Cold molded construction?

[LovetoBoat]

So you started out with due to the lack of boats you are looking at cold molded.


I put a down payment on a beautiful cold molded boat - I fell in love with the boat. But I paid for an expert cold molded surveyor and he told me straight up he could not let me buy the boat - it was not sea worthy. It failed for a split keel and softness through out the hull. The owner was aghast could not believe what he was being told. He bought the boat down south in the warmer climates (I think SC) and took it to MA. The issue was not necessarily rot but the freezing cycle once the water intrusion occurred. Unless you have the money to correct any fractures or splits in the fiberglass coating - do not buy a composite boat.




I did not care that I spent the money on the surveyor but the boats that are left after COVID are not the best of shape. Buyer Beware - the boat and the maintenance are the critical points...


I ended up buying fiberglass but wanted cold molded... still do but I dont have the money or patience to send the boat in every other winter for someone to inspect and fix hull issues...

 

[Arc]

Someday maybe sooner then later, you will want to sell . There will be a very very limited audience. For that reason alone I would not buy a wood boat by any name.

 

[Jon H]

Sam Devlin has been building "stitch & glue" epoxy / wood boats for
decades in the PNW.

https://devlinboat.com
https://www.facebook.com/DevlinBoat/

You can follow his builds on FB, very interesting to watch.


https://www.jarrettbay.com/carolina-construction/custom-yachts/hull-66/66-construction-gallery/

Above link is to a 66' Jarrett Bay, as others have stated, very high
end and very beautiful boats.

 

[CmdrDick]

" very high end and very beautiful boats.[/QUOTE]
----------------------
I would never denigrate anyone else's work. Quality in new construction does not come into the picture years down the road after the same boat has been weathered and beat up by the ocean.

The market is the final word on quality. The value of a used boat is not determined by the quality of the build, but rather like real estate, it is what the buyer is willing to pay and only that which determines value.

Plain and simple, the market is afraid of cold molded boats.
The prices show that every day. Occasionally, a buyer will find a boat at a price that can not be passed up, and if never again sold, can have a lifetime of quality boating. If approached with a surveyor that knows cold molding, the future can be rosy. If the surveyor has any qualms about the boat, RUN, don't walk. Be patient and wait for the right boat and a nod from your surveyor. You will sleep better after making a well thought out decision.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Short post for me.
Light = real performance.