Brass skin fittings failures

[Bosun Higgs]

It may just be starting to rear its head:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271854

.

Given that that one was 17 years old, it rather supports my view.

[VicMallows]

Until this came into the office I knew nothing about this problem, or the difference between brass, bronze or DZR,

Somehow I was fully aware of this back in 1984 when I fitted out my boat. I am certainly not a chemist or a metallurgist, and the internet did not then exist. My information would have come largely from PBO or YM or one of a very few standard boating texts.

Perhaps this reflects that the truly 'practical' aspect has largely disappeared from magazines?

Vic

[Lady Campanula]

No time mto read through every post..... personally I reckon its a bit of scaremongering. ....I reckon the life has to be way more than 5 years or boats would be sinking all over the place.

"Don't confuse me with the facts. My mind is made up...."

Boats ARE sinking all over the place. It's the insurers who know what, where, and how often, sufficient to do any sort of analysis. And it IS the insurance wallahs who first flagged this up as a matter of growing concern. 'Hunch' isn't an actuary's job-skill....

It may be found that boats rather older than 5 years mostly have through-hull fittings of normal bronze, and it is only new-builds ( or where 'el cheapo' replacements have been fitted ) that are faced with this problem.

I guess it will be a matter between each individual boat owner and his/her insurer, along the lines of 'demonstrate that your u/w fittings are made of approved materials from the following list by provision of a surveyor's or boatbuilder's report, or have the following Exclusions apply to your policy - Sinking from the following causes....'

[prv]

I guess it will be a matter between each individual boat owner and his/her insurer, along the lines of 'demonstrate that your u/w fittings are made of approved materials from the following list by provision of a surveyor's or boatbuilder's report, or have the following Exclusions apply to your policy - Sinking from the following causes....'

Guess I'd better hang on to those ASAP receipts then

Pete

[galadriel]

Thats a good point, insurers almost always insist on rigging being replace after so many years, next maybe they will insist on skin fittings being replaced.

[Pye_End]

insurers almost always insist on rigging being replace after so many years,

Really? Which ones?

[galadriel]

Really? Which ones?

Dont ask me, but peeps talk about it, so it must be true.

[Lady Campanula]

I've just done a 'survey'. The boat I'm 'fettling' has 14 - yes, 14 - holes in the hull BTWL which could cause me grief.

And that's a little 'un, with nothing untoward on board.

Stern tube/cutless bearing
Anode bolts x 2
Cockpit drain x 2
Engine raw water intake
Sea toilet x 2
B&G sounder x 2
B&G log
Sink
Unused through-hull
Engine exhaust

That's a lot of potential trubl....




Here's some 'edited commentary' from some of the fallout, FWIW:

I know that 'SI' agreements don't come about overnight. Delegates to the various committees of the ISO and their deliberations report back to and consult with their sponsoring bodies - in this case, most probably, the British Marine Federation and the DTI. This issue was known and understood before you or I got wind of it. Certainly, the insurers - as a trade group - were aware of the implications last year.

....What is more concerning is the silence from your own professional body, the YBDSA. I can appreciate why no individual insurance broker or surveyor would want to put his head above the parapet, preferring to leave that to someone else, and you have done this community a signal service by your own actions in this regard.

Might I suggest that a joint statement of 'best practice' between your professional body and the main insurers active in the UK leisure boating market - published by your favourite sailing mag - might do much to repair the damage to reputation....?

Er, don't hold your breath....

[jfm]

the MCA report on Random Harvest

...mentions that Aquafax told MAIB they would tidy up their catalogue to help people avoid brass, yet http://www.aquafax.co.uk/html/produc...s.asp?ID=12371 is their catalogue

[Stork_III]

...mentions that Aquafax told MAIB they would tidy up their catalogue to help people avoid brass, yet http://www.aquafax.co.uk/html/produc...s.asp?ID=12371 is their catalogue

Their Technical Help is quite interesting though. http://www.aquafax.co.uk/aquafax_v2/...s/TechData.pdf