How Old is Too Old - the boat, not me?

[Tony B]

I am thinking of looking at a 40 year old trawler. I read somewhere back a while that 40-50 year old boats can have fiberglass failure at that age. The failure might not be noticeable while actually crumbling inside or separating inside the glass which implies that it could disintegrate. I guess that can in a round about way be similar to 'metal fatigue' or wood fiber separation.
Anyone know anything about this?

 

[Mac2]

I would think that would show up on a visual inspection. Otherwise the survey with hammer tapping and moisture meter should catch any issues. The bigger problem is the core material. Any screw into fiberglass is a potential for water intrusion.

 

[tiltrider1]

At some point even Glass boats must die. Looking at Hatteras’s built in the 60’s I don’t think it is going to be at the 60 or even the 70 year mark.

 

[Mambo42]

My boat is 46 years old at this time, almost everything has been renewed, but the good part is that the older boats were built much stronger than the newer boats. In the old days they still had the idea: 'better safe than sorry'.
My hull is still safe and sound, but the deck will be replaced and the core repaired next spring. I have soft spots in the deck, so that needs to be done. Guess that is the result from screwing teak into the GRP sandwhich.

One thing I would worry about is the quality of the electricity cables. I never knew, but a cable producer told me that electricity cables also have a life span and you should calculate with about 20 years. On my boat quite a few cables were literally crumbling when I bought the boat, so I had it rewired for the larger part.

 

[PierreR]

The disintegration of fiberglass boat stories probably comes from severe blistering of hulls over time. An old boat that has not been properly sealed can have issues.
I have a 47 year old boat. The fiberglass is fine, soft decks are fixed. Wiring was always tops in Hatteras and a good share of the reason I bought a Hatteras.

 

[KnotYet]

My boat is 40 years old and the fiberglass condition is the last thing I worry about!

Re: electrical wires,
There are so many different materials used as electric cable insulation and jacketing
that I don't think generalization of their useful life makes much sense.
I've used military and NASA surplus wires that were 50 or more years old and they looked new.
Just keep them dry and out of bright sun.

On my boat I'm re-using the electrical cables for my new replacement generator. They are
25 or more years old but look and feel just fine. Has anyone replaced their home AC wires?

 

[Dockmaster]

My boat is 32 years old and arguably better built than many today. I would focus more on the build quality and how well it has been kept. Trying to generalize an age range will potentially have you miss out on some great boats at better values.

 

[Jeff F]

At some point even Glass boats must die. Looking at Hatteras’s built in the 60’s I don’t think it is going to be at the 60 or even the 70 year mark.

Yep. But I don't think many will be ultimately condemned by fiberglass failure. It's all the components and systems reaching end of life that'll be terminal.

I think a classic design fiberglass boat could have an indeterminately long life, with care and maintenance. The fiberglass on an old boat would be one of the least of my concerns. But bulkheads, stringers, hoses, just about everything else have to be carefully examined. Also decks can become big problem over time with coring deterioration.

Lots of reasons not to buy an old boat, but if you do I'd say glass is one of the safer choices.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Mine will be 47 in a few months. Hull good, decks good, steering (chain-sprocket-cable) good. Drive alignment good (turn props by hand). Engines start 1 second, transmissions smooth.

Yeah, the basic frame good.

Replaced all the batteries, all the stereo stuff, all the chargers, inverters and ER electronics. New fridge and going new HVAC next year.

 

[Comodave]

I would not be particularly concerned about the fiberglass but rather the things attached to the fiberglass. Like deck cores, bulkheads, stringers windows, etc. i have never heard of fiberglass disintegrating so to speak. But the wood around the fiberglass is certainly a place for deterioration. Get a good surveyor and be present when the survey happens. I always want to spend the better part of a day alone on the boat before the survey to look for things on my own. Then make a list of suspected items. Discuss them with the surveyor as well as the surveyors items.

 

[Celestialsailor]

I believe who ever is advocating that F/G deteriorate in 40-50 years is full of it and as it has been mentioned, Older boats were overbuilt with solid f/g rather than cored. And...that was mentioned teak decks over glass/ply deck can be a disaster. I have restored sailboat from the 60's and the hulls were never a problem.

 

[Jerry formally Epoxy Lady]

My 1985 43 ALBIN hull was hard as a rock w no blisters. She had no teak decks. Biggest issue I had was monitoring and repairing window leaks to protect interior finish and deck house core.

 

[O C Diver]

I had a 1973 or 1975 Bruno and Stillman. In addition to being close to 50 years old and a balsa cored hull, it was solid with a totally dry core. Back then builders didn't know the strength of fiberglass and tended to use many more layers than was necessary. This is also true of many of the Taiwan boats of the 70s and 80s.

While there are lots of things that may need to be reworked, if this was a common boat or a known boat builder, there should be lots of information available on hull quality.

Ted

 

[slowgoesit]

Age is of less concern to me than original build quality, and foremost, current condition and past maintenance.
Having said that, some insurance companies may limit insurance, or chose not to insure at all past a certain age. Differs depending on which insurance companies you are talking to.

Our boat will be 44 years old next year, and I have zero concerns regarding the fiberglass . . .

 

[dutch-barge]

I am thinking of looking at a 40 year old trawler. I read somewhere back a while that 40-50 year old boats can have fiberglass failure at that age. The failure might not be noticeable while actually crumbling inside or separating inside the glass which implies that it could disintegrate. I guess that can in a round about way be similar to 'metal fatigue' or wood fiber separation.
Anyone know anything about this?

Another reason why to stick with STEEL, Our boat is ONLY 91 years old and still running perfectly. Yes there are some dents in, YES she destroyed a wooden dock but still going strong

 

[Iggy]

Before you buy the boat. I would look for a Ins. Co. first. The cost could be high and they may not want to cover it.

 

[Carriem1102]

We have had two sailboats of 40 and 50 years old. No issues. I would be more concerned with the fuel tanks on an old boat. Fibreglass and modern ethanol fuel is not a good combination. Black iron would likely need replacing and even aluminium at that age may well be on its last legs. Surveyors cannot necessarily see all round the tanks to check them, only noting if they are obviously degrading or leaking. If access to change out those tanks is limited, as it is on many boats, then it will be very, very expensive to do, requiring removal of interior fittings and floor, possibly moving engines or accessing through the exterior hull, cutting a hole in the fibreglass. It really depends on the layout of the boat but something to think about when viewing boats.

 

[Captain DJ]

My 51-year-old Cheoy Lee is ROCK SOLID with no coring in the heavily built hull. Plus, she came from Hong Kong (better than Taiwan, methinks) and has integrated (650 gallons) fuel and (400 gallons) water tanks, plus 4 watertight bilge bulkheads. This makes it a pain to deal with the 4 zones of bilge pumps/floats/egress tubing, etc., but makes it hard to sink. The chain locker up front has no bilge pump, but I have a high-capacity crash pump if the uber thick portion of the blister-free hull ever gets in a crash with an unmovable submerged object.

 

[TrailerTrash]

My boat turns 50 next year. I'm about eight years ahead of it. I'm about 99% sure that it will outlast me by a few decades.

 

[Ken E.]

My Hatteras is 54 years old and is built like a brick. The fiberglass hull is the last thing I worry about, and about everything else has been replaced to renew it. Great boat.

 

[sunchaser]

Most responders have older boats on this thread. Thus, and rightfully so, they love their old boats. FRP hulls don’t concern me on older boats. It is the build quality, systems, design, access, safety, materials of construction and seaworthiness than reign supreme in my book.

It really comes down to budget if you’re a buyer. Then are you an experienced project boat person looking for a yard hobby or a cruiser who wants to safely head to Alaska in the Spring? Quite simply, older boats with a multitude of owners is a greater risk than a one owner boat that has seen solid TLC.

Yup, more to it than FRP per se.

 

[SteveK]

Members of the forum have from new to 50+ year old boats. I wonder if there is a proportional representation of all boats floating in each age category.

So I started this thread to find out

 

[Mako]

This is a good subject and I hope it continues on.

As I'm considering my next boat, hopefully my last, for bluewater cruising, one vessel type that I've viewed (multiple offerings) is the Hatteras 58LRC. However those are pushing about 50 years old at this point. I would need to implement a complete rebuild (repower, generator, inverter, stabilizers, HVAC, pumps, refurb cosmetics, soft deck repairs, etc.) and honestly question if it's worth it. Although the basic fiberglass hull structure may be strong, logically there are going to be all sorts of hidden issue.

 

[Don L]

I think age is like shopping a brand name. It matters less that what condition the boat is in NOW. So age is at least half based on the owners. I have been looking at boats and the main thing about "old" boats I am concerned about are tanks because eveything else can be determined.

 

[cfr]

in my marina in antwerpen there are four boats older than 100 years.....2 wood and 2 steel.....

 

[TJM]

Someone mentioned Insurance risk of older boats. Too bad some of the big players are not reading and learning, like we do. My Taiwan made trawler was build in 1982, yup 44 yrs old. I am amazed at the integrity of these old yards. I replaced my refrigerator a few years ago. I was hesitant as I removed it from the galley, wondering what I would find. Marine grade plywood and solid lumber behind where no one would look. The pocket was beautifully finished, with integrated fan (air flow) from the factory. In my 20 yrs of ownership the boat has never been out of commission yr round.
While many of my dock neighbors, with newer high end boats are staying at the dock due to drive issues, sensor issues, leaks in there bulkhead fittings etc.....
Ok, I have some leaky windows...........lol. Solid fiberglass all around.

 

[TrailerTrash]

My 1976 is built well. I figure the engine was being cast somewhere around the time when Nixon was being pardoned by Ford. It wouldn't have made fifty years if it wasn't built solid. There is an end for everything but the bones on my boat are solid. Much more so than newer boats I'm around. And most of these systems you fix them, and they are good for another period of known reliability. It is like an old house. It can be a nightmare, or it can be something that has been maintained and upgraded on a regular basis.

 

[Delta Riverat]

Yeah, Bones.

When I had her hauled for bottom paint, through hulls and shaft packing, the yard boss said the hull looks good. I was also worried about a soft grounding the PO did and he said it didn't even go through the gel coat. He took it out for a short spin to check the packing repair and he said "I like this boat and I'm not a trawler guy"

Yeah, I like her too -

 

[FlyWright]

FlyWright's at 48 years young and still going strong. Of course, systems need to be maintained/modified/updated as on any boat. What I like in my 1977 Californian 34LRC hull (Hull #1) is that "it's built like a tank" in the words of designer and builder Jule Marshall in a phone call years ago about my boat being Hull #1.

He told me that in those early years, they really didn't know how thick they needed to make the hull, so they grossly 'overbuilt' the hull. It has served me well in our relatively shallow waters of the California Delta and SF Bay as I've found myself aground more times than I care to admit!

Since I've owned this boat for over 18 years, I'm now starting to repair systems I installed/repaired/modified long ago. I guess that's just part of the fun of trawlering.