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Flex when walking on a floor


NB DW

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Just now, haggis said:

Could there be an inspection hatch under the steps up to the back deck? It is quite common to find them there bit you need to move the steps to see the hatch

 

Haggis

 

 

I'm not sure but I can check.

 

So if the bilge was found to be dry what would this mean for the floor?

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1 minute ago, NB DW said:

 

I'm not sure but I can check.

 

So if the bilge was found to be dry what would this mean for the floor?

 

This is where the comment I was about to make is corroborated! If the floor is getting wet, it makes no difference what the material is, it will still rot. I'm basing this on our first boat, which had leaky front doors and a corresponding spongy floor, and leaky side hatches with corresponding... you've guessed! 

 

Where is the water ingress, and can you be arsed to fix this rather than walking away and finding another boat?

 

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3 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

This is where the comment I was about to make is corroborated! If the floor is getting wet, it makes no difference what the material is, it will still rot. I'm basing this on our first boat, which had leaky front doors and a corresponding spongy floor, and leaky side hatches with corresponding... you've guessed! 

 

Where is the water ingress, and can you be arsed to fix this rather than walking away and finding another boat?

 

 

The problem is that it's not obvious anywhere to me.  There's no evidence anywhere of water staining that I can see on the interior other than at the stern and that's very localised to a cupboard directly under the hatch.

 

It's not something I can be arsed to get fixed either as it'll involve big money, potentially ripping apart the fitout and none of that is reflected in the price.

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Before we knew anything about boats, we nearly bought a new Orchard Marine boat. But with my sober hat on I looked under the glitzy surface and saw very cheap and badly assembled materials. I realise that there isn’t much choice at the moment, but be aware that you are buying at the “cheap and cheerful” end of the market. I suggest that an older, higher quality boat is a better bet - if you can find one.

  • Greenie 2
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1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

Before we knew anything about boats, we nearly bought a new Orchard Marine boat. But with my sober hat on I looked under the glitzy surface and saw very cheap and badly assembled materials. I realise that there isn’t much choice at the moment, but be aware that you are buying at the “cheap and cheerful” end of the market. I suggest that an older, higher quality boat is a better bet - if you can find one.

 

Ta.  I think you're right.  I'm in danger of falling into a trap that I'm aware of, and that is talking myself into something that I know isn't quite right, largely because there's nothing about at the moment.

 

I'll keep waiting.

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1 hour ago, NB DW said:

 

I'm not sure but I can check.

 

So if the bilge was found to be dry what would this mean for the floor?

I'm no expert but I would think that if you found that the base plate under the inspection hatch is bone  dry, you could assume that it had never been wet - with the boat not being used, under the floor would be highly unlikely to dry out if it became wet . If on the other hand, if you find water on the base plate it could have been there for a very long time and there would be a good chance of the floorboards rotting or disintegrating. Not to mention the possibility of rust on the base plate. 

First find the inspection hatch!

haggis

Edited by haggis
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5 hours ago, NB DW said:

 

There are no inspection holes in the cabin so I wasn't able to check the bilge was dry.

 

 

That in itself would be enough to put me off. Anyone who hasn't bothered to cut an inspection hatch in the floor hasn't been maintaining their boat in my opinion.

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4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The boats were assembled on a production line with different welders operating on each side, & as some welding was done the hull was rolled over to get to the other areas needing welding and being 'a bit weak' the hull twisted.

 

 

Got to say, I was there for a whole day and never saw them rolling a hull! Maybe I just missed it.

 

2 hours ago, haggis said:

Could there be an inspection hatch under the steps up to the back deck? It is quite common to find them there bit you need to move the steps to see the hatch

 

Haggis

 

 

Yes that's likely

Edited by blackrose
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15 hours ago, NB DW said:

Yep


Definitely a hobby boat bought from a boat show 10 years ago and not used a lot since.  The oven has never been switched on!

 

I did feel a little for the owner, an older chap, who'd bought it to use with the kids who I'm guessing didn't take too much of an interest and are now all grown up.  Not that it's a reason to buy it or the owner was soft soaping me.  Just my take on things.

 

Floors are laminate, I think, rather than solid wood.

 

I'll put some photos up on another thread.

"Laminate Floor"  You say.

Has this been laid properly?  With a expansion gap at the edges, not glued down, etc.

I'm wondering if the flex is in the laminate rather than the actual almost certainly ply base.

Only one way to find out.....

 

Bod

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10 hours ago, Bod said:

"Laminate Floor"  You say.

Has this been laid properly?  With a expansion gap at the edges, not glued down, etc.

I'm wondering if the flex is in the laminate rather than the actual almost certainly ply base.

Only one way to find out.....

 

Bod

My thoughts exactly. 

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Does sound like it could be a sign of some rot. I had a similar issue in my narrowboat, a leak from the calorifier soaked the floor at the stern end of the cabin under the steps. It just got softer and softer, so I had the damaged section replaced at Glascote Boatyard, they did a good job. Also had a section at the front done, where it turned out there had been a slow leak from the outside deck area. 

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