วีดีโอ

Many interesting comments. Those that suggest taking an insurance payout are in my opinion the only sensible ones. The boat was obviously poorly manufactured in the first place and you may have only discovered the tip of the iceberg. Even if repaired there will be that niggling worry in your minds that problems still exist. Whilst cruising in distant parts of the world you need to have complete faith in your boat. Remember also that quality repairs are not necessarily available in many locations. Insurance companies are less likely to cover a vessel that has undergone major repairs like this and the value of the boat will be seriously compromised when you come to sell, unfortunately exacerbated by the negative information aired on your vlog. Take the insurance money and buy a solid smaller boat better suited for a couple. This will also reduce your overall cruising costs. As a general rule of thumb fibreglass boats built by the well known manufacturers (Beneteau, Janneau, Bavaria etc) were constructed and fitted out to a higher standard pre 2005. In short, cut your losses and start again. Good luck!

Was the boat surveyed prior to your purchase?

Anything can be fix, if you have an infinite amount of money (see Notre-Dame Cathedral). But the insurance company doesn’t want pay.

I have managed similar repairs many times ….

You seem like nice people and it’s very sad that your journey has ended like this, after setting out with high hopes and dreams. But setting aside sentiment, keep in mind that when sailing off shore, you are staking your lives on the integrity of this hull. Google ‘Cheeki Rafiki’ for what happens when the keel parts company with the rest of the boat. If you do intend to repair this vessel then seek expert advice and think very carefully about the long term. Consider what the value of a defective, repaired boat might be if you choose to sell it in the future, assuming anyone would want to buy it (I would not). There is a reason why insurance companies write off boats. To you, the vessel is all your dreams encapsulated, and it is difficult to put a price on that. But to them it is just commercial reality. If you do decide to repair, then I suggest you contact the builder and highlight all the latent defects in the hull. They may claim they have no obligation to you, as you are not the original owners from when the boat left the factory. In which case, offer to publish a full report of all the construction defects on every sailing forum you can find, and also on the owners association website. They might suddenly decide to make a ‘no admission of liability goodwill gesture’ towards the cost of repairs. Also get some legal advice. The hull was presumably CE certified. If the builder is failing to construct as per the certification, then that is another avenue to follow. Good luck.

there is no such thing as making a cracked boat stronger.

Tell the insurance company to read the comments…. And listen to the wisdom of the crowd…

What make is this boat!

Shoulda bought a Hinckley B40

not unheard of , when you heard the loud snap I knew what it was , I am so sorry to hear it , the other responses echo my thoughts , how will this damage affect the price , maybe wood is the best building material . chin up this is just a bump in the road

what is the brand of this boat, and where is it build a very important question

Wish you well, but I won’t start following you because there is too much missing on the story. Good luck!

🤞💪

Should look at what the Evan’s whent through - huge amount of work & effort, you have to ask yourselves are you ready for this. Great result in the end.

That boats cooked

I am so sorry for you that this is not a write-off, as silly as it sounds.

It will be stronger than new . However the question is , is this boat well enough made new , to cross oceans ? The answer , with modern weather routing , probably yes .

after years of cruising, im still amazed that people will buy an exotic design with deep fin keels and minimally supported rudders. this boat hasnt seen any real service and is already in poor shape. it is hard to cruise the world of shallow inlets and barrier atolls with a deep fin keel and not expect occasional groundings. the leverage on the keel is enormous and your tradeoff of speed for long term integrity is a dubious one at best. repairs in the remote corners of the world will be of low quality and eventually this story will repeat itself with possibly a sadder ending. pl consider the long term ramifications of your present day decisions. apologies for being a negative messenger. all the best in the years to come. fair winds, k

GO TO ¨SAILING CHANNEL EXPEDITION EVANS¨ , IF ANY ONE CAN ADVISE YOU THEY CAN THEY HAVE YOUR SAME BOAT ! AND IT WAS A PROJECT BOAT TO BEGIN WITH ! THEY ARE A VERY NICE COUPLE AND THEY DID THE KIND OF EXTENSIVE WORK YOURS WILL REQUIRE ! THEY KNEW LITTLE WHEN THEY STARTED AND THEY ARE IN THE MED NOW I THINK !

Check the rudder as well. Looking at the keel dry glass, the rudder will likely be same. Wobbly or worn bearings as well.

You hit ground. That’s what happened. Why are you grinding the teak deck. You have lots of work to do and you start to grind the teak deck. There is enough dust repai your keel. Why you make more dust grinding the deck.

Build by OceanGate?

Yet another "Production Built pile of crap.

You can, but for sure your calmness is lost, you will be always thinking if the boat is ok or not, and looking for another strange hull noise after another wave, this is one of the most important, self filling.

What’s the make / model / year of your boat?

So on top of the whole disaster the boat was manufactured badly. Given the pricetags of these boats thats a scandal. Well, it is what it is, lets make lemonade. You already have the lemons. This didnt happen in the middle of an ocean, which is a very good thing. If you repair it, it will be better than it ever has been. You can do this.

If the repair means to get a new hull then it’s fine. If not I would never trust this boat anymore. Safety first!

Take it up with the manufacturer. Lessons are, avoid deep fin keels with matrix support. Avoid spade rudders. Avoid sail drives. Buy a quality secondhand boat not a new showroom item. Will be better than new once properly fixed

resale value prob not so good now.....

My long keeled boat 50 years of age, hull 2-3 cm thick. 4 stringers on each side laminated to the hull. Will survive all moden boats , built like a tank. I yad a modern boat 35 feet ones, never ever again. Interior was starting to move in big storms in the med !

Seems like a combo of things. But a hard grounding I would say is how this all came to show up. I agree fix it your grid will be stronger then when built.

Dry spots in the glass.. delaminations in the bonding and build .... Who knows what happened to that Hull ( Burnt out workers? Rushed build? Shelf life of materials expired? Who knows? ..... .

Hoping you get a big win from this downfall🙏

You guys should get in touch with expedition Evans. These guys had same issues and fixed it them selves on you tube

Even if ' fixed' it will be harder to sell THIS boat in the future.

Pat & Fran. Check out Parlay Revival & Spear it Animal & Expedition Evans The refits they all had to do AND YES YES IT WILL BE BETTER THAN NEW. And the boat you both started the dream with Payday has put over 40,000 nautical miles on it ❤❤😊😊🎉🎉.

The best part of this channel is the relationship between the two of you. Lots of love and mutual respect. As for the boat, I am with the others who don’t think this is the right boat for you and that you should cut your losses and get a sturdier boat. However if you decide to do the repair, first watch the entire series of the “Sailing Evans”repair. It’s very hard and dirty work. I especially worry about the dust inhalation even with the best safety equipment. You only have one set of lung. Is spending months doing that something you want to do? Either way, good luck and look forward to seeing what you decide to do.

We’ll you be able to re insure the boat I wonder?….have you got a commitment from the insurance that they will insure the boat to the original value once it’s repaired if you go down that route?

I am really sad to see the state of your yacht. With the bad fibreglass around the keel (a vital part of the boat), that is serious. I for one would not take her to sea ever again. To be sure that the rest of the underwater area is secure, you need to demand that they strip the Gelcoat from the whole wet area at the bottom of the hull. If they did it wrong, either temperature wise or material wise, around the keel, there has been terrible and unnatural stress on the whole area. Not only that, the gelcoat alone might be the only thing holding in together. Hammering the hull is not conclusive, you need an electronic density tester of some sort. So, if you consider repairing it, you should remember that you will not be able to sell it, when you are finished with it, assuming that the repair is successful, which I consider unlikely. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? If you repair it, the only way to sail to America is to go with ANOTHER yacht....Search for somebody who would be willing to sail within 1/2 Nm with you. A lot of people do this for crossing the Atlantic. DO NOT DO IT SOLO....There is nobody out in the ocean to rescue you if you do. Take all the precautions and a big inflatable in any case and plenty of outboard fuel, for holding the dinghy head to wind etc. You will need satellite phone and short wave radio. The repair project is in MY opinion crazy....I would sell off the mast, engine, electronics and anything else if the insurer/maker fails to pay out. Cut your losses and run with your lives!!!! You are safer on the land.

Is it not maybe possible to join another boat for the arc crossing, just to give you the experience and break away, fly back afterwards with renewed strength to tackle the many jobs ahead. Then you’d be even more prepared for next year - big hugs 🤗

Lagoon , Leopard , Bavaria , HH cats , Now Benetua . Its happening to all these boat builders , Cutting costs , Bad designs , Poor build quality specially in the glass lay ups . Iv had over 30 yachts , Delivered scores & am finding any built after 2010 /15 to be cheaper in quality some down right dangerous . Fin keels , Spade rudders , Saildrives all very nice & easy to fit BUT dont make for a world cruiser ? Good luck on your quest ( Had she hit the bottom at some stage 'hard') still doesn't excuse the bad sump Glass layup from the manufacturer .

Brand and model of your boat pls? Thanks.

Please sell this boat when you get it fixed get you a full Keel boat before you try to cross the Atlantic take it from an old sailor you don't want to take this boat across the Atlantic the Keel is not made for it it's a coastal Cruiser

Pat and Frankie love the channel…I’ve looked at a number of used boats over the years and have read numerous books regarding sailing and boat design…if you could get a reasonable check from the insurance company I would consider the possibility of purchasing an older used boat, perhaps not as “modern”, that could be more reliable and provide a better design for Blue Water, and avoid the hassle and stress of a rebuild project…Obviously I don’t know your financial or debt obligations regarding your boat. Only based on what I’ve read I would not consider many boats with a long, narrow keel.

WOW, you guys have such an amazing attitude through this whole experience.

The boat manufacturer must participate in this and take responsibility.

This is only the second posting of yours that I've come across.. Very interesting.. You don't mention the builder, it looks a bit like a Grand Soleil but I'm not 100% sure.. whoever built the boat, based on the surveyors comments, needs to be fully involved in the repair.. Also, the safety of many other owners is questionable, it's not doing anybody any favours by not making it clear the boat type and model. At least it would force the company to offer funding for a specialized survey inspection to other owners.

You’re doing an amazing job keeping your spirits up, at least for the camera! You seem like a beautiful couple. Indeed there was a manufacturing issue. Not enough resin in the layup possibly the root cause of all these problems. Not a good look for Grand Soleil. Doing ultrasound testing makes sense.

Keep your chins up

Hulls are made in a female mould. After gelcoat is sprayed on, the first layer of glassfibres is also sprayed on before mats of glassfibre is put in. This first layer of sprayed glass is too dry. Usually not as bad as this, though