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 info@multihullcompany.com today!
Working with Andrew Hodgdon at The MultiHull Company was a great experience. Andrew has years of experience in the multihull market, especially performence catamarans and was the Technical Director at Balance Catamarans for many years. He’s always available to talk, guide and advise. He’s easy to work with, is extremely knowledgeable, and has a very pleasant way about him. I would highly recommend Andrew to help in your sale or purchase of any multihull.
Working with Will, Andrew Holland and Andrew Hodgdon to sell my Balance 442 was such a pleasure. No one knows multihulls as well as Andrew Hodgdon, especially performance cats like a Balance. As Technical Director of Balance for many years, Andrew knows all of the nuances of that type of boat, as well as the other brands in the category. If you want to sell or buy a catamaran, look no further than Andrew Hodgdon!
Multihull Company did a great job with advertising and selling our boat. Also with the closing and documentation work. Highly recommend them and our broker, Dunbar Lewis.
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.
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