One of our most popular shows to date has been about surveying fiberglass boats. This week, we go in a little deeper
Starting off the show, we talk about the role of the surveyor in specifying repair work. Pat Kearns says we have a generation of fiberglass boats now that has aged with all sorts repair work that has affected the condition of those boats.
“Knowing how these boats were built is the key to looking for potential failures,” she says. “If I know the age of a boat, and I know how that boat was built, I am much better prepared to survey that boat.”
Jonathan Klopman mentions that some fiberglass boats have now been in service for more than 50 years. He agrees with Kearns that it’s important to know what construction methods were used when. He also says repairers should know their resins and be able to recommend the best repair method – which is not necessarily going back to original construction, but going for the “best available” products today.
Steve Knox, looking at the survey from a claims perspective, says a good point to remember is that apparent damage may actually be poor construction or a poor repair, not the result of an accident.
Knox disagrees with Klopman’s contention that surveyors should be recommending repairs. “It’s the insured’s job to decide where and how the repair should be done.”
Klopman says he feels he has an obligation to tell his client – the insurance company – what he thinks about the best repair scenario.
Kearns says she is often asked by clients for her opinion on how a repair should be done. Her information may well tell them what they need to know to make a decision about a repair. She says she offers guidance to keep that boat in service.
Gaining the knowledge of how the boat was built in the first place is the key to what it might take to repair it. “Still, I don’t care how that deck was built, when it comes to rebuilding, it needs to be done to current accepted practices,” saysKearns.
Klopman offers another case study of attempting to repair a Sea Ray the way it was built. “Using new materials, we ended up with a stronger part, that was also made at a lower cost. It helps, too, to get your hands dirty by working with fiberglass.”
There are many ways to do innovative repairs that can prevent a return-to-orginal-condition repair from ending up costing more than the boat is worth.
As repairers look at the broken bones and skinned knees, they can learn a lot, but again, they need to know current methods. Kearnssays, “If I should break my shoulder, I do not want it to be repaired the way it would have been done in 1944!”
One specific product that Klopman recommends in repair is peel ply, a release fabric which results in a reasonably fair surface with conventional repair methods. “But probably 80 percent of the people I tell about this don’t have any idea what I am talking about.”
Kearns says we need to know how to marry the way it was with the way it could be. “The best option is to make the old as good as new, if not better.”
One excellent resource is the WEST SYSTEM Glue U course, says Klopman. “They think in new and innovative ways.”
Knox returns to the thought that there is only so much that you can do in the field. “So what’s a surveyor to do?”
Kearns has a sizeable collection of photos showing damage, especially up close. They give us some practical information about what a surveyor will see, and how to make some observations on what is being seen.
Klopman says he sees a lot of damage claims that, on closer inspection, turn out to be old repairs or damage to keels where the work has been done sloppily.
There are a lot of similar case studies, saysKearns. “We’ve found nightmares with repairs upon repairs upon repairs.”
A great resource for people to look at coatings is the CCP “Cookbook” (application manual).
New surveyors may have a failure to recognize symptoms that are indicative of a broader problem. A seasoned surveyor will know what certain rust stains and cracks really means; a new surveyor may not have the experience to see the difference between new problems and what was already there.
Klopman says, “Call Composites One, buy stuff, and start laminating!”
