Story by Andrew Holland / August 10, 2018
One potential issue that may arise in a survey is called a cracked bulkhead. When this happens there is some confusion as to what this means for buyers and sellers alike, so our clients often ask this featured “Question of the Week.”
A bulkhead is a layer inserted into the hulls of a catamaran in order to prevent the hulls from cracking or compressing and are added after the hulls are molded to increase stability. Regardless of the material or build quality, all hulls are subjected to the forces of water working against them.
Waves and water under sail apply pressure to the hulls that may eventually cause cracking and require a bulkhead to be repaired so if the topic arises in survey, pay attention to the details a surveyor has to say. This is often a costly repair job because the veneer of the hulls must be removed, the bulkheads need to be re-laminated, and sometimes the ends of the hulls have to be re-banded.
However, a cracked bulkhead does not mean that the boat’s condition is too disastrous to sail or defines the boat as having a structural problem. It only means that over time this particular bulkhead has been under enough stress to be in need of repair, and that is cause for a conversation post-survey.
Have a question you want answered by our expert brokers? Drop an email to in**@**************ny.com today!
I highly recommend Andrew Hodgdon. He served as our buyers broker. He is responsive, highly knowledgeable and very experienced. He is also an excellent guide and counselor before, during and after the boat purchase process. If you are looking for a good-sailing cat, he seems to collect most of the available boats on the better-sailing side of the market. Top marks.
Andrew did an excellent job getting me started on my new adventures. Worked with my conflicting schedule. Is very knowledgeable in the catamaran industry. 😎
I recently sold my Lagoon 450 with the Multihull Team. I would highly recommend their services. The professionalism and personal treatment I received was greatly appreciated.
Great Service, Great People
Helped me through the process.
I would go through them again in a future purchase.
The Multihull Company made the process of buying our boat easy and predictable. Both our agent (Francisco Montaner) and Andrew Holland communicated well and educated/informed us of each step in the process. I highly recommend The Multihull Company for those shopping for a catamaran!
Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.
Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.
More About Multihull
