| Boat values are plainly matters of keen interest to | | | | apparent extremes and small keel root footprints, |
| Buyers in 'used boat land'. Production yachts | | | | combined with inadequate floor structures; floors being |
| manufactured in factories, seem to hold their value | | | | the transverse structural members that distribute keel |
| better than most. But one would have to question how | | | | loads to the hull. |
| come. People who know boats and have worked in | | | | Substantial floors not only cost to produce, but they |
| repair yards have had opinions for years, that some of | | | | impinge upon the lifestyle critical requirements of head |
| the big brands are sailing 'accessories' all marketing | | | | room and interior volume. The market deems lifestyle |
| hype and little substance. | | | | features to be critical whereas strength and |
| As proof of the point, the set of pictures presently in | | | | seaworthy design are apparently secondary. In all of |
| the public domain, of a modern production yacht | | | | this 'normal usage' apparently isn't meant to include |
| somewhere in the Mediterranean, with it's rig collapsed | | | | grounding mishaps. |
| and a gaping hole in the bow where the fore-stay | | | | Trouble is; 'normal usage' does include grounding |
| fitting was... throws a filthy great spanner into the | | | | mishaps and lots of them in the course of the life of a |
| works of production yacht values. | | | | sail-boat. |
| This production yacht didn't hit anything but rather the | | | | Your author during a recent sailing trip from north |
| bow sheared off as a result of 'rig tension' exposing | | | | Queensland to Tasmania, entered Great Sandy Strait |
| an extraordinarily flimsy, paper thin layup. | | | | one night just before dawn. Feeling a bit frazzled after |
| Is the name production yacht you're about to buy, as | | | | a trying night, I was somewhat less than fully attentive. |
| good as... and possibly about to become...landfill? | | | | My Partner was asleep below and we were headed |
| This gaping hole & cardboard thin layup is essentially | | | | to an anchorage just a few miles further into the Strait. |
| the outcome of forces set in train by economics and | | | | All in all it wasn't a wonderful time to have my 'eye off |
| marketing perceptions, mandating what boats are | | | | the ball', because with the current running at 4kts and |
| supposed to be all about in today's World. To this | | | | sailing wing and wing with a poled out Genny driving |
| unfortunate mix, is added a large dose of 'designer | | | | the boat at 8kts, we were doing nigh on 12 kts over |
| influence'. | | | | the ground. |
| All of this complicates the issue of boat values and the | | | | Altogether not ideal circumstances to make a |
| buying process. The market might value production | | | | navigation mistake; but make it I did, with the result that |
| boats highly, but this isn't going to help if the boat you | | | | 8.5 tons of sail-boat hit a sand bank at full tilt. |
| acquire is prone to structural failure that might put it on | | | | Getting off that bank was anything but an |
| the rocks if not on the bottom. | | | | entertainment during the following hours, but at least |
| Moreover 'designer influence' has driven all kinds of | | | | there was no damage to the boat. Had the boat |
| anomalies in design and construction. As a boat Buyer | | | | however, not possessed a long keel shape and heavy |
| you might well find this shocking. If it isn't shocking, it | | | | floors, but rather a narrow section foil with a bulb, this |
| should be. | | | | grounding would have torn the bottom out of the hull. |
| Having been involved in boat repairs for some years | | | | Of course you may say that you would never be so |
| however, I am neither shocked nor surprised! I have | | | | careless as to hit the ground at full speed. But the |
| worked on production boats similar to the vessel | | | | inconvenient truth is that if you go cruising, you will run |
| depicted with hull sections so thin and flexible at deck | | | | aground! I have run aground more times than I can |
| level that the laminate could be flexed with the fingers | | | | count over the years and I consider myself to be |
| of one hand. | | | | more cautious than most. It will happen; you can bet on |
| The 'hull to deck' joint is a notable stress point on a | | | | it! |
| GRP hull. Weakness and flexing at this point is one | | | | In fact many racing yachts with serious keel problems; |
| reason why so many GRP yachts eventually leak at | | | | have not even experienced a grounding. These |
| the hull deck joint. Leaks here can be destructive to | | | | structures have failed, as a consequence of mere |
| interior furniture and difficult to remediate down the | | | | sailing stresses. |
| track. | | | | As Buyer, you need to be aware that a boat that |
| But to return to our expensive European brand name | | | | cannot take the treatment will end up as land-fill, |
| yacht, these boats have delivered their owners more | | | | sooner if not later. |
| than their fair share of keel problems. These problems | | | | Once upon a time boats and yachts in particular were |
| which are apt to have serious consequences; | | | | designed either by Naval Architects or Boat Builders |
| essentially derive from the same root source; namely | | | | who were often even more savvy than the former. |
| light construction, the striving for interior volume and the | | | | The focus of their attention in those days was upon |
| push for speed. Pre GFC, this European manufacturer, | | | | sailing ability and seaworthiness. Among the many |
| was pumping out 8000 units a year on a production | | | | novel (in modern terms) attributes of boats built by |
| line reminiscent of Henry Ford's famous 1903 Model T | | | | such people is that when knocked down, they actually |
| facility whereby you could have any color Model T | | | | popped back up. Moreover the idea that a keel might |
| you liked, so long as it was black. | | | | fall off... was utterly unheard of in those days. Boats |
| Old time Shipwrights familiar with the way boats were | | | | were built to last 100 years or more. |
| once built, gasp with incredulity at structural deficiencies | | | | Keels falling off are almost routine events. Racing |
| typified by these photographs. Where are the | | | | yachts knocked down, or heaven forbid knocked right |
| scantlings? Where is the reinforced lay-up? | | | | over, have a nasty tendency to stay upside-down, |
| The answer is that it ain't there... cause it don't exist! | | | | long enough to drown crew members tethered to the |
| Structural integrity has been subsumed by 'designer | | | | deck and/or to sink before those trapped inside can |
| influence'. Maybe this is what Nathanael Herreshoff | | | | execute their escape. |
| was thinking, when he famously said way back, that: | | | | Occasionally boat Builders are prosecuted when lives |
| "frozen snot and bandages is no way to build a boat". | | | | are lost, but are these individuals simply a handy |
| It's kinda looking like old Nat had a certain prescient | | | | scapegoat? Well might you wonder. |
| insight that escaped most everyone else at that time. | | | | If you are an intending sail-boat Owner, hopefully |
| From the viewpoint of production economics, if you | | | | catastrophic failure will not eventuate during your |
| can dispense with those tedious and expensive | | | | ownership. And hopefully the boat will not drown you |
| craftsmen/tradesmen/artists who used to be called | | | | or anyone crewing for you during your period of |
| 'boat builders' and all you need is a kid with his hat on | | | | ownership. But these are real risks associated with |
| backwards and able to point a chopper gun, then you'll | | | | modern designs. As a Buyer you need to be cognizant |
| cut your costs to the bone. But will the product be one | | | | of the issues before you sign on the dotted line. |
| that the Owner can rely upon when push comes to | | | | The point is: what are you really buying and for what |
| shove in a seaway? | | | | intended purpose"? Will the boat you have in mind |
| Something profoundly disturbing has occurred in boat | | | | really do the job? As a prospective boat Buyer this is |
| building and design. It's an unhappy collision between | | | | the shape of at least one discussion, that could literally |
| the 'go fast' mentality and demands of a luxury lifestyle | | | | if not figuratively; save your bacon. |
| afloat. The outcome is light construction taken to | | | | |