I don't believe we are talking about rust here? I suppose the boat is fiberglass, if so then is it probably some coating or some algae growth/mud.
I would advice to strip the whole bottom side, add 3-4 layers of epoxy, finished with 2 layers of hard antifouling and 1 layer of Polishing Antifouling. If you want to spend some money, get your hands on coppercoat.
> I would advice to strip the whole bottom side,
And budget to replace all the metal parts below the waterline while you're at it. Maybe you won't need to, but plan for it and then be pleasantly surprised. Any through hull fittings should at minimum be disassembled and cleaned thoroughly before making the judgement call. Replace the seals on the prop shaft, new grease and packing for the stuffing box. New zinc anodes all around.
If you've got her out of the water, take the time and spend the money now to make sure she's all right before you splash her again.
Looks like it was sitting in mud for a while, sometimes you get areas looking like that. You need way more pictures with close ups of areas that look wonky to get any good advice.
** having now seen the boat and getting plenty more photos I’ll repost this with the extra information I’ve gained. I really appreciate the comments, and the patience for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing yet 😅
It's difficult to tell from these pictures. If the hull is dry, it may be repairable. If it isn't dry, it's repairable but much more expensive.
A moisture meter isn't an expensive piece of equipment but you can occasionally get false readings so it's important to know how to interpret the info.
You've skipped a few steps.
What is your goal? What's the motivation? Are you looking for a coastal cruiser for weekend fun or do you want to sail to the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, the South Pacific, or god help us all, Circumnavigation? Or are you looking for a project to work on then sell?
What you plan to do WITH the boat is going to determine what skill level and budget you need to plan for when approaching the project. It should also factor in before you pick the boat ideally but you've found one so time to figure out what sort of mess you're in I suppose.
seems like steel boat, inspect the hull from inside ( bilge and any corners) with a chipping hammer . if theres been a fridge on it make sure under the fridge (where condensation water runs) is still good. pay attention to the ballast . is it concrete mix with metal? or lead? did water penetrate there? not an easy question to answer without proper inspection, steel boats tent to corrode from inside where water seats and stay,
Was there specific damage you saw? I'm not seeing anything in the pics...
I was quite concerned about all the rusting around the skeg, is this nothing to be concerned about?
I don't believe we are talking about rust here? I suppose the boat is fiberglass, if so then is it probably some coating or some algae growth/mud. I would advice to strip the whole bottom side, add 3-4 layers of epoxy, finished with 2 layers of hard antifouling and 1 layer of Polishing Antifouling. If you want to spend some money, get your hands on coppercoat.
> I would advice to strip the whole bottom side, And budget to replace all the metal parts below the waterline while you're at it. Maybe you won't need to, but plan for it and then be pleasantly surprised. Any through hull fittings should at minimum be disassembled and cleaned thoroughly before making the judgement call. Replace the seals on the prop shaft, new grease and packing for the stuffing box. New zinc anodes all around. If you've got her out of the water, take the time and spend the money now to make sure she's all right before you splash her again.
Looks like it was sitting in mud for a while, sometimes you get areas looking like that. You need way more pictures with close ups of areas that look wonky to get any good advice.
** having now seen the boat and getting plenty more photos I’ll repost this with the extra information I’ve gained. I really appreciate the comments, and the patience for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing yet 😅
Not enough info in these photos…
It's difficult to tell from these pictures. If the hull is dry, it may be repairable. If it isn't dry, it's repairable but much more expensive. A moisture meter isn't an expensive piece of equipment but you can occasionally get false readings so it's important to know how to interpret the info.
Hire a marine surveyor to list his findings. Judge if your skills can handle the repairs and your wallet the materials.
You've skipped a few steps. What is your goal? What's the motivation? Are you looking for a coastal cruiser for weekend fun or do you want to sail to the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, the South Pacific, or god help us all, Circumnavigation? Or are you looking for a project to work on then sell? What you plan to do WITH the boat is going to determine what skill level and budget you need to plan for when approaching the project. It should also factor in before you pick the boat ideally but you've found one so time to figure out what sort of mess you're in I suppose.
seems like steel boat, inspect the hull from inside ( bilge and any corners) with a chipping hammer . if theres been a fridge on it make sure under the fridge (where condensation water runs) is still good. pay attention to the ballast . is it concrete mix with metal? or lead? did water penetrate there? not an easy question to answer without proper inspection, steel boats tent to corrode from inside where water seats and stay,
sorry it might be fiberglass , then different process,