GRP cruiser - annual costs

[Jimbobs]

Evening’ all. I’ve realised that, sadly, for now I don’t have a narrowboat shaped hole in my life. However I have convinced 2 good chums that, jointly, we do have a GRP cruiser shaped hole that needs filling. We all live near the Trent so there’s plenty of scope for leisure boating, particularly if we get a narrow beam cruiser that can use canals too. 
 

I’ve got a good feel for licence, insurance and mooring costs, but I’m ignorant of what the annual maintenance costs are likely to be. Is there a GRP equivalent of hull blacking for instance? We’re looking at boats that are 10-15 years old - what kind of maintenance regime do these things need?

 

many thanks for your help!
 

 

[magpie patrick]

As the owner of a Viking 23 I ought to be well placed to answer this... but I'm not

 

Juno was seriously neglected for about 8 years first because I was very ill,  then because of an ill-advised love affair with a narrow boat. After 8 years she is still afloat and still basically sound - I don't think a steel narrow boat would have faired anything like as well.

 

I have just replaced the outboard and will shortly fit a new cooker and water heater. I think it's probably fair to say both would have happened "at some point" over the last 8 years because both were life expired - say £5k that would have been spent over the last 8 years but is actually being spent in the next few months. 

 

The equivalent of blacking is antifouling - cost per foot seems to be about the same but the boat is shorter so overall its cheaper. Circa £300 every other year if you're conscientious. 

 

So Juno will have cost me around £7k over the last 8 years, I'm not convinced it would have been much different had I stayed on top of things. 

[Mad Harold]

As the owner of a Norman 20 I too ought to be well placed to answer,but I am finding it difficult to remember how much I have spent over the two years I have owned it.I too had a rather bad love afair with a steel narrowboat so it was back to a Norman 20 (this is the second one I have owned.)

When I bought this one it had just been fitted with a new canopy and new outboard plus new controls and fuel tank.These are probably the two most expensive items on a grp cruiser.

Since then I have fitted a Chinaspacher,a solar panel and controller, a television,new windows,led lights,new floor covering,a jerrycan rack and other bits and pieces too numerous to remember.

All boats are expensive,but the grp cruisers in my opinion are much better value for money than steel narrowboats although I will readily admit that they are better suited to the canal environment.

[Neil2]

We spent quite some time on the Lancaster canal a few years ago, which seems to be where all the old Freemans and Seamasters have ended up.

 

Observing and talking to grp boat owners I ended up thinking steel narrowboats are way cheaper and less time consuming.

 

There was a canopy maker on the marina pretty much full time, and most owners seem to spend most of their time keeping the white gel coat looking tidy.

 

Seriously, if you are on a river, keeping on top of the antifoul is probably as time consuming as blacking a nb, but at least you can epoxy or zinc coat a steel boat and it's good for many years.  There's no equivalent for a grp boat and you have to lift the thing out every other year anyway to let the hull dry out. 

 

FWIW I keep detailed records of all my expenditure, and narrowboat maintenance seems to average out at about £1000 a year, so not much different to MP above.

Edited August 31, 2021 by Neil2

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Neil2 said:

Seriously, if you are on a river, keeping on top of the antifoul is probably as time consuming as blacking a nb, but at least you can epoxy or zinc coat a steel boat and it's good for many years.  There's no equivalent for a grp boat .....................

 

 

 

Not quite true - there is a product called copper coat that has been shown to last in excess of 20 years.

 

There are several 'long life' products for use on GRP boats, which very few inland waterways boaters bother to investigate or use.

 

Sailing yacht ‘Zest’

Berth Swanwick Marina, Hampshire Treated with Coppercoat™ July 1993 These pictures show Zest as lifted in July 2005, after 12 years afloat. After the usual 15 minutes pressure wash and inspection Zest was ready for relaunch. ‘Zest’ is kept afloat 365 days a year and has not been re-anti-fouled since first treated in 1993.

 

What Is Coppercoat – Coppercoat Antifoul

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Neil2 said:

...............you have to lift the thing out every other year anyway to let the hull dry out. 

 

No you do not - I lift mine out every 4 or 5 years to be jet washed, and then dropped back in.

 

 

It is unfortunate that  ill informed rumours from non-GRP boaters, become circulated on the internet and eventually become 'gospel'.

 

Badly maintained, 'beaten up' hulls with damage, or poorly made hulls, can need drying out as part of osmosis treatment, but this is not the norm.

[Mad Harold]

12 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is unfortunate that  ill informed rumours from non-GRP boaters, become circulated on the internet and eventually become 'gospel'.

 

Badly maintained, 'beaten up' hulls with damage, or poorly made hulls, can need drying out as part of osmosis treatment, but this is not the norm.

In medieval times it was widely believed that Pelicans drank blood.

"Like the Pelican he has drunkenly caroused  in blood"  that's Shakespear but can't remember which play. but it became "gospel"I have queried "drying out" a fibreglass hull,on other forums and it is generally reckoned to be an "old wives tale"except in the condition described above.Some posts I read stated that their boats had been on swinging moorings for several years with no ill effects.

[Stroudwater1]

Why is antifouling paint needed on canals or freshwater rivers- wont ordinary paint do the job as well?

 

I seem to recall us gently scrubbing the sides at the end of a season on a marine ply shallow draught boat with a patio brush equivalent and the algae just came off. Once on I imagine its toxic stuff to remove, so why bother I wonder? 

 

 

 

[Mad Harold]

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Why is antifouling paint needed on canals or freshwater rivers- wont ordinary paint do the job as well?

 

I seem to recall us gently scrubbing the sides at the end of a season on a marine ply shallow draught boat with a patio brush equivalent and the algae just came off. Once on I imagine its toxic stuff to remove, so why bother I wonder? 

 

 

 

I think you are right,however others will say anti fouling a grp hull is essential.

Occasionaly I simply use a sweeping brush with my boat in the water sweeping down below the waterline and watch clouds of algae floating of.

I have been told by an "expert" that not only does a grp boat have to come out of the water every winter to "dry out",but also antifouling prevents little weevils boring into the hull.(GRP worm??)

[BilgePump]

GRP boats are low maintenance. I've never antifouled one floating in saltwater, let alone the canal. Any cr@p that accumulates can be  brushed/scraped off easy enough.  

54 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

I think you are right,however others will say anti fouling a grp hull is essential.

Occasionaly I simply use a sweeping brush with my boat in the water sweeping down below the waterline and watch clouds of algae floating of.

I have been told by an "expert" that not only does a grp boat have to come out of the water every winter to "dry out",but also antifouling prevents little weevils boring into the hull.(GRP worm??)

I'm quite sure that the foam between the double skin on my boat is soaked through. No way it would "dry out" if I put it on land for a few months.

[Momac]

I did the antifoul on my 33ft cruiser myself two years ago - wet sanded, barrier coat , antifoul for about £150  for paint and materials plus the lift out and back at about £300. 

It was the first time it had been antifouled in 5 years and only really needed it for cosmetic reasons. I have lift out every two years to service outdrives which you would not need with an outboard engine. Based on the Trent at Farndon.

 

The boat is due for a lift out this winter but hope no more than a jet wash is required . The waterline usually needs a clean as there tends to be a limescale build up. 

 

There is no real need to let GRP hulls dry out every couple of years - its a myth.

 

I do my own inboard engine servicing which saves a fortune .

 

 

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

 

I have been told by an "expert" that not only does a grp boat have to come out of the water every winter to "dry out",but also antifouling prevents little weevils boring into the hull.(GRP worm??)

I think the expert was pulling your leg

On 30/08/2021 at 20:02, Jimbobs said:

We’re looking at boats that are 10-15 years old - 

Should be  able to find a boat almost  like new at that age 

[Momac]

3 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Why is antifouling paint needed on canals or freshwater rivers- wont ordinary paint do the job as well?

I suspect not.