UV Damage

[Infiltrator_2K]

I went to view a Zodiac Futura today, & although the tubes were in good condition, the cockpit appeared to have UV damage, i.e. bleached plastics, upholstery split & coming aways from the seams. The plastic coating on the transom also showed signs of brittleness as it had cracked exposing the wood.

It seems the previous owner had left the boat moored for long periods of time without a cover. I noticed the leg of the engine had been painted, this was obviously in my mind to conceal the fact that the boat had spent a long period of time in the water :/

The question is should I avoid this boat like the plague, or should I negotiate a price?

Cheers Ian

[Sharkbyte]

Hi mate

I guess it comes down to what model / year Futura it is, and what price is he asking? Everything can be put right I'm sure, but time and materials etc. don't come for free. The bits you've described could provide a great haggling oportunity in getting a truly superb boat for a bargain price, or could simply sour a possible 'deal'.

Good to hear again that the tubes appear to be more resilient to the elements than the fittings. The seemingly never ending hypalon / modern PVC SIB debate tends to attract a little more attention than is worthy.....in my opinion. ;-)

[Infiltrator_2K]

Originally Posted by Sharkbyte

Hi mate

I guess it comes down to what model / year Futura it is, and what price is he asking? Everything can be put right I'm sure, but time and materials etc. don't come for free. The bits you've described could provide a great haggling oportunity in getting a truly superb boat for a bargain price, or could simply sour a possible 'deal'.

Good to hear again that the tubes appear to be more resilient to the elements than the fittings. The seemingly never ending hypalon / modern PVC SIB debate tends to attract a little more attention than is worthy.....in my opinion. ;-)

The Futura is 2005 MkIII 4.5M and a dealer is asking 5K for it.

Cheers Ian|

[Sharkbyte]

Hi Ian

I am assuming that the Futura comes fitted with a pretty tasty outboard for £5k, and most likely a trailer???

The console and seats are made of GRP, the bright red coating being the gelcoat. If these are slightly oxidised / faded, in most cases, certainly a 2005 IMO, they can be brought back to an as new appearance with a good compounding and waxing. They are very good quality fittings, hence the thickness of the GRP......and the Zodiac replacement prices!!!

Most black trims can similarly be brought back up with the appropriate treatment, much like when you valet a car.

The splits in the upholstery I am guessing are along the 'pleats' of the vinyl seat covers. Unfortunately, they do tend to do this (even on the older models). As the boat is not brand new, and most likely priced at a considerably less then new price (depending on motor fitted), maybe a little leeway on wear and tear is to be expected.

The brittle coating on the transom seems to be fairly common trait, and usually restricted to the odd chipped area on the top. I have the same on mine yet I certainly don't loose any sleep about it, and have never heard of the chipping extending more than a few inches or so.....probably the reason for never getting round to actually sorting it. ;-)

It's probably worth it's own thread with pics etc. when I eventually do it.



Depending on how handy you are feeling, nearly all of the bits you have described should be very easy to remedy and should give you a great lead in for a discount if you were to decide in favour of this boat.

Cheers

Wayne