Home › Forums › Bass Cat Boats › Anyone know any pros or cons about Infrared boat inspections?
jdcarterrsc.
I have a 1990 PII with some problems. I recently had in impact with a stump or a log and did some severe damage to the hull and the transom. My insurance company come out on the first inspection made no determination and decided they needed to bring in an “expert” for further inspection with an Infrared camera to inspect the boat for prior rot or moisture. I was just wondering if BCB or anyone else has any info on this method of inspection. My adjuster says this is the new and improved non invasive way to determine impact failure or failure cause by rot or moisture. I have to agree that it sounds great but I must admit I am a little concerned. Anyone with any input? Thanks, J.. [url=mailto:jdcarterrsc@hotmail.com]jdcarterrsc@hotmail.com[/url]
Sounds like to me they are trying to get out of it saying that a lot of the damage was due to rot or moisture. I know a lot of people in the business view those moisture meters as merely a tool for the ins companies to deny claims. I am not so sure I wouldnt rather them drill 1/4″ holes in the boat to see what they need to see. For the rest of us who is the ins company? Good luck, I hope that isnt what is going on. Judd Lasiter
Hey Judd, Thanks for your thoughts. I have had that thought too I think I will see how this infrared thing goes next week and then if it does not go my way I will then have them get the drill out and get some visual answers. At this point Im not trying to cause any panic or I should say im tring not to panic. But I dont want this to sound like a witch hunt towards my insurace company. So for now Im going to hold that info until I get all the info back. I do trust them as they have always come shining through for me in the past. But as the saying goes “what have you done for me lately”. I hope you dont take offence but at this point I dont feel they deserve any ill will. Ill keep you posted though. Thanks, J..
We have not dealt with the infrared cameras. We are skeptics for the most part. They do have hydrometers that can determine moisture intrusion in wood and transoms. We had an individual impact a stump and do some damage. The hyro tester came out and they determined the transom was rotten and it had moisture in it that degraded the wood in the transom. It was a 2002 model all fiberglass hull. When contacted and informed of that they were a little taken back. Then they resolved the issue. On a 91 model your going to be at their mercy. The damages are going to weigh in hard against the hull value. We have not used the infrared on hulls, and we doubt seriously that they would work on field applications. We have seen lab studies done in a controlled climate with some use of infrared. BCB
No offense taken…I wish you a lot of luck in this deal because it can be such a pain and adding insult to injury is not what any of us need. Dont forget to involve you agent, I have always said your ins is really about as good as the agent you have representing you. Good luck. JL
BCB, Thanks for the reply. Yeah old boat I know Its unfortunate that I just rebuilt most everything in the boat as well as replaced the motor recently. I assumed this is fairly new procedure to detect problems with rot/moisture as not many people have heard much about it. I appreciate you thoughts and previous info. We will see how it goes. Ill re-post after I see what transpires.
JL, I guess that is something I have on my side. My agent is not only a Bass man but also a Bass Cat owner. So hes got to be a good guy right? Kinda cool I thought. Dont worry hes going to earn his money with me. Thanks again, J..
Sounds like a lot of witchcraft and superstition, IMHO. What exactly is an IR image going to show? Hull material (glass), wood and water are all at same temp. IR shows only temp differentials. You could subject the hull to a strong microwave source and then the IR would pick up the water intrusion which would warm up where the glass would not, so you might see something. If your boat is rat-infested, you might find their nest on the image. This doesnt make a lot of sense IMHO. Id suspect you are going to end up needing either a big jar of vaseline, or an attorney, if you get my drift. 2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200
OT 57 is right on; the only thing you will see with infrared is something that has a beating heart. Military infrared systems measure temperature differences of their targets, meaning the target is generating heat of some kind (motor, people, etc.) In the case of a boat hull, I would expect that the temperature difference of the materials would be so small that only the most expensive IR device would pick it up. A better alternative for non-intrusive inspection is ultra sound; we use that to inspect carbon composite wings and structures. Ultrasound will bounce back like radar and show discontinuities like air pockets, cracks, delaminations, etc. If they need to look inside, Judds suggestion of drilling a hole and using a bore scope is the most reasonable alternative. If moisture is the concern, you could drill a deep hole parallel with the transom and use some kind of moisture meter; the hole can be filled after your done. good luck jw
OT57 & JW, Thanks for the input. I wondered the same thing about the heat, the way I understand is that they will heat a section of the boat then shoot it with the IR and then I would assume look for hot/cold spots. And from what I have been told this IR system is designed just for these inspections and this outfit owns the only one in the State and he does these inspections in a 5 state area. This is supposed to go down Monday so check back and I will let you know what I think after that. I appreciate the info you can bet Ill be there asking questions. Thanks, J..
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