Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

[4JawChuck]

Found this site purely by accident and more than a weekends worth of reading from an experienced yacht surveyor on the do's and don'ts of seakeeping and other related topics. I particularly found his views on how and why boats sink valuable since he does insurance surveys on a regular basis.

I highly recommend you have a look and evaluate your boats seaworthiness according to what he has found over the years looking at many boating mishaps and sinkings.

Enjoy.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/topics.htm

 

[jonesg]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

David Pascoe is well known, I always read his installation articles before working in my boat. Theres a lot of mis-information out there in boatland.
He calls most modern boats junk, I agree.

BTW, my neighbors 28' twin inboard Larson just sank due to faulty bilge pump installation and leaky packing box, the boat is toast.
We were planning to haul the boat last week but his sloppy maintainance got it first. Some people should NOT own boats.

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

Excellent site. You SeaRay owners aren't going to like Dave, though.

 

[rbh]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

Excellent site. You SeaRay owners aren't going to like Dave, though.

So whats his take on mid 80s 270 sundancers?

 

[werthert]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

Decent enough site but just like everthing else, taken with a grain of salt. Unless you own a Hatteras or a Grady White you are stupid, you own junk, and you are too retarded to enjoy boating. That's my take on him.

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

Actually he was very unimpressed with the Grady

 

[marine4003]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

The issues he has with alot of boats is the sloppy work in the "No-See " area's.builders dont take the time to sweat the details and buyers dont look. The reason he likes some boats and dismisses all the others is due to the details,

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

True. And as we all know, the devil is in the details

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

Decent enough site but just like everthing else, taken with a grain of salt. Unless you own a Hatteras or a Grady White you are stupid, you own junk, and you are too retarded to enjoy boating. That's my take on him.

i agree with you 100%
anyone so biased on certain subjects-brands of boats, lacks the objectivity to give good advice to anyone.
i don't think every boat manufactured in the u s, needs to be sea worthy enough, to have to make a open ocean crossing in gale conditions to be considered a good boat or brand.

i read his stuff when before buying a few years ago and didn't understand a lot of the complaints he would log.
the longer I'm around boating and in-land boating the bigger grain of salt i take, if i do come across any of his material.

i will say this. i bought a sea ray boat in spite, or to spite him and haven't been the least bit dis-pleased with it.

all so it has flailed to rot out, out cave-in. de-laminate, or other wise suffer a catastrophic live threatening failure of the hull. but keep in mind, this hull is only 21 years old so we still do have a few years for these disasters to occur. if i had followed his lead i never would have owned a S-R in the first place to find this out for my self.

 

[Philster]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

Link won't work!

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

LOL - I enjoy reading Pascoe. No doubt he's got a lot of experience but he sure does come across as a grumpy, opinionated sob, sometimes.

Of course, if you compare the build quality of all but the highest of the high end boats to something like a car -- fit and finish really is abysmal by comparison.

 

[Bronc Rider]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

The link works for me.
I agree with the article. I tear apart several boats a year and what he writes about is all true. I work professionally with fiberglass and as a hobby I mess with old boats (10 years or older usually). The company I work for specializes in structural FRP. We make all kinds corrosion proof parts that support different things in the industrial side of construction. I can easily tell you that many "good brands" are built like total crap. Almost seems like they didnt care if hulls stayed together.
I never undestood either why they called them FRP boats when they have so much putty as the main material used. For the most part we cant avoid crappy boats because almost everyone uses that method for construction. Some boats that I have repaired required me to grind/sandblast almost to the gelcoat. Its always the same way too. I will be able to feel a little delamination but, when I start removing material I will notice it wasnt delamination. Its freaking putty/foam turned to mush. By the time I finish adding glass to the hull it ends up solid and heavy. Just like the ones they used to build back in the day.
I also agree with his attitude about Sea Rays.

 

[werthert]

Re: Expert Advice from a Yacht Surveyor

The link works for me.
I agree with the article.

Just like the ones they used to build back in the day.
I also agree with his attitude about Sea Rays.

I do not question if he is right. I question what he fails to say.
That is if we want an ocean going vessel that has all the details right (1)our choice in the market is severely limited and (2)the price we have to pay to get it is beyond most boaters reach.

As I said, valuable sight but needs to be read for what it is. My income doesn't demand nor allow for boating of his caliber. If you make your living off the water then I understand... just saying recreational boaters don't, therefore insert salt. As with everything concerning boats, it's what you're doing on the water and what you expect out of it.