[Public-list] voids in hull from fiberglass mold during fabrication---Boat held hostage!

[Matthew Hay]

Hi everyone,
This is Matthew Hay long time no e-mail.  I am sure I was missed!!! My "new" 
yard in mid-coast Maine is telling me that I have an old transducer 
through-hull fitting that was leaking when they pulled the boat last fall.  
It is a small transducer through-hull with an extruding tube about a 1/2 
inch in diameter on the port side aft.  I did not notice much bilge pump 
work or water collection last summer.  Even during my livaboard/sail from 
NYC to Georgetown Maine.  But  this particular yard is refusing to launch my 
1968 Alberg this spring unless I pay for what they are calling "a problem 
with voids in the hull which occurred during fabrication at Whitby".  They 
are stating that voids are a common occurrence in fiberglass construction 
(which makes sense to me) but do to my trickling through-hull, the voids 
have increased in size from freezing temperatures. Consequently requiring me 
to pay a large sum of money to them to grind out the hull and fix the 
"voids" or they will not put her in the water this spring.  This particular 
yard was so expensive for winter storage to begin with, that this additional 
cost is very difficult for me.  I am a teacher on a fixed income (don't 
worry not grammar) and just want to make sure that I am not the guy with New 
York on his transom in Maine.  Is anyone familiar with this problem?  If 
such voids do exist, and they can be increased so dramatically do to a small 
leak in a transducer, then this must have come up in the past.

Thank you for the help.
Best wishes for a great spring,

Matthew Hay #314

"What kind of voids"??  "Well empty voids".----- Woody Allen

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