Would You Buy a Boat With Termites ?

[SS Little-Devil]

Just curious as to whether or not anyone here would even consider a boat that had termites aboard? I am told by the broker that termites are quite common in SoCal and that most boats have had them at one point. I have also been told that they should not be a concern if they are dealt with promptly and that tenting will eradicate them. Is this true? My gut tells me that buying a boat that has termites aboard at all is a really bad start to the process, and no matter how much of a deal the boat might be, since I'll be investing another $30,000 into the boat, that I could lose my investment entirely, as it might be hard to sell a boat that has had termites. I'm also leery about selling a boat like that without disclosing it. I don't want to be that kind of seller, no do I want to be sued later. Lastly, since I will be sailing the boat to and selling it in Australia, I'm concerned that if I have a recurrence, or even if there is evidence of a past problem, I might get my boat quarantined or worse in OZ when I arrive.

I'm interested to any and all opinions on this subject.

[David M]

Is it a wood boat or a non-wood boat with a wood interior?

How bad is bad? Is the damage extensive?

Australia is very pretty serious about bringing in non-native species.

[SS Little-Devil]

It's a fiberglass boat with a wood interior. So far they are in the mahogany, but not really sure where else. The plywood in the boats, like the settees seem to be pretty cored out. The surveyor said that it was just bad laminating, but I could see from end to the other through the plywood sheets in some areas and if you sat on the quarter births with no cushions it felt like you were going to fall through. There was no termite crap under them but it might have been cleaned up...

[S/V Alchemy]

I dunno. How do you feel about gonorrhea in your sleeping partners?

[Mr B]

AQIS are very thorough when it it comes to Termites,

Nearly 3 hours checking out my boat for termites, Fibreglass with wooden interior panels,

Approx $600-00 AUD for Termite inspector and AQIS officer to be there as well,

They will tent your boat and gas it if you do have termites, This will cost a couple of grand,

If you do have termites, How far are they through your boat, ?????????

Termites, plus wood, = Dust, = replace wood,

Redgum railway sleeper takes 2 years to become dust, Totally gone,

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I dunno. How do you feel about gonorrhea in your sleeping partners?

Sorry but that's the best answer i've seen on this forum +10000000

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I dunno. How do you feel about gonorrhea in your sleeping partners?

ROFL, i dont think AQIS is even that understanding

Frequently asked questions - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

[Boracay]

You need to be able to determine the extent of the damage and the cost of fixing it together with the cost getting rid of the termites.

I'd also be concerned about living in a poisoned boat.

I'd be thinking that termites in warm moist conditions could do a lot of damage very fast.

When I was looking at boats those that had magnificent interior woodwork sold for a premium price that was way beyond my pocket or comprehension.

You're looking for a boat to sail across the Pacific. Structurally and equipment wise that's a big ask. Even if the termites appear minor the risk of hidden damage to a key component would make an infested boat unacceptable.

You may not like the latter model Beneteaus and the like but structurally ones like the Oceanis may be rated for what you want to do. They also have minimal wood.

[tager]

There are plenty of fish in the sea, and decidedly less boats, but there are still plenty of boats on the sea, too.

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by tager

There are plenty of fish in the sea, and decidedly less boats, but there are still plenty of boats on the sea, too.

+1. Same goes for brokers

[Geoduck]

Termites are nothing compared to the polyestermites that get into your glass hull!

[SkiprJohn]

If you tent the boat and kill the termites then repair the damage there shouldn't be a problem, however, that's a lot of work you really don't need to do if you find a boat that doesn't have the damage. Squishy decks and coring could be dry rot or wet coring or termites. I'd choose a boat without these problems to begin with. I've replaced a good deal of the wood on my boat because of carpenter bees, termites and dry rot and believe me it is no fun.
kind regards,

[mrohr]

Had termites in two buildings I owned, did some research and found out that they actually live in the ground and only feed above it by building mud tubes to get to the wood food above.
Sooo I'm wondering if its really termites;was the boat on the hard for long time?
FWIW: I nuked the soil around buildings and presto ,no termites.

[Lagoon4us]

Sounds like borers, those little guys that drill superfine holes every where. Termites to an Aussie simply demolish the timber preferring pine won't touch cedar due to the natural poisons in it.

Termites create large area's of eaten wood over here they are fat little buggers and you can actually hear them gnawing away the internals of the house.

MROHR is correct they need an earth path whereas borers dont...

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

If you tent the boat and kill the termites then repair the damage there shouldn't be a problem,

But he plans to sell the boat in OZ

If they detect any termite damage or any other sign of any imported nasty it will cost $$$$$. Many of these costs are regardless of the value of the boat, he is talking about a $30 000 boat so those costs will be high%