Willard Woes

Well, I got all excited about an old Willard, single diesel, 40' for really cheap, called the broker and he said it was being surveyed and the bottom was blsitered so bad the surveyor stopped inspecting it and said put it back in the water!

So bad he said it would need to be ground down and new glass added.

Well, you know me, sorta, I don't give up, what can cover the bottom and make the boat useful again? Besides more glass.... I can't turn the hull on a 40'er!

So I had brain phart, aluminum, is there some way to apply aluminum to the hull, any adhesive that could layup for a new surface?

If the sheets were laped like shingles flowing aft, while it may not be a perfect solution or the most efficient, I could live with it, it only does 8kts.

Any ideas?

 

No to aluminum, also even if you did it I doubt you could get a surveyor to approve it or an insurance company to insure it. Just grind out the blisters, dry it out, glass them back up, barrier coat, paint.

 

Nice looking boats with a limited production run, so there may be some resale value left in the old girl.

http://www.pacificmotorboat.com/willardboats/

In my opinion the idea of sheathing the hull in aluminum should be considered just that a 'brain phart'....lol. There are so many problems with the idea I couldn't begin to enumerate them all...it's simply a non-starter in my book. But then again I haven't cornered the market in thinking "outside the box" so I'm sure a few of our more illustrious members will chime in soon enough on how to make it happen...

MM

 

Sean, very good point, so far all of my boats have been covered under my homeowners policy or with a rider so I have no experience in such matters. I would certainly want to be insured!

 

Sean, very good point, so far all of my boats have been covered under my homeowners policy or with a rider so I have no experience in such matters. I would certainly want to be insured!

Mike, I'm an out of the box kinda guy, my brain pharats usually float in business but I'm no engineer!

Thanks for the Willard site, spent some time there, unfortunitely those aren't the Willards, this one I found on Yacht World, it an old commercial trawler, I believe a converted Navy launch personnel carrier. Heavely built single detroit, 1gmh was a plus with me. I'd provide a link but don't have a clue how to do that....technologically deficient.

I wouldn't mind trying to grind out the bad, but I have no idea how to hang glass cloth upside down and roll on resign without it dripping on me. Then again I never worked with fiberglass either. Sheet metal I understand.

I was hoping to salvage the boat and refurbish the inside, I have done some nice interior work using material/cloth, plastics and wood so I could make it liveaboard.

The broker mentioned it would cost more to have the bottom done than the boat would cost. They only wanted 6 or 8k and it seems the electronics and equipment aboard was worth that.

So, what would happen if you just sanded, sealed and painted, I would only need the boat for 6 to 12 years I guess. I don't really like mickey mousing something if a little more does it right, but I'm not living forever and need to get out cruising rivers and the ICW, no real off shore work for me. And something I could get insured.

 

WW,
I take it the boat is back in the water, and you haven't personally seen the blistering the surveyor reported. If that's the case then it's difficult to say exactly what your best course of action might be. If the blistering isn't too deep then a through grinding and lay-up might solve your problem. If the blistering is severe as might well be the case, then a more aggresive treament may be in order. This could mean planing off areas of the hull and replacing a bit more glass then the previous solution. Another possibility as you alluded to would entail grinding, filling, sealing and painting.

I hate to even say this but you could simply ignore the blistering, so long as it hasn't structurally affected the hull and do nothing. I wouldn't recommend it but it's a possibility.

MM

 

Thanks, MM. You're right, it's back in the water. I'm not sure where it is, the sales picture shows it in a nice dock area around what I'd call a nice residential area, multi-family and mixed use as there is a bar very close to the boat. No telling where, just thinking they'd probably want it out of there.

Frankly, I'm not concerned in sharing the information on line as I doubt there are many here who would want the tub and the work. I have some unique wants and needs that make this boat an option for me.

I'll call and see if there were any pics taken, who the surveyor was and its mooring status.

What exactly is blistering, the seperation of fiberglass like a boil? How does a blister effect the lower or more inner layer of glass, seems it's a surface issue. I don't know if such matters involve spots the size of a dime or quarter with hundreds of blisters or if it's a delamination of a spots 3' wide.

I assume from what the surveyor said, put it back in the water, meant he failed the vessel and didn't want to continue, as if it wasn't worth the survey. That being the case, is it insurable at all?

I'll need to research the issues here in the mantenance sections as to the process involved. I know glass and resigns are not cheap.

I understand why you hated to mention just ignoring it, but if it is not structural and could be cured from getting worse, that would not bother me so much that I wouln't use it. My intended purpose is cruising rivers for the most part, getting a few scrapes is common. But would it be safe, for normal use.....it seems such an issue would be a long process and not an occurance where sinking would be a concern.....if it's just the surface.

I know it's difficult to respond to without seeing it, but the experiences here may give an economical course of action. If repairs could be put off a couple years and get it south from NY it would be fine. I could be hauled out in St. Louis or further down for repairs.

 

WW,
I think that's a prudent course of action for now. Just because a boats cheap doesn't mean it's a good deal....I know because I've got one sitting in my yard...lol. I think if you Google "gelcoat blisters a guide to osmosis repair" you'll find all the information you need.

MM

 

Thanks again, MM! I will investigate that.

Until then, one other thing, on insurance for a boat like this, is a survey necessary to get insurance?

I suspect if it failed or the problem was mentioned, it would be turned down for coverage. I don't even know anyone here who writes such marine coverage.

 

Thats basically the situation - the process of fibreglass separating and taking in moisture. There are a million explanations all over the internet about what causes it and what to do.

Your big dilemma is knowing what its likely to cost in time and money to fix. First up, its almost impossible to tell how bad the situation is - cosmetic or structural - until you actually start digging and grinding. That takes money and effort just to assess the problem.

From a commercial point of view, this uncertainty could be 3 months of work, or 3 years - and all the material costs.

The surveyor's comments reflect this 'unknown', and he knows he wont get paid any more for getting into a debate.

If you have nothing to do for the next 3 months, and can afford to 'play around' with grinders, to see how bad the problems is, and pay for the yard time - go for it. Knowing you may have to pay to junk the hull after all that effort may take the shine off the idea.

If you need to get something going now, you may want to keep looking for something with a lot less unknowns.

 

I looked,cheapest one there was way more than that.

Post a link: put your mouse arrow to where the www stuff is at the top.
Left mouse click on that bar once-it will turn blue.
Then right mouse click on that bar and a menu will appear-move the mouse arrow down to "copy" (highlights in blue) and click on the left mouse button.

Come back here,start another post and then put the arrow on your message.

Right click and that same menu will appear...but this time left click on "paste"

Done.

Question to ask yourself: If the owner has bad news and are looking at scrapping it- would it be worth offering them $1500 to take a chance on fixing it???

 

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1984/Willard-39-Pilothouse-2500832/long-Island/NY/United-States

Hope I got it for you....thanks for the how to!

What do ya think, it's no yacht but might work for me....if it's economical to run...

 

Yacht world is broker controlled. Boatworld is not.

Brokers seldom list boats that need work as the commission on a cheap "needs work" boat is too low , and dozens of Lookey Lous with almost zero money , zero knowledge can eat up weeks of time.

Look in Boats and Harbors, on Craig's list with http://www.searchtempest.com/


Do not be in any hurry as this market has thousands of fine boats at very low market prices.

Cosmetic blisters can easily be ignored .IF the blister is half way in the laminate abd HUGE , that might be a concern.

Go earlier than '73 and there are few blister problems.

 

Thanks for the tips F Fred, hoping you'd chime in on these navy boats. I understand the sales issues of a broker spending time with me, I try not to waste thier time. Can you comment on the engine, economy, maintenance, it's an 82 DD 6-71. The boat in the link is a 66 I believe. Thank You!