Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats: A Step-By-Step Guide for Buyers and Owners

Since the late 1950s, when the first "plastic" sailboat shocked the New York Boat Show, fiberglass boatbuilding has gone through classic growing pains. Longtime yacht broker and marine surveyor Henry Mustin has seen it all: the slow acceptance of those early, heavy boats; the market boom of the lighter boats of the 1970s; the "boat pox" scare of the 1980s; and the continued lack of industry standards that makes buying and owning a fiberglass boat an adventure. In Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats Mustin explains what to watch for in a used sailboat from each era, and how to ferret out the hidden defects in any boat. He shows how to estimate the cost of repairs and the value of a boat. And he addresses the question: When is a fiberglass boat too used up to save?

Mustin's part-by-part look at hull, deck, rig, and machinery is both a minicourse for transforming used-boat shopping from a game of craps to a science, and the first step in a holistic boat maintenance program. His discussion of the significance of cracks found in aging hulls and decks is the most thorough in print. He is not shy in assessing the lack of regulation of professional surveyors, nor does he shrink from pointing a finger at shoddy building practices.

Having a used boat surveyed is a critical prelude to buying it. Yet a professional survey is expensive--several hundred dollars. Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats will enable you to conduct your own surveys while narrowing the field, then monitor a professional surveyor's performance when selecting your target boat.

The inside story on surveying fiberglass boats. No sailor should be without it.

Praise for Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats:

"A concisely written primer for sailors considering purchasing a used boat, preparing for extended cruising, or seeking guidelines for an ongoing maintenance program. . . . Mustin is adept at distilling often highly involved subjects, so you should be able to learn the fundamentals of evaluating a vessel's major structures, systems, and equipment."--SAIL

"Thoroughly studying this book will enable you to inspect your own boat, identify problems and formulate an effective maintenance program. Plus, if you plan to buy either a used or new fiberglass sailboat, this book should help you reduce your cost."--Ensign

". . . long-time professional boat surveyor Mustin shares his experience in a compact, easy-to-reference handbook . . . This slender volume provides the foundation for a holistic boat maintenance program, making it as valuable for owners as it is for buyers."--Rhode Island Boating

I would like to have had Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats . . . when I was in the market for a boat . . . Mustin takes prospective buyers on a detailed tour of boat materials, structures, rigging systems and construction techniques, illustrating . . . the potential weaknesses to watch out for--anything from blisters and stress cracks to corrosion."--Grand Rapids Press