Lifespan of fibreglass hull

[Pdiddy]

Hi,
After some advice please

I’ve just started storing my brothers boat at my residence which he wants to sell.

It is a Cruise Craft Capri 533 half cabin with a Johnson 115 v4 two stroke outboard.

Boat/motor/trailer has had 68 hrs genuine use only since new which was in 1994. Brother purchased it from original owner approx. 12mths ago but now due to m split is selling. Boat has always been stored undercover.
Motor had been checked over by mechanic when brother was buying and in top condition (compression etc). Boat appears to be in vgc

The question is, I’am entertaininng the thought of maybe keeping it myself but worried about the age of the boat being 1994 vintage and whether fiberglass hulls deteriorate over time.

I probably be looking at 11 thousand.

If looked after do they last or better with something more recent

cheers

[Paj People 2009]

Hi,

No not at all! 1994 is teenager vintage for a fibreglass boat!

Especially being a Cruisecraft (yes, a bit biased here, we've got a 2005 575 Explorer).

The only thing that gelcoat will need is a good cut and polish - assuming there are no grazes or chips in it and even they can be easily fixed.

The internal wood stringers and transom are hopeully not soft and free from rot - that is the only concern.

Plus, of course the motor - an old 2 stroke will need a mechanic to go over it, but if it is in good nick ,he should have no trouble selling this boat.

Our first boat was an 80's Cruisecraft Rapide back in 1995. A great solid little boat that gave us no trouble and polished up like new.

Good luck!
Sally

[Sabre]

Pdiddy,

The Fibreglass doesnt degrade, its the timber used as structure such as the Transom, Floors, Stringers and Frames.

Providing there isnt any spongy spots, and its been well looked after, chances are itll be a good hull. There's no guarantees, but when is there.

[Alex86]

Good advice given already, I won't repeat.

Bit expensive, but you can always get the hull x-rayed to look for any problems.

Cruise craft are quality builds.

68hrs in 22ish years is very little use. Worth having a decent inspection as things could be suffering a little from lack of use.

[Pdiddy]

Thanks for advice people

Alex, any idea of the cost of hull xray offhand

Alternately is it possible for me to check for sponginess or need someone with this knowledge.

cheers

[Troy711]

Something that hasn't been mentioned, check all the rubbers and cabling to make sure it hasn't deteriorated. If it has hydraulic steering/trim, check the rams for signs of leaks.

[Alex86]

No sorry not sure on cost. It was just one of the things mentioned to me by my mechanic when I was searching for a boat years ago. Generally too prohibitive for a normal recreational boat was the rough idea.


Yep check wiring, especially anything aftermarket because they will probably be done quicker and cheaper than reputable work. Basically connections etc can corrode very quickly and your forever chasing bugs. Re wiring most things in the boat if required won't be a hard DIY job, but will be time consuming to do properly!

If you can lift any floor covering, do so and just bounce around all over the deck. If anything feels soft or spongy well that could be a problem.

Cable steering could be a bit stiff due lack of use. Cable is cheap steering but it's a pain to try and unstick! Hydraulic, check for leaks as mentioned.

Tilt/trim ram as well, can seize up/leak down etc if not used often or looked after.

[sharkcaver]

Easiest way to check is to get a qualified boat inspector out. It's like having your car independently inspected. So if it costs you $300 and it fails, you lose. It it costs $300 and comes up good, its peace of mind. Rot or osmosis is the thing to be concerned with. With 68 hours on the dial, and kept under cover, you would have to be unlucky I think.

[Alex86]

Yeah if you get serious about wanting to buy it, get an inspection done. Most boat mechanics do them. Worth the $$, bit like cheap insurance to hopefully avoid buying a lemon!

Anything that is looked after, high or low time, it should be fine.

[rotare]

I had a fiberglass boat built in the mid 80's and had some repairs done to it by a fiberglassing specialist. At the time I asked a similar question to yours, ie, how long will the fiberglass last for.

I was told it varies between different manufacturers depending on the bonding agents used in the resin, but was advised that conservatively the half life of fiberglass was easily 50 years. He pointed out that fiberglass has been popular for boat hulls since the 1950's, and there's plenty of old boats still in use and the fiberglass is a good as new.

As others have alluded, the actual fiberglass hull would probably be the least of yours worries. It's the other materials and components that will perish and fail with age before there will be an issue with the actual fiberglass - so long as it's been looked after.

[mrbitchi]

Get it inspected by a qualified Marine Surveyor. Don't rely on a mechanic. They know about mechanics but aren't qualified to inspect a hull. A quick google will find a few in the Brisbane area.

[dolphin]

fibreglass boats don,t seem to hold good re sale values as opposed to the alloy craft. maybe this hull is in good condition but the outboard is getting on in life and thats where troubles start, you must have a good reliable engine in a boat.
another thing to consider is Fuel useage, these old 115 h.p 2 strokes do suck up the juice. i wouldn,t pay 11k for this.

[Pdiddy]

Well I think he was suckered in by the low hrs as he paid $19thou for it just over 12 mths ago

He advertised it in Gladstone area for a while for around 15t. and nothing
So leaving with me in Brisbane while away in Tasmania for few months


Sounds as thou if sound (inspected professionally) worth no where near 15 and possibly between 8-10. (And less to his brother)

[Lost1]

mrbitchi Get it inspected by a qualified Marine Surveyor.

+1.

As others have said lack of use could be a problem. Steering, electrical wiring, tilt & trim hydraulics, trailer wheel bearings all need to be checked.

[George Whiley]

It's easy to buy the wrong boat. You need to think about how and where you plan to use it, how much fuel it will chew and how hard it is to tow and launch.