Ultrasonic thickness testers

[jaywalker]

Had my boat hull tested when I bought it 4 years ago and was happy with the results. I am lucky in that I can get my boat out of the water easily to black it myself. Has anyone else bought one of these testers, for testing your own boat. If so what one did you buy or am I being silly?

[Loafer]

Without googling (honestly), I reckon £150 will get you what the surveyors use.

[DHutch]

This issue is that the ultrasound alone is not really that useful, even if you know how to get meaningful reads out of it.

 

I can likely tell you the average thickness of the bulk of you boat without knowing anything about it at all, but I cant tell you that way they joined that fitting onto that plate, given the spec the fitting is likely to be, means its only likely to have been 1/8in from new and because of x its not likely to be half way though in that one pit you didnt see. Its also dead easy to get a reading of 28mm of a 6mm hull plate.

 

The thickness tester is like the brake-roller on a MOT test and is mainly a neat way to confirmation what you already knew.

 

Plus if the boat is over 20-30yo you almost always need a surveyors report every 4-6 years anyway, unless you insure third party only.

 

 

Daniel

Edited March 29, 2016 by DHutch

[koukouvagia]

If ultrasound testing were that good, why would my surveyor spend hours banging every square inch of the hull with a heavy hammer? Even I, as a complete novice, could hear the difference in sound when he found a thin spot that needed attention.

[Delta9]

 

 

Plus if the boat is over 20yo will need a surveyors report every 4-6 years anyway.

 

 

 

That isn't true

[LEO]

These testers are only as good as the person's ability to use them....and it can take lots of experience to determine what is a true reading.

 

I spent my working life looking at houses - the inevitable question used to arise 'why don't use you a damp meter more' - basically because they are useless - you can get a maximum reading just by touching both contacts with your fingers........

 

I suspect the same applies to ultra sonic testers.

 

Interestingly, I have a hull survey booked for my boat next month, the Surveyor carrying out the work uses both methods of testing (Ultra sound and hammer) - I will watch and listen with interest...

[RLWP]

That isn't true

 

Beat me to it

 

Richard

the Surveyor carrying out the work uses both methods of testing (Ultra sound and hammer) - I will watch and listen with interest...

 

I don't think lions can hear ultrasound, you need to be a bat for that. I sincerely hope the hammer test is only a sonic one too.

 

 

Richard

[Murflynn]

These testers are only as good as the person's ability to use them....and it can take lots of experience to determine what is a true reading.

 

I spent my working life looking at houses - the inevitable question used to arise 'why don't use you a damp meter more' - basically because they are useless - you can get a maximum reading just by touching both contacts with your fingers........

 

I suspect the same applies to ultra sonic testers.

 

 

correct.

 

when I was working on pipelines we had many inspectors trained to read radiographs, but the u/t inspectors were considered a higher grade of person altogether and had significantly more training (set up by British Gas who set the standards for inspection of all pipelines in the UK).

[koukouvagia]

That isn't true

Can you expand on that? My insurance company (Mardon) has for the first time in twenty-five years started to ask for six year hull surveys.

[Delta9]

Can you expand on that? My insurance company (Mardon) has for the first time in twenty-five years started to ask for six year hull surveys.

Not all insurance companies require a survey on a 20 year old boat. Craftinsure don't require a survey until the boat is 30.

[koukouvagia]

Not all insurance companies require a survey on a 20 year old boat. Craftinsure don't require a survey until the boat is 30.

Problem is, one of my boats is 88 years old and the other is 104

[Delta9]

Problem is, one of my boats is 88 years old and the other is 104

There is a company that insures boats of that age without a survey but I can't remember their name at the moment. I'll ask my friend that uses them tomorrow.

[DHutch]

That isn't true

Your right to pull me up on the over simplification, and I have edited the post to add more detail. However I understand it is basically unavoidable if you want a comprehensive rather than tpft only cover.

 

I understand it's not the insurer or brokerage who stipulate this, but the financial underwriters of which there are only a few, which is why it's quite so across the board, if with some variation on the cut off age and frequency.

 

Daniel

[Alan de Enfield]

I think the comment was because you had said "at 20 years" when some are 25 years and many/most are at 30 years, and, obvioiusly if you are insuring 3rd party then no survey is required at any age.

[Murflynn]

Problem is, one of my boats is 88 years old and the other is 104

blimey, that's even older than moi !!

[Delta9]

Your right to pull me up on the over simplification, and I have edited the post to add more detail. However I understand it is basically unavoidable if you want a comprehensive rather than tpft only cover.

 

 

Daniel

You are still wrong. Craftinsure will insure boats up to 30 years old without a survey fully comp and there is a company who's name escapes me at the moment that will insure older boats fully comp.

[DHutch]

You are still wrong. Craftinsure will insure boats up to 30 years old without a survey fully comp ...

I've changed it to 20-30years and 'almost always' as I suggested in my post.

 

... there is a company who's name escapes me at the moment that will insure older boats fully comp.

I would be interested in knowing who that was if you find the name.

 

Daniel

[koukouvagia]

I would be interested in knowing who that was if you find the name.

 

 

Ditto

[LEO]

Ditto

 

SAGA.......Expensive for somethings things, but I have found them reasonable for both boats I have owned. They don't need a survey until the boat is 30 years old......

[MtB]

What about the owner?

 

Don't you have to be above a certain age in order to be a customer of theirs?

 

Or is it taken as read that all of us qualify?!!

Edited March 30, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[koukouvagia]

 

SAGA.......Expensive for somethings things, but I have found them reasonable for both boats I have owned. They don't need a survey until the boat is 30 years old......

They obviously don't like old boats. When I contacted them last year their quotation was more than double Mardon's and they required a new full hull survey, even though I'd already had one done the previous year.

[FadeToScarlet]

If ultrasound testing were that good, why would my surveyor spend hours banging every square inch of the hull with a heavy hammer? Even I, as a complete novice, could hear the difference in sound when he found a thin spot that needed attention.

They're both iron, right? The ultrasonic testers are less reliable on iron, hence the large ball pein test