Ben hopes these short videos taken normally in one go no editing helps make boating safer for all, Ben is a Fellow full member of the YDSA, & member of SCMS, British Marine & RYA, has over 44 years of experience in the marine industry, 4th generation of boat builders and has well over 20 years of surveying all types of craft:- GRP, Steel, wood and aluminum. Ben writes for the leading yachting magazines including yachting monthly and P.B.O. He also writes for towpath talk a narrow boat newspaper. In this site he shares regular findings and tips for owners and buyers.Ben started this site after encouragement from his oldest son when diagnosed with bladder cancer, happily now in remission! Feel free to subscribe and also share his journey of surveying with your friends and shipmates. Ben really hopes his snippets of expertise will help provide useful info and lead to safer times afloat for all! Ben's website www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk or call 0044 7796457307 for commercial enquiries.
And that is how easy it is! And also a good reason to do it yourself to (a) get to onow your engine snd (b) as shipyards tend to do it simultaneously while changing the fuel filter (in spring). Thanks for again a clear video! Harry
I will in spring do one on fuel filter change as that's when I do that one...the fuel tank has been filled and I use marine 16 treatment to try and prevent diesel bug.. so far successful. There is a video on fuel bug .
I think money to burn is the problem right enough. I’ve seen lots of boats have all their anchor and chain out when on the hard too. Do you have any idea why people do it?
If I understand you right, you lay your own boat with a standing rigging. In Germany most boat owners think this is damaging the boat due to the exposure to the wind and the pressure on hull. By contrast, in the Netherlands it is very usual to keep the rigging on during the winter. Do you see a danger of damage or is this fear unsubstantiated?
Very interesting, in the old days we all used to remove spars and unstep them and store them under cover. There are big advantages to removing and restepping every year. But costs in UK and certainly here in Greece for unstep and re step are prohibited compared yo many locations in Europe
As a sailboat owner and former Navy CB diesel mechanic, i fully agree with your synopses. Its easy to tell how well a boat has been maintained by a quick glimpse of the antifreeze.
Hi, I have seen a YT video for a similar repair by a Swedish shipyard done very professional. The boat was in the shop for 7 weeks. I don't know the cost, but it must have been substantial. I'm sure the cost will be higher then the market value for a 20+ year old boat. That would main for an insurance that the boat is a total los. If the boat has an insurance for such an event, the owner will receive the current market value of the boat as a maximum.
Yes a lot of it comes down to value. Depending on the severity many keel and matrix repairs cost between £9 & £14k in UK but obviously this is a very basic guide and every one is costed on its level of damage. Thanks for your comments
@@TheMarineSurveyorNotebookBenSu Hi, thanks for your response. I had a much higher cost number in my mind. That was based on this repair: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8X-Nb9-pbfU.html (SAILBOAT REBUILD - how to REMOVE a KEEL - Plastskador repair - week1) That was a partly rebuild of the grid and re attache the bottom hull.
Really would have liked to watch and get the info but alas the audio was too wind effected for me to watch and enjoy. Please get a wind sock cover for your mic.
Yes I suppose it would but I was trying to keep it simple in that hopefully many once learned the bowline could do a loop on a bite. May do a quick one on how-to tie cheers
I learned my lesson: Never anchor where it is possible to cross anchors. I choose lazy lines harbours like Sivota and eat at the owner/restaurant of the mooring. Or, if it is just for some quick shopping and watertank fill up, dont use anchor, just moor with the aft lines and keep the engine in forward with the wheel centered.
Always remember that anodes need to b e replaced at regular intervals and also that some boaters do trips out into the Wash, that's salty water which is corrosive. If you want to purchase a Narrowboat you need a Marine Surveyor and the Boat to be lifted out so the Surveyor can view the hull. Good point to check is all electrical wiring above the waterline, no loose wires because leaking currents can cause accelerated corrosion to your boat and adjacent boats !
In my opinion people take too much risk and most of the time people do not even think about it. The risks are accepted as they are without on forehand considering what could go wrong. And when it goes wrong we call the RNLI or their international equivalents. Maybe it is my Navy experience but I fully agree with your ‘safety awareness argument’. Best, Harry
I'm a big fan of your videos and have learned quite a bit watching them. But this one is more of a moral judgement that however well meaning, isn't really fair.
Many thanks and always appreciate honest views. I've dealt with a number of drowned owners and really my point was make sure if you rely on an engine before pushing off make sure it starts!! With regards overloading the skipper collecting his clients should know better. 😉
I don’t think it’s a moral judgement. It’s a practical and common sense judgment. If you aren’t safe on the water you put others at risk and you potentially add to the burden on emergency services.
@@jwin6635 As you do when you ski, snowboard, hike, rockclimb, parasail, basejump, parkour, sail, scuba dive, swim at beaches, ride motorcycles, et al.
@@TheMarineSurveyorNotebookBenSu How were the dead owners when you dealt with them? Were they a bit cold with you? I agree about the engine, but then again aeroplane engines are some of the best maintained in the world and they fail from time to time so...
@@TheMarineSurveyorNotebookBenSu well, not exactly no. 1st boat, pretty much a beginner & funds are super tight. I asked Very specific questions before making an offer and they lied.... Apparently the law isn't so supportive for buyers as I would expect in 2024. I would love to still take it on & fix her up over time, but I'm very worried it has lost structural integrity and would just sink if I tried sailing her back.
Thanks for these amazing videos. I just purchased my first ever boat via eBay and got totally scammed...I'm trying to recover my money but the law believe it or not is on their side, but I have used lessons learnt from you and others to highlight just how dangerous this boat was that they described as great condition. Thank you.
I'd walk away. This boat has been totally neglected, damage notwithstanding, every system must be disgusting and disintegrating. If that is how the keel-bolts look, how does the engine compartment look? Or the chain locker? Or the mast-step, chainplates and stauntions. No thanks.
I follow a channel called 'Fair Isle'. Steve on that boat has just taken receipt of a device that attaches to the anchor and sits on top of the water so everyone can see where your anchor is situated. Not only that, but it gives out GPS positioning and connects via an app to tell you if the anchor is dragging. It seems like a really good piece of kit.
I've often put a trip buoy when mooring in unknown anchorage. But a word of warning in a crowded anchorage like here they put you more at risk from those who either miss it and prop wrap it or are stupid and pick it up thinking it's a pickup buoy to moor with! Nothing is ever 100 brilliant 👏 👌
Just wanted to say thank you for your videos. I'm a relatively new marine surveyor and this is a great resource to have. Sounds like your son is getting into marine surveying as well. I'm always looking to pick the brains of other surveyors and continue to improve as much as possible along the way. It's great to share findings and recommendations among surveyors to better improve the quality of our work overall. So thank you! Just had a lot of fun going through your videos. Keep them coming!
Many thanks for your kind comments. If you look in my about me section you will see exactly why I started this Chanel. Fair winds and keep in touch! I have loads of published articles with PBO, YM and towpath talk!
Lol captain got mad at me for loosening the bow line that sqeaks right next to our bunks saying "theres not even any waves" so i was looking up videos of squeaky boat lines to download anf play on repeat as loud as possible on my bluetooth speaker so that he got to listen to it too but found this so we'll try this first i guess
Hi Ben. Algorithm got you and I watched your video because I'm hoping to become a surveyor in the future. I think it's interesting that your willing to condemn that boat as having osmosis when in reality without puncturing and cleaning out a few of those blisters you cannot be positive. There is also a high probability that they could be the result of improper bottom coat process or incompatibility of materials when applying bottom paint. I would be suspect of this due to how consistent all the blisters are and how fresh that paint looks.
Thanks for your comments. However, I had done all of that before the short video and try avoiding repeating myself. That said the age of craft, length of time in fresh water, hammer test of laminate and use of a spike etc showed the blisters development was down into at least the second 2oz chop strand layup in what would have been a 6 mat layup. After 45 years of dealing with osmotic issues from all sorts of problems i do know that the cost of repair exceeds the value of this vessel. What this was more about was a pre sale survey said she was in good order. 😢 have a look at some of my previous videos and you may see what I've done before about laminate and failures etc. If you are thinking of becoming a surveyor there are a few good places in the UK that do excellent training including adien tucket that does a 5 week practical 😀
Every year at the Southampton boat show I do a talk every day about the importance of a survey! In it I do explain that in the UK there is NO regulations on qualifications required for practising as a surveyor.
Thanks for pointing this out as there are many that would buy boats sight unseen relying on the previous survey. The boat shown in my opinion would cost many many thousands to repair.
I removed the rubbish gas stove/oven - replaced with a metho two burner. Wish I could find a metho stove/oven. Have had several metho stoves over the years and they are brilliant.
I've fitted a diesel hob and oven by Wallace. From kurander in the UK. Absolutely brilliant! However things have developed so fast that an induction hob is becoming an option!
We replaced all thru hulls with sea cocks of True Design when we bought our 1976 Nicholson 35. Think it is great stuff and we’ll never have any corrosion issues anymore. Now after 4 season the sea cocks are still operable as if they are new. Would like to thank you for this very clear video. There are many videos on RU-vid about True Design but non of them cover all the relevant aspects. Great job! Grtz, Harry
Now would something like that work on a pontoon boat, because i could get a pontoon transom for a outboard. Its not a deck boat its a acual pontoon boat with the toons
Anywhere but not in an engine room the reason is withing the code and the MCA won't accept them as they will not remain in use for 30 mins at 1000 deg c!!!! Despite no grp makes it that far!!!!
@@TheMarineSurveyorNotebookBenSu I had a suspicion that might be the case, despite making no sense whatsoever! And the melting point of brass is 930° 🤷🏻♂️
I'm more confused now. Why do you need to cut a recess for that circular flange? Can't you just lay it on the hull and then screw the fitting onto it? Also when screwing in the valve itself, why use Sikaflex? On the threads? You will never get it off again. So I don't understand that either.
Please dont be too confused! Providing a support ring for the fitting gives much better support and ensures a flat surface to tighten up in,especially if the laminate is thin, as is the case on many grp production boats these days. Using a sealant like sika or even lock tight is recommended by the importers in the UK. Especially on joints.
