Hi, I'm just about to buy my first boat and need

[Qicsilver]

Hi,

I'm just about to buy my first boat and need some advice.

The boat I am buying is a 1987 model. It does not have the required 30% buoyancy, there is very little room between the deck and hull for foam. The current owner says after speaking to a boat surveyor because the boat is an old model and there is no room for foam that all I need to do is put in a bilge pump and some lifebuoys. I also read an article online that said - if fitting of buoyancy on vessel (made before Apr 2003) is not practicable or possible the vessel may carry lifebuoys, 1 per 2 persons on board.

Can anyone please tell me if this true or do I have to get the 30% buoyancy done?

Please see pic of boat.

Cheers

 

[Fanie]

Hi Qicsilver,

It's worth putting decent flotation in, in the worst of it you will need it the most. If you use your imagination a bit, there are many ways and places you can add flotation.

 

[Qicsilver]

Thanks Fanie.

Ja I'm starting to think that way, better safe than sorry.

What is a reasonable price to get the buoyancy done?

I have a quote of R2500 including certificate, rough quote done of pictures of the boat. But that is just to put foam in the deck. There is very little room in the deck, not nearly enough to get the 30%, there is space in the nose and back of the boat but I fear this will cost a lot more as walls will have to be built in to put the foam behind.

 

[FRITZABU]

Will be a bid more costly . May be raise the floor a little ?

You can also make up with foam under the seats and that large nose section should also take more than enough foam ?

 

[Qicsilver]

Thanks, will have to use some of the nose but I would like to convert some of it into storage.

Can anyone please tell me the ratio for-

liter of foam vs weight of boat (eg - how many liters per 100kgs of boat)

and

No. of 1L bottles vs weight of boat (eg - how many 1L bottles per 100kgs of boat)

 

[FRITZABU]

You can Google SAMSA web site for all the info . There was also a posting if I am not mistaken on this formula's in a previous topic