Beneteau 323 which was stored ashore at the Titchmarsh Marina, Walton on the Naze, Essex – A beautiful location with stunning views across to Harwich.  The sun was also shining making this inspection more pleasurable

The first thing to be said about this Beneteau was the price, being sold at an agreed bargain price of around £15 – £20k less than the selling price she would command on the South Coast.

The Beneteau Oceanis 323 inspected had a fixed fin ballast keel and single rudder as apposed to a lifting keel and twin rudders

The stainless standing rigging was all in good shape although the running rigging could do with being ‘washed’ (in a net bag in the washing machine) as it has been exposed to all weathers.

   An excellent view of the fin ballast keel and rudder

As the alloy mast was in position we could only report on the ‘rigging’ etc as seen at deck level. Not being sail makers we do not comment on the sails – and its just not practical to open up large mainsails / foresails for examination other than in a sail loft.

One novel feature that we did not appreciate at the time was that the wheel / helm console in the spacious aft cockpit can be rotated 90 deg fore-aft to allow for easy side passage.

This yacht passed survey with flying colours but one comment is why do manufacturers / boat builders mix mild steel washers with stainless bolts as is the case with the keel bolts !

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

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

This is a month of carrying out Pre Purchase Surveys on the ‘classic’ Freeman Range of  inland waterway craft that were built between the 1960s and 1970s and still going well after 50 years

As they say when waiting for bus along come three ……….

” History ”   Acknowledgement to the official Freeman Cruisers website

The first 22ft Freeman Cruiser emerged in 1957. By the 1970’s the factory was employing 125 people, building three 23ft and one 26ft cruiser each week and one Freeman 30 every 2/3 weeks. There were 4 or 5 factory lines at a time: It took 25 men to build a single boat. Some 6,000 boats were produced by the time John decided finally to retire, he now lives in France. Incidentally, the last boat to be built was a Freeman 27 in October 1983.

In 1964 the model was changed bringing in the new 22 which is now known as the Mk 2 (hence the previous boat is referred to as the Mk 1). The cabin was raised so that you could walk right through,- the well renowned “step in the deck” was established. As with the 22 Mk 1 there is a narrow beam version of the 22 Mk 2 at 6ft 10″ wide which can also be used on the canals.

     Traditional Freemen 22 with a ‘stepped’ deck

    Traditional Freeman 23 with level decks

    Freeman 27 a radical design change

A common feature of the earlier Freeman’s design was the flexing of the forward decks due to lack of reinforcement within the GRP such as a balsa core.  In both the 22 and 23 this was the reality.

In some earlier models a bolt-on encapsulated wood keel is added for improved steerage so attention must be made to the keel bolt fastenings

Both the smaller models had the historic Ford Watermota inboard four cylinder petrol engine, which were still performing well. However when undergoing a survey particular attention must be made to the petrol system installations to include earth bonding.

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  

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

Pre Purchase Surveys of ‘Broom Boats’ built in Brundall Norwich on the Norfolk Broads

We have in the last month surveyed three different models of Broom Boats, namely the Broom 425, Broom 395 and the Broom 37 with ages ranging from 7 to 25 years

Broom 425 – The larger of the three models, with a great aft double cabin, a very clever double / twin single arrangement up front where the ‘berth’ pivots apart to make two singles or back together for a cosy double. An interesting and different arrangement that works very well

Broom 395 – One feature that all these models have in common is that they are all aft cabin versions with a medium V hull and a central box keel giving great sea-keeping capabilities

Broom 37 – One of the limited number of 37s designed with only the upper steering position, where most 37 had dual station controls

This is a Trio of Broom’s, all with twin diesel engines for excellent performance, a medium V hull for fine sea keeping qualities, an aft master double stateroom and an upper steering / control helm station – all models passed with flying colours

As with all modern production boats utilising fit-out GRP mouldings / modules there is a downside. With all these Broom models as per most expensive production vessels built to high specifications, our access to areas such as bilge spaces, fuel tanks, along with seacock valves (plus much more) is very restricted.

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

TS Lord Nelson Training Ship – Marine Survey

Survey for In-Water Steel Hull Thickness

Training Ship Lord Nelson built in 1978 at 37.1m length, 150 tonne displacement ex Swedish Navy Gunboat – Now the floating training centre in Norwich for the Static Sea Cadets & Royal Marines Cadet Unit

Due to costs involved and the difficulty in slipping a vessel of this size locally we were requested if we could undertake an in-water examination of the steel hull to establish current steel hull thickness’s and loss of plate – without the necessity to bring the vessel out of the water

By using the Cygnus 4 Thickness Meter being a multi echo ultrasound tester, we were able to undertake this task at a fraction of the costs involved in moving and slipping etc

TS Lord Nelson in her previous role as a Swedish Gunboat (HMS Vale, P151)

Featuring multiple echo technology, the Cygnus range of ultrasonic surface thickness gauges are non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments that enable an accurate metal thickness measurement to be obtained from one side only, without the removal of protective coatings or damage to test materials

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  

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

Freeman 22 Mk2 – The traditional (historic) 1950s’ river boat                  

Freeman 22 Mk2  – ” History ”   Acknowledgement to the official Freeman Cruisers website

The first 22ft Freeman Cruiser emerged in 1957. By the 1970’s the factory was employing 125 people, building three 23ft and one 26ft cruiser each week and one Freeman 30 every 2/3 weeks. There were 4 or 5 factory lines at a time: It took 25 men to build a single boat. Some 6,000 boats were produced by the time John decided finally to retire, he now lives in France. Incidentally, the last boat to be built was a Freeman 27 in October 1983.

In 1964 the model was changed bringing in the new 22 which is now known as the Mk 2 (hence the previous boat is referred to as the Mk 1). The cabin was raised so that you could walk right through,- the well renowned “step in the deck” was established. As with the 22 Mk 1 there is a narrow beam version of the 22 Mk 2 at 6ft 10″ wide which can also be used on the canals.

We carried out the pre purchase survey of this Freeman 22 Mk2 at Martham Ferry Marina. This GRP motor cruiser built in the 70’s has recently been renovated and had a good feel to it. The good quality of the top coat paint and the added ‘cherry & holly’ floors in the cockpit are parts of creating an enjoyable week-ender boat. The Freeman 22 Mk2 in itself has a nice and simple design with reasonable cockpit and some appreciable space in the cabin.

Forward berth                                                                Rudder tube with water seepage

Fitted with a Perkins 4107 diesel engine

The main finding on board was the rudder tube which was leaking. The rudder tube bearing also appeared to be worn out as the rudder post had some movements inside the tube. We recommended checking the steering system for wear and replacing the relevant parts to halt the on-going water ingress.

This is not such a daunting task as it seems as the rudder system is very simple and most yards could put this right.

Amazingly this Freeman 22 despite being some 40+ years old did not have any osmosis

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

Trusty T23 – Sturdy offshore little boat  for fishing ~ plus fun                  

We recently undertook a pre purchase survey of this very nice 2010 Trusty T23 at Windboats Wroxham

Trusty T23 on a road trailer                               Comfortable aft cockpit relaxation

This sturdy twin bilge keel GRP boat is a good example of the Trusty T23. Built in 2010 to an approved category B (Offshore) by Trusty Ltd, this 23 footer displayed a surprisingly large living area with a spacious aft cockpit with simile teak laid deck. The helm station gives the feel of driving a small ship to sea with all the navigation helps and control at hand. The forward cabin is mainly a large double bed with storage underneath it. A good sea going galley design and seating area help to keep the crew happy at sea.

Interior view with forward cabin                       Helm station with easy below access

This Trusty T23 was viewed at Windboat Marine in Wroxham where helpful staff gave us a detailed history of the Trusty Boats and other various on-going projects at Windboats’.

The boat has been well maintained over the past 5 years however our main finding was the starboard bilge keel which displayed some rust seeping from the forward bilge keel bolts. We recommended to have the bilge keel bolts checked and the necessary action taken to halt on-going rust seepage. Plus servicing and bonding of seacocks

  Some rust seepage from bilge keel bolts

The Trusty inspected is fitted with a Yanmar 4JH5  / 4 cyl / 54hp inboard diesel engine

A good point about those Trusty T23 is that they can be trailed and launched anywhere you fancy, be in Cornwall or in the Scottish Islands or further away!

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