Thru Hulls and the survey

[sopwith camel]

So, the surveyor is busy surveying the bottom of the boat, since the seller has it on the hard to be cleaned and painted. We're not there for this part, but will be there next week for the rest of the survey.

Got a phone call from the surveyor, with the seller, a conference call kind of thing, and the surveyor says all the thru hulls need to be replaced. Seller wants to know if we will split the bill. My knee jerk reaction is NO, its your boat and you're trying to sell it to me why should I pay for a maintenance item?

Wrong reaction? What would you do? They are getting an estimate from the yard to see how much it would cost to replace all. Waiting to see....

[sestina]

Wait until you've got the full report back. Then reject the boat or negotiate.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by sopwith camel

... Wrong reaction? What would you do? They are getting an estimate from the yard to see how much it would cost to replace all. Waiting to see....

You want to negotiate a firm offer, based upon all deficiencies, not dicker piecemeal, 1 item at a time.

I'd wait to see the estimate (should be a "firm" QUOTATION), and judge my position based upon percentage of total value of boat, and all OTHER noted deficiencies.

[bstreep]

Yup, wait for the FULL survey. Once you tell the owner you will pay part of it, you've committed to pay, whether or not you actually go thru with the purchase.

[sopwith camel]

Thanks for the input. I guess the problem is, the boat is out of the water now, having her bottom painted and the cost would be less to do it now rather than wait to have her pulled again. When we go do the rest of the survey with the surveyor next week, the boat will be back in the water. Still wait for the final survey? Even if it means hauling her out yet again?

[bstreep]

No, I think you are looking at this all wrong. The owner HAS to replace the thru hulls now. He has no choice. If he now loses the boat once it goes into the water, his insurance company won't pay.

Now, let's just say he decides not to replace them anyway. Now, the negotiation is the cost of the thru hull installation, including haul out. He'll pay more later, than if he did it now.

Unless you've fallen in love with this deal - and one never should - be prepared to walk away. It's a buyer's market. Remember, Economics 101 says you've already spent the surveyor fee - it's already gone, so it doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by bstreep

Yup, wait for the FULL survey. Once you tell the owner you will pay part of it, you've committed to pay, whether or not you actually go thru with the purchase.

Say WHAT? I agree with the idea of waiting for the whole survey before any negotiations happen, but there is not a court in the US that would enforce such a reading of the law, unless the purcahse contract was drafted in a VERY strange way.

Unless of course you were foolish enough to have the work done before the purchase was finalized...

[Sailormann]

I am surprised that the vendor would have the temerity to suggest that you pay half of the cost required to compensate for his poor maintenance schedule. Bstreep is right. The work has to be done, as it is going to be noted by any surveyor looking at the boat.

I would take it as an indication that the current owner may not have been very conscientious about upkeep and that there may well be other issues with the boat.

Definitely wait until the complete survey comes in.

Don't buy a boat with bad thru-hulls, unless the cost of repairing those thru-hulls has been deducted from the agreed-upon purchase price. This is exactly the reason that we use surveyors. We find a boat we like. We decide what it is worth to us in great condition. We offer to pay the vendor that amount if the survey comes back fairly clean. If it doesn't - the price changes or we walk.

Good Luck !

[Vasco]

Boy, the seller sure has a lot of nerve! But I guess nothing ventured nothing gained. The complete survey should make interesting reading.

[MarkJ]

You want to buy the boat or not?

Of course the survey will come up with a millon deficicencies but unless you are buying a new boat then they will be wear and tear items.

If its problems are a deal breaker go buy another boat. If they are not a deal breaker buy this one.

If I were selling a boat I would not drop the price because of a survey report. The report is to tell the buyer what the boat is like. The current owner knows what it is like or should know.

[Ex-Calif]

Wow - Mark! Making progress. How cool! In the pacific already.

So the boat is getting bottom paint while it is out. I presume the seller is doing that as part of his maintenance schedule and hope you don't have any money in that game.

I would tell the seller that he should get them fixed (on his nickel) as they need to be fixed whether you buy the boat or not. Then take the entire survey, the new bottom paint and the new throughhulls/seacocks into account when making your total offer, if you choose to do so.

You aren't his boat partner so you shouldn't be sharing in his maintenance costs.

If he chooses to not do the throughhulls and it's a dealbreaker, go find another boat.

[Tampabayfireman]

OK, question is why wasnt the rest of the survey already done prior to haulout? The haulout on mine was the last thing done, so that if it didnt pass muster up to that point, i wasnt out a haul out.

[MidLandOne]

While I agree with what others have said another possibility to consider is that the surveyor is wrong.

With some things, including through hulls, some surveyors have long maintained personal opinions about them which do not stand up to pragmatic scrutiny or are at least contestable. I do become suspicious when a surveyor says "All" of the thru hulls have to be replaced and I would want to know why - it may be that they are all rubbish or it maybe just that he does not like that material or design for reasons not based on pragmatism.

If this has happened here, then maybe that is why the seller is resisant to paying the full replacement cost. Not saying any of that is the case here cos I have no way of knowing, so just suggesting it as something to keep in mind if not already thought of.

If you are keen on the boat and the thru hulls are the deal breaker I would be inclined to get a second opinion from another surveyor with respect to them. If he is of the same opinion that they should be replaced you then have more strength in your argument that the seller should pay for their replacement - if the seller then doesn't agree I would walk away from the boat.

[psteele235]

Originally Posted by sopwith camel

and the surveyor says all the thru hulls need to be replaced.

I would be very sceptical of this boat if my surveyor told me that. Is this a construction defect? A maintenance problem? What's next - replace the keel?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by psteele235

I would be very sceptical of this boat if my surveyor told me that. Is this a construction defect? A maintenance problem? What's next - replace the keel?

I agree with MLO and PSteele as well.

I would be sceptical of "having" to replace all but if I were going to replace 3 I might do them all as the boat is out anyway.

Additionally this type of hardware deteriorates slowly and even if they do "need" replacing, they might go 2 more years.

If it is about design then the surveyor is up a tree. We had one piece thruhull/stopcocks and we "chose" to change to proper thruhulls and threaded stopcocks. It's easier to maintain IMO. We didn't ask nor expect the previous owner to do that.