Rotted floor/stringers on 1999 370. Help!

[Golfman25]

I wonder if you could buy a special insurance product for something like this. I gotta figure there's some kind of "integrity of purchased goods" policy that would pay off if a thing of some kind was found to be seriously flawed.

Of course it would come with a ton of strings attached -- like you might have to pay for the insurer's surveyor to do their own survey, damage capped at half the purchase price, etc, and it would be a spendy policy with a narrow time window for payout (they're not paying off 3 years later).

That might be a tough one to underwrite.

 

[Blueone]

That might be a tough one to underwrite.

You think?

 

[Jdawgin]

As I said, the question will be the extent. But good luck with your search.

Yes not easy. My boat has been dry stored 75% of its life so definitely no rot.

Some nice looking boats out there but so many hidden basket cases out there. People neglect their boat and then pay for a major detail and put it for sale.

 

[mobocracy]

That might be a tough one to underwrite.

I mean it sounds like a ridiculous risk to cover, but in theory any risk can be insured if the actuarial risk is known and the policy price charged covers the loss payouts.

If you think hidden damage can't be profitably insured against, I guess I'd wonder what real value a surveyor is supposed to have, especially if they can hand-wave away not finding some kinds of flaws. Obviously rotten stringers, decks and hulls/transoms are the biggest risks and can be hard to detect without destructive testing, probably stringers in particular without destructive testing (tapping small holes and checking for rot).

Is this something people squabble over in larger boat sales? Buyer: I need to drill these holes to check for rot. Seller: No, visual inspection only. And then relentless back and forth over pricing adjustments for the uncertainty? I can see why sellers are unenthusiastic about such tests but it seems like its where pricing negotiation would break down because the discount for this level of uncertainty has to be high due the nature of the problem's repair.

But then it also makes me wonder -- can you detect hidden rot with high tech tools? Like an ultrasound machine, x-ray or some other high tech way?

 

[dwna1a]

This maybe a very dumb question and I may get fussed at by the folks that know better than me.

The stringers (not the plywood) could they be injected? I’m asking after talking with my neighbors. We talked about this yesterday, they did a Carver engine stringer. It hardened and worked very well till the boat was sold. I just looked at the Inject a Deck, it is a structural foam. Would this work in this situation?

 

[Jdawgin]

I mean it sounds like a ridiculous risk to cover, but in theory any risk can be insured if the actuarial risk is known and the policy price charged covers the loss payouts.

If you think hidden damage can't be profitably insured against, I guess I'd wonder what real value a surveyor is supposed to have, especially if they can hand-wave away not finding some kinds of flaws. Obviously rotten stringers, decks and hulls/transoms are the biggest risks and can be hard to detect without destructive testing, probably stringers in particular without destructive testing (tapping small holes and checking for rot).

Is this something people squabble over in larger boat sales? Buyer: I need to drill these holes to check for rot. Seller: No, visual inspection only. And then relentless back and forth over pricing adjustments for the uncertainty? I can see why sellers are unenthusiastic about such tests but it seems like its where pricing negotiation would break down because the discount for this level of uncertainty has to be high due the nature of the problem's repair.

But then it also makes me wonder -- can you detect hidden rot with high tech tools? Like an ultrasound machine, x-ray or some other high tech way?

Similar to home inspections.

In the case of rot this is example of buyer should just walk away. Once survey showed it, imo he did his job of raising red flag and let the seller deal with the degree of badness.

Sadly, boat manufacturers still do dumb things with drainage that could otherwise be made more fool proof as to drains. No hidden pockets, no hidden drain lines you can’t access, etc. Make it so bilges can be dry no need to have standing water.

 

[Jdawgin]

This maybe a very dumb question and I may get fussed at by the folks that know better than me.

The stringers (not the plywood) could they be injected? I’m asking after talking with my neighbors. We talked about this yesterday, they did a Carver engine stringer. It hardened and worked very well till the boat was sold. I just looked at the Inject a Deck, it is a structural foam. Would this work in this situation?

Im more if a “rip it out and put in new glass” mindset.

No way I’d want a repair like that nor would I want to buy a boat with such a repair.

 

[Golfman25]

I mean it sounds like a ridiculous risk to cover, but in theory any risk can be insured if the actuarial risk is known and the policy price charged covers the loss payouts.

If you think hidden damage can't be profitably insured against, I guess I'd wonder what real value a surveyor is supposed to have, especially if they can hand-wave away not finding some kinds of flaws. Obviously rotten stringers, decks and hulls/transoms are the biggest risks and can be hard to detect without destructive testing, probably stringers in particular without destructive testing (tapping small holes and checking for rot).

Is this something people squabble over in larger boat sales? Buyer: I need to drill these holes to check for rot. Seller: No, visual inspection only. And then relentless back and forth over pricing adjustments for the uncertainty? I can see why sellers are unenthusiastic about such tests but it seems like its where pricing negotiation would break down because the discount for this level of uncertainty has to be high due the nature of the problem's repair.

But then it also makes me wonder -- can you detect hidden rot with high tech tools? Like an ultrasound machine, x-ray or some other high tech way?

Issues can be found and frequently are. The problem with boats is access. Many areas aren’t readily accessible and that makes it difficult to find everything.

 

[Golfman25]

This maybe a very dumb question and I may get fussed at by the folks that know better than me.

The stringers (not the plywood) could they be injected? I’m asking after talking with my neighbors. We talked about this yesterday, they did a Carver engine stringer. It hardened and worked very well till the boat was sold. I just looked at the Inject a Deck, it is a structural foam. Would this work in this situation?

They frequently are. There is a company called dry boat that will drill holes and dry the stringer out. Then fill the holes with epoxy.