Great episode, I say that because we bought a 30foot 45 year old boat from an old salt who couldn't do the work to get her seaworthy any more. He was a gent and let her go for the equivalent of 3k USD. He thought the engine might be seized, the bowsprit was rotten, the boat leaked through the cabin and was just at that point where if it got TLC it was salvagable. Maybe another year and it would be too far gone. We spent a year fixing her up good enough to daysail. It turned out the engine was fine but the batteries were dead and the water system blocked. I can fix stuff like that all day. Rotten wood was replaced. When lifted out there was no osmosis so and easy sand down and anti foul. The sails were good enough. We spent last summer daysailing out of our home port learning the boat. This winter we are going through the snagging list including stress fractures in the glass. I like doing that and I'm sticking with polyester frankly. West system is great yes but I find their pricing a bit of a rip off compared to going to the local car detailing shop and buying glass repair kits there. Shop around! I love your fibre glass repair box tip, that's my next job tomorrow literally I have stuff scattered everywhere at the minute. Jobs I dreaded doing - building and replacing the bowsprit. I spent a lot of time reading up watching you tube and learning about rigging before I even started. It actually turned out to be a lot easier that I expected it just needed a lot of planning. This year I am doing exactly what you talked about, replacing the rigging one stay (or one pair ) at a time, maybe I'll do it over 2 years. We've spent about another 3k so far and have budgeted another 3 on top so still have a comfortably sized heavily rigged yacht for under 10k. Also the previous owner replaced all the rig and the mast and boom in 2014 as he used it to travel to the faroes and Iceland often so we know it's a hardy boat. Mainly though it has given the wife and I a very enjoyable common hobby and totally changed our lifestyle. So go do it buy a cheap fixer upper if you are practical and don't mind the work.
It’s good the person you were buying the boat from was genuine and not trying to say the boat is something it wasn’t. I feel like that makes a massive difference. I’ve owned two boats and both are old boats that needed work. The experience with both was very different in large part to me not being experienced and another part because one seller took advantage of me while the other did not at all. I bought a Catalina 30 which wasn’t a bad boat but it wasn’t ever gonna be what I wanted it to be and I impulse bought it cause I was excited. The guy hid problems and lied about the boat a lot. The boat I have now is an Alberg 30 which has the full keel I realized I wanted and the guy sold it for 2500 bucks and told me everything about it. It made all the difference and now that boat is about to take me across the pacific
Supper cook! -- QUESTION -- Where could I find a list of small 29 to 36' bluewater classics that have a skeg hung rudder, and NOT keel hung. Love the Cape Dory (like Sam Holmes uses on youtube) but want a separate keel and rudder setup. Is there such a list? Take a Cape Dory and give it a skeg hung rudder and it may be perfect. Why?? I am told that these Alberg designs "hobby horse" since they don't have the rudder spread out to the end of the boat and put, instead, everything in the center...Not sure if this is true.
Bought 2005 Hinckley Sou'wester 42 in Dec. 2023. Had a thorough survey done and two things came back that were wrong, both electrical. I also noticed very depleted zincs and found out they had less than half a season on them in the upper Chesapeake with reduced salinity. This proved to be a third electrical issue. I negotiated a lower price based on these findings. Great previous owner BTW; wonderful purchase experience. I'm recently retired from a career with heavy involvement in electronics and during the few years I spent searching for my bucket list sailboat, I got acquainted with marine electronics and power issues. I corrected the above issues while the boat was on the hard. Turns out that the stuff Hinckley installed on the boat was perfect and two third party contractors used by the previous owners were responsible for the faults. The prior owners had no budget issues maintained the boat entirely via Hinckley yards that provided the third party upgrades. Electrical Issue 1 & 2: (reversed AC outlet polarity and AC leakage through the water) AC leakage of 2.33A into the water when on shore power, or 78 times the ABYC recommended max. of 30mA. In lower salinity waters, AC leakage can and has electrocuted nearby swimmers. This is why you see "no swimming" signs at marinas - many boats have this problem, but usually to a much lesser extent. Search on "Electric Shock Drowning Incidents - Marinas" if you'd like to learn about it. The cause was reversed hot/neutral wires at the output of a Victron Inverter-Charger that fed the boat's AC receptacles. Most AC appliances can be operated just fine with this condition, thus the previous owner never noticed it. Since the ground and neutral are bonded at the Inverter-Charger, the 120V hot was bonded to ground instead. Ground is bonded to the engine and underwater metal parts of the boat. This was not a shock hazard on the boat, but formed a circuit through the water and back to the shore power ground. Electrical Issue 3: (DC leakage through the water) Accelerated zinc corrosion was due to an incorrectly installed galvanic isolator. In effect, it might as well not have been installed because the original ground wire from the shore power inlet to the ground distribution panel was left in place. This allowed DC current to flow between other unprotected boats (lacking correctly installed galvanic or transformer isolation) and submerged marina structures connected to shore power ground. DC leakage kills boats, AC leakage kills people. Both are easy and inexpensive to avoid if you know what to look for.
Love this video! Before I discovered Lady K Sailing I had determined that I was going to retire on a sailboat. I grew up in marinas, mainly in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and am former Coast Guard. I had a sailboat and power boat but have been out of the sailing life for a bit. So, to get back in the swing, and to learn things I would need to know when I retired, I bought a fixer upper 1982 ComPac 23. Hull crack below the waterline aft of the cement filled keel, hole through the deck where the gas tank for the outboard would be, and a mast tabernacle that needed to be rebuilt. So... bought the boat, it rained for two weeks straight so no work on it. Went to work on the tabernacle, found the cabin full of water (I had thought the cracks in the gel coat were just that... nope). Through deck cracks right into the hull from the fuel tank cubby under the rudder. Mentioned them above but didn't find them 'til latter! Anyway, spent last summer fixing these issues, and needed new cushions throughout. No foam either, I needed everything. Got quotes for the cushions, had a minor stroke and said F that! Bought a Brother sewing machine and got a sail bag kit from Sailrite to use teaching myself to sew. Made the bag, I'm fussy so I would give it a 7.5 but the flaws I point out are laughed at by my friends who didn't see them (so they say). Bought everything I needed for the v-berth cushions and made those. I am definitely improving! Anyway, as far as our mentor of 267 episodes has said many times, you have to decide how much you want to do (work) to get your dream boat ready to roll (I have paraphrased, sue me). I was willing to do a lot on the ComPac, to learn skills I might need next time. I will be buying something bigger next year but it will be a decent representative of its class and not a total fixer upper. I want to retire after all, not repair boats! Plus, I have been slicing all kinds of rope since I was 10 and now I can sew and make boat cushions! Couple of great skills to have as a retired dude on a boat.
I went off the deep end, purchased a 1970's ferrocement 37 foot Samson C Bird. This is my first boat ever. Engine hadn't run in 2 years, interior needed serious work and electronics, plumbing, steering all needed work. Any guidance would have been a firm "do not buy". I put a lot of sweat equity into it, did my first ever haul out, prop shaft, cutlass bearing, stuffing box, bottom paint, zincs.. the list goes on. We are now using it every year and I intimately know everything about it. The biggest struggle has been the very old volvo engine... parts and support are non existent, but it runs reliably. Every used boat needs constant work, doing it yourself brings a lot of confidence that you can handle issues if they come up when you're away from the slip.
In the future Ill most likely to be looking to move onboard a boat. LOTS to think about and to be honest. It scares the hell out of me. But, your video's have a ton of useful information. Thanks
I bought a Pearson 424. I’m glad I didn’t pay the asking price. I had a survey done on the boat which gave me a good idea of what needed to be done. Basically the hull was in great shape and the engine had 87 hours on it. Now I’m basically doing a lot more than anticipated but I’m enjoying the refit as I handle a lot myself. Oh and I had never been on a sailboat before buying but I had hired a consultant which even today answers all my questions. Sorry Lady K I had hired him before knowing about you. I encourage others to do the same as I bought the boat which fits my needs. Quickly I bought this boat for 45,000 will at least put 45,000 and keep in mind or budget travel costs to go find a boat and then go refit the boat. Long story short, I enjoy this new lifestyle
Master color matcher here. The first thing to know/acknowledge is that there are many different whites out there and it's your job to figure out which one you're dealing with first. Bring a sample piece to an auto/body paint supplier and get them to throw it on their color scanner. Figure out which base white to start with first. Then just add a tiny touch of brown and or yellow to age it a little. I always bought tiny amounts of all the base colors the machine found and played with those a little, as well. Only color match wet sanded and buffed clean surfaces. Using a magnifying glass during color match helps a lot. Look for the number of occurrences of a particular color in a sample. Same issue with all of your colors. Once you color match many surfaces, spotting a base color becomes second nature. Don't be shy about cheating if you're uncomfortable or don't know.
I bought a 1991 Tartan 31 in May 2023. I had a good consultant and a good surveyor, who both gave her the thumbs up ("above average" on the survey report). No fiberglass problems except a few stress cracks in the gelcoat in the usual places. No keel smile. Standing rigging was good, but the running rigging needed replacement. I replaced all the halyards with dyneema, along with new delrin sheaves, and replaced all the sheets with braided dacron. The previous owner had just replaced both the main and furling genoa with brand-new North sails. The engine is a two-cylinder Volvo Penta which had 842 hours on it. Other than a thorough cleaning, I only had to fix a leaky water strainer and replace some water hoses. I found out later that the heating element in the hot water tank was burned out, but I'm going to remove the hot water tank anyway, I really have no use for hot water. With a friend I sailed her 850 nm through the Great Lakes to her new home port, no problems except for some water in the Racor filter, so had to drain that halfway through the voyage besides adding engine oil periodically, as we found that the engine does consume oil, about a quart every 50 hours. I'm not sure what to do about that, someone mentioned that the valve seals usually leak on older marine diesels. I attribute my good fortune with this boat to her excellent build quality, good maintenance by the previous owners, exclusive fresh water use (had probably never left Lake Erie), and light seasonal use. In the parlance of the boat trade, she was "unmolested", the previous owners having left everything as built. I still have a long list of upgrades I want to do, but overall I'm very happy with this boat and look forward to years of happy sailing.
LOL … no. Even brand new boats come with problems. Fix what’s broken and try and keep up as other things break. If you’re not into DIY or learning new skills … stay away from boats.
I'm shopping around for my "first" boat.. looking for something cheap, 18-25ft probably 22ft.. fb marketplace is full of boats that would suit my requirements or so it appears, seems like 4k gets me a nice boat 2k gets me on the water and 1k gets a project. mostly looking at 80s boats.. I want to do some primitive camp cruising and could also picture a windrider 17 or one of the bigger beach cats if the price was right. thinking the hobie 21 or similar. would love input from boat owners. naysayers and doom&gloomers need not reply
I love your channel. Your delivery is so matter of fact and blunt. I love it. My sister had to do chain plates on her 43' sailboat after she and her husband bought it. They were pretty bad and this cost them about $15k to replace them along with the standing rigging. Fortunately, her boat had them mounted on the outside of the hull so replacing them wasn't too difficult.
After fixing up an only 16 foot Daysailer, Noooooooooooo! Too expensive, too much work. Much easier to wait for the right boat and save money and get boat without problems.
My experience and my expectation of the boat I bought was to have a nice racer-cruiser for costal sailing. I own an x-102 bought for 23 k Euro. I had to replace the rigging after the delivery. The conditions were bad and the furler got wrapped around the stay. I did not want to risk the mast falling, so I replaced the whole rigging. I has to be done once every 10 years anyway. I replaced the batteries, modified the electric lines, added a marine charger, added a new VHS antenna, AIS system, new winches, and displays for wind, speed etc. I almost had everything done this season but two weeks ago the starter broke. The hull however is as new, no cracks the boat despite being 40 years old has not been sailed a lot nor raced a lot. I like working on boats and learning new things.But this would be an ordeal for someone who wants to just go sailing.
A big tell tell sign with diesels is blow by. Really on all engines crankcase ventilation needs to be disconnected if possible check for heavy vapors out of crankcase. By removing the oil fill.
Excellent points for buyers, I searched for my sailboat based on a criteria of Cap screen Ratio, I was looking for a stiff boat, in the blue water era, I looked for good design, good bones, and knew I would make repairs, the major systems were sound, some were old, but could be upgraded, and added sweat equity, my Cal 2-30 is coming together I’m in the PNW, previous owner went to Hawaii, and Australia so she’s proven for offshore, should get me to the Caribbean 😅 Davethemmp, from Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦
I bought a Catilina 27 a few weeks ago for 2K, sat in the water for 2 years minimum through the tropical storms in Tampa. Deck is sound, interior is dry -- some water in the bilge but the bilge pump was dead. The diver who cleaned off the oyster farm said the hull seemed sound and no blisters, just needs sanding and paint. The main problems are the engine (m 18 with 950 hrs) won't hold a prime, but that is probably me not knowing what I'm doing, and the Genoa's leech is sun damaged. I sewed on new tape on the leech and foot, and have Sunbrella ordered for UV cover that I am hoping will last the 600 nm trip home (3-4 days up the St John River). I THINK it is a 130, so I'll look into getting it cut down when I get here. Hoping next year it will be ready to get the hell out of Florida!
I got a 20-foot trailer sailer with a concrete encapsulated keel for free because the keel was damaged and concrete was spilling out of the side. I fixed it myself and basically ended up grinding down the entire keel and recovering it with West System epoxy and biaxial cloth. Did it cost twice as much as I thought it would? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes!
While I agree about getting an oil analysis I disagree about the oil being black. During a typical 5 to 6 month season I do about 50 to 75 engine hours, the oil is usually fairly dark by the time I do half of that. This on a 35 year old Yanmar 2GM20F that runs well.
On a say 28 footer, doing some stuff, absolutely. But I'm getting too old for big projects, 'I'd rather be sailing'. Nope, unlike Lady K she wouldn't look new, just fixed and yep, she'd be getting good used sails. Like many people, my stuff always looks its best when I bloody sell! Cheers.⚓
Rudder Pintles and Gudgeons. Was on an offshore cruise with a buddy in his O'Day, and we lost the rudder in 12 ft. seas. Last time I ever board an O'Day ;)
I'm starting to research older sailboats . I'm looking at a C & C 44 would this vessel be good for off shore my younger brother lives in Oahu . And that would be on my bucket list . And I see your from Chatham, ontario I'm in Whitby. Thank Robert Riggers
"you can go from epoxy to polyester" This isn't true. You just have to sand the heck out of it. You have 2 kinds of bonds. Mechanical vs chemical. Epoxy will nuke a chemical bond to polyester (epoxy first and then polyester) but you can always break out the elbow grease and shoot for a mechanical bond. Most that attempt this do not sand anywhere near enough. You can't leave any shiny surface. Not even a spec. There are many easier methods.
I bought a "project" boat knowing it was a problem child. I did all the work myself from new floors to headliner, I only have about $6000 usd in it. but a lot of time. It's worth 3 times what I paid. If you have the skills, some major problems really are not that major. Most people would never even consider gutting a boat to the hull but its really not that bad.
I have found that if an egine sits for a day the oil looks clear. The black shoot seems to settle out. So check the oil after you run the engine too. Engine oil analysis is best done knowing how many hours it has been run. Even better oil analysis is to track over time and look for trends.
We bought our boat with a bad engine and squishy part of the deck. One winter along we fixed the deck and the engine. We now have a beatiful Victoire that cost us half of what they normally sell for. We knew what we got into because of a survey, and I know my way around engines and epoxy, so for us this was the right decision. However be prepared to shell out a LOT of your free time. I had to start working parttime because of the boat project to keep my sanity. Remember: with boat maintenance the time is normally the constraint, with upgrading the wearable parts it’s the money.
I was very lucky the Used Catalina 27 the owner had a 5 inch thick book of every oil change , every nut sail or part he replaced Plus the guy who did most of the work is a sailor in the same club . So I would just ask him any questions I have Launch Apr 30th since no ice but water levels down
I'm in a sailing coop and the standing joke is that the people who source boats aren't the people who have to bring them up to snuff. Hey, this boat is free! well, not really... We're not sourcing boats all the time and the benefit of learning maintenance and repairs might be an less tangible benefit to newbies like me.
Is the reason that epoxy sticks to polyester but not the reverse due to using a fast curing hardener? A long time ago I was warned only to use slow cure hardeners to prevent an amine surface from forming on the epoxy, discouraging further layers of anything unless it is possible to wash off the amine. Thanks for the video, and congrats on the new gig!
You hit on sails a little bit. Would you please do an Indepth look at sail materials and their uses. Plus, the popular modern sail types and their uses. If there is an episode that covers this, please let me know. Thx
Just bought my first proper sailboat. 88 Catalina 30! Fresh water boat lightly used and hasn’t been out of the water in a bit so she’s got quite the grass skirt going. Diesel won’t start previous owner put an outboard on it rather than fix the diesel. No rust on the rigging also no idea how long it’s actually been installed. Sails are 6 years old. For $500 and I get to keep the slip she’s in cutting the line on the waiting list I’m gonna call it a win! I got a lot of neglect to work thru but I feel I got a solid deal. Join a sailing club! They pass around cheap bots all the time!! More content please!! Need something to listen to while I run a sander!! 😂
Those are good boats. Sailed one with BAY AREA OF DISABLED SAILORS for five years weekly on the sf bay. They are very capable boats. Racing, day sailing, even Bluewater are all possibilities. I love Catalina and islanders for a nice plastic classic.
@@cheifreal Figured I couldn’t go wrong with a Catalina for a first boat. Popular enough that parts shouldn’t be an issue and capable enough to keep me from out growing it for awhile! Still good to hear an uninterested party say! Thank you!
When running rigging is done correctly its easy to solo. The one I sailed was set up for disabled and even had a joystick for the helm hacked into the autopilot system. Easy to work on and cheap for a birth when 30' or under. Ive been out in 40 knot winds and still had good control. Good first boat.
@@cheifreal well plans are to haul her out next month and put her on the hard for a bit. Engines gotta come out for an overhaul or be replaced (yanmar or beta marine if it needs replacing?) and everything involved with the diesel needs to be gone thru (diesel tank, lines, cooling system, sail drive, etc..). They never used the head on board but I’d like it to be an option so yay! Plumbing! Already started cleaning topside and pulling the wood trim to repair / fab a replacement. Budget of 20k cash to buy a boat and get a slip. The boat cost $500, the haul out isn’t too bad, and I’ll be sub leasing my slip while I’m on the hard. Just a lot of work! It’s nice to hear once I get her done I can learn on the lake then drag her to the salt and keep going.
Thanks Tim!... The only things I need to fix on my little 25ft are things I broke myself... but I am fairly handy, and enjoy puttering on it as much as using it... I have half the boat in the the basement workshop refurbishing them over the winter. Next up, learn to sail without the motor on!
Thanks for the great info. I really want to get into sailing but I can not afford a new boat. I will most likely buy a used boat and do the work myself. So this is very useful information for me.
New boats are a waste of money , a large percentage of the cost is written of in the first few years. They usually come with problems not anticipated , mostly covered by the warranty but a PITA. The supplier will be slow to do the repairs , hoping you take it on yourself if the job isn't too extensive. Buy a boat a few years old or an old one if you don't mind some DIY. I actually enjoy it and you get to know your boat well. I bought a boat from 1987 , very well maintained with a fairly new engine. Needed new electronics and had a birdsnest of wiring , a common occurrence . Do one step at a time and enjoy sailing her meanwhile. If you try fixing everything at once you may become overwhelmed and loose interest. Get one with minimal wood on the exterior , may look good but causes leaks and require a lot of maintenance. Watch his next episodes , I am sure he'll bring up "soft" decks and hull blisters.
@@planet4allofus I agree. Buying an older boat from the 80's may be the best way to go. I can do the fiberglass and electrical work myself. I also live on a large lake that is part of the great loop so there are plenty of boat mechanics here that can help me. And it gives me a good place to test it before I go out on a long trip. Thanks for the advice.
Ideally before buying any boat, do your shopping with the most experienced and knowledgeable boat owner you know or can find. (If you don't already know one, go out and start making friends.... ) Sailors and especially boat owners need as many friends and contacts they can get. On my boat the Surveyor said electronics seem to work. They don't do much more than this. The electronics were obsolete, the AIS was a Chromebook that no one can figure out how to work again, and the digital compass is upside down. (I can do math as quick as anybody, adding or subtracting 180° then subtracting 360° doesn't work. ) I'm embarrassed that I didn't notice this, but shouldn't the surveyor have spotted it? (He did say the GPS was accurate) The owner should've told me. (No one has any clue how that can even happen.) You want someone who's done some engine work. Knows how obsolete or workable the electronics are... what upgrades you will need, how soon and about how much? I've only ever met one surveyor, who came with high recommendations. Surveyors I think are oversold, they do an important job, but I don't think they are going to tell you what this boat will cost you to bring up to spec. The only recommendation on my survey? Replace the EPIRB and the flares are out of date. You could meet the love of your life and the TODO list will be longer.
Regarding aged KEEL BOLTS...? Why not leave the original keel bolts in place, shoot some new holes through the hull and into the keel and torque in some New Bolts.? New bolts in virgin material with fresh bedding compound....Whats not to like?
Bought a very neglected Beneteau Oceanis 400 for roughly half of market value. Best point was a good engine. Spent a year replacing all rigging, chain plates, mast step, keel bolts, some sails and canvas, chain and anchor, all through hull fittings, electronics - pretty much servicing everything. Did a lot myself and had lots of help from sailing friends. A year later it was safe to take back out for a sail. Two years later first coastal cruise. Lesson? Over the two years I spent as much as having bought a good yacht to begin with. However, I was able to pay for the refit as I went and earned money, so accrued no debt or did not have to liquidate other assets. And now everything important is brand new with a 10 year life span. But a project like this takes time away from sailing, requires you to be able to do a lot yourself to be economical. It's definitely not for the fain hearted but can be a good option.
I’ve walked away from boats that had water in the bilge and a grounding. The brokers insistence on the crack around the keel was purely cosmetic was a red flag. No keel issues! Another I looked at had a “start problem” with the motor. I rang around and found the diesel mechanic whom had worked on it. It wouldn’t start because it was seized and the owner had bought cheap Chinese starter motor which had burned out. Red flags, bad motor and a cheap owner. Walked away. The other stuff, I can deal with. Motor and keel are deal breakers unless the motor problem is adjusting the price fairly.
Problems can be fixed and make cheap boats. Positive attitude helps 😊Here is a trick: assume every system in the boat has issues, if it does you wore expecting it, if it doesn't you will be pleasantly surprised. Im fixing our Second sailboat and i find it to be the case. ruclips.net/video/UtkSevq7a1k/видео.htmlsi=qC3M_vaOSBDa2mZT
Great video! Looking forward to part II. My guess it will be: Standing rigging/Spar, Running rigging, Spongey decks, Water intrusion/woodwork to be replaced, and something else I haven't thought of yet. Either way, I'll watch it.
What a fabulous know how video…. Found two nuggets… buy used sails! Only replace one shroud at a time so the rigger appreciates you instead of crisis and chaos…. Love the videos
Bought my Paceship 26 a year ago. She’d been neglected by her previous owner. But being in a city owned marina where boats are not allowed to stay in the parking lot during summer months, I knew she’d float. The marina manager tried to talk me out of buying her due to gel coat cracks and the fact that she hadn’t had a bottom job in years. After 6 weeks of fixing gel coat, sanding, buffing, and painting, I had her looking pretty sporty. He was blown away when they came with the travel lift on splash day. He even apologized for trying to talk me out of it. So far the worst job has been painting the ugly anodized mast. Well worth it in the end tho.
Soft top deck steered away from a Tartan, if it's like a trampoline NO. Delam under the engine on another boat from too many grounding. Caught by tapping.
Thanks Tim. Your usual intelligent video. Much appreciated. I hadnt thought of using a halyard in lieu of s stay to be replaced. Smart. In a few years time that might be useful info for us mate
A couple months ago, I acquired a '74 41ft Morgan out island. It ticks a lot of boxes for the type of boat I want and the best part was that it was free. Only problem is that it sank at the dock but it was shallow enough the top deck never got submerged. Electrical is trash. Engine is trash. There is a lot of work the boat will need and I almost walked away but I realized that I don't have to do everything at once. I do all my own work. If I relied on paying someone else, it would be ludicrous to get something like this. I know I can fix everything over time and can make it exactly the way I want it. The best part is I'll know every square inch of the boat when it's done. Since I got it for free, I've got a long way to go before it's not worth it.
So, bought a Mcgreggor 26, rigging snapped while sailing, did not know to check it. I replaced the steering, but did not improve the performance of the boat. Engine would just not start sometimes.
I bought a boat with a lot of problems. In the process of removing them. It was the boat that I wanted. As Walter Schultz stated, sometimes the boat picks you
Love your show. I just purchased a decked out Catalina 36 mkI. Using your advice I was able to filter this gem from the rest of the Chaffee. One point of note: check any wiring work done for proper marine materials used.
NO! i want a boat as perfect as possible. I plan on paying extra for a near perfect boat. I want a boat fitted out to my specifications turn key 100% ready to sail ⛵️.
I’ve been building and repairing fiberglass boats since 1974. Also worked in composites in the automotive and commercial aerospace writing repair procedures. I have several patents regarding composite repairs. I disagree with using epoxy to repair polyester laminated boats. First off most folks unless vacuum bagging the repair won’t get as high a glass to resin ratio as when using polyester or better yet Vinylester resin. Secondly time wise it’s much more efficient to use poly or Vinylester. Thirdly you can still use polyester fillers and Gelcoat over the repair.
I love the idea of adapting an air cooled undersized diesel. They're cheap, easily replaced, and better for charging batteries. I'm also wondering about replacing cast steel keels with an aluminum keel with a bottom lead bulb. The hardest problem I encounter is where to live near your boat. Almost all sea and inlet zones are expensive.
Good information. My experience, I was looking for a boat I could single hand but also over night on my small lake. And because of our age, my "Admiral" and I wanted a walk through transom. I found a boat in Maine that was exactly what I wanted, an18 year old Catalina 28Mii with only 298 hours on the engine meter. Lightly used and all else was in perfect condition. All else looked great and the price was just right. Our mistake, however, was estimating the cost of transporting the boat from Maine to Georgia and the cost and time to have it cleaned up and rigged. And the transporter kinked one of the lower shrouds which we didn't see until a year later when some of the wires in the bundle were sticking out. And the transporter gouged two of the cleats he used to hook the boat to his truck. If I had to do it over again I would be more patient and wait for a boat that fit our needs closer to home. So overall, adding it all up, I probably overpaid when all costs, purchase, transport, commissioning considered. On the plus side, the boat has been perfect for us and we have enjoyed now 7 years of fun sailing on our small lake.
Thank you Tim! My the most crazy job that I have done so far after the purchase - reglass entire bow that was previously cutted away! The good thing is that was a small dinghy :)
Thanks as always. You should make a pdf checklist of everything to inspect, ask about, when viewing a boat and sell it for $10 a pop. Would do great I think!
Yeah I got stress cracks last year around the heel of the mast. It led to me removing all the fittings, the railings, redoing all the teak wood, resealing the windows, and after fixing the cracks, and repainting the entire top side lol. I think it's called ocd..... Cheers from Alberta!
Another great topic and well covered. I bought my 1970 Tartan 34c knowing full well I was going to need to do core work. But the price was right and the I had worked out a budget for the repair work I would need to do. It was an incremental investment over a total of 3 years (near end of year two now) that was part of the program. The boat is now in a state that odds are it will out live me. I could have saved up and bought a better boat at the same cost but that would mean waiting more than 3 years and not being on water. I prefer the later...
Great episode, I say that because we bought a 30foot 45 year old boat from an old salt who couldn't do the work to get her seaworthy any more. He was a gent and let her go for the equivalent of 3k USD. He thought the engine might be seized, the bowsprit was rotten, the boat leaked through the cabin and was just at that point where if it got TLC it was salvagable. Maybe another year and it would be too far gone. We spent a year fixing her up good enough to daysail. It turned out the engine was fine but the batteries were dead and the water system blocked. I can fix stuff like that all day. Rotten wood was replaced. When lifted out there was no osmosis so and easy sand down and anti foul. The sails were good enough. We spent last summer daysailing out of our home port learning the boat. This winter we are going through the snagging list including stress fractures in the glass. I like doing that and I'm sticking with polyester frankly. West system is great yes but I find their pricing a bit of a rip off compared to going to the local car detailing shop and buying glass repair kits there. Shop around! I love your fibre glass repair box tip, that's my next job tomorrow literally I have stuff scattered everywhere at the minute. Jobs I dreaded doing - building and replacing the bowsprit. I spent a lot of time reading up watching you tube and learning about rigging before I even started. It actually turned out to be a lot easier that I expected it just needed a lot of planning. This year I am doing exactly what you talked about, replacing the rigging one stay (or one pair ) at a time, maybe I'll do it over 2 years. We've spent about another 3k so far and have budgeted another 3 on top so still have a comfortably sized heavily rigged yacht for under 10k. Also the previous owner replaced all the rig and the mast and boom in 2014 as he used it to travel to the faroes and Iceland often so we know it's a hardy boat. Mainly though it has given the wife and I a very enjoyable common hobby and totally changed our lifestyle. So go do it buy a cheap fixer upper if you are practical and don't mind the work.
It’s good the person you were buying the boat from was genuine and not trying to say the boat is something it wasn’t. I feel like that makes a massive difference. I’ve owned two boats and both are old boats that needed work. The experience with both was very different in large part to me not being experienced and another part because one seller took advantage of me while the other did not at all. I bought a Catalina 30 which wasn’t a bad boat but it wasn’t ever gonna be what I wanted it to be and I impulse bought it cause I was excited. The guy hid problems and lied about the boat a lot. The boat I have now is an Alberg 30 which has the full keel I realized I wanted and the guy sold it for 2500 bucks and told me everything about it. It made all the difference and now that boat is about to take me across the pacific
Supper cook! -- QUESTION -- Where could I find a list of small 29 to 36' bluewater classics that have a skeg hung rudder, and NOT keel hung. Love the Cape Dory (like Sam Holmes uses on youtube) but want a separate keel and rudder setup. Is there such a list? Take a Cape Dory and give it a skeg hung rudder and it may be perfect. Why?? I am told that these Alberg designs "hobby horse" since they don't have the rudder spread out to the end of the boat and put, instead, everything in the center...Not sure if this is true.
Bought 2005 Hinckley Sou'wester 42 in Dec. 2023. Had a thorough survey done and two things came back that were wrong, both electrical. I also noticed very depleted zincs and found out they had less than half a season on them in the upper Chesapeake with reduced salinity. This proved to be a third electrical issue. I negotiated a lower price based on these findings. Great previous owner BTW; wonderful purchase experience.
I'm recently retired from a career with heavy involvement in electronics and during the few years I spent searching for my bucket list sailboat, I got acquainted with marine electronics and power issues. I corrected the above issues while the boat was on the hard. Turns out that the stuff Hinckley installed on the boat was perfect and two third party contractors used by the previous owners were responsible for the faults. The prior owners had no budget issues maintained the boat entirely via Hinckley yards that provided the third party upgrades.
Electrical Issue 1 & 2: (reversed AC outlet polarity and AC leakage through the water)
AC leakage of 2.33A into the water when on shore power, or 78 times the ABYC recommended max. of 30mA. In lower salinity waters, AC leakage can and has electrocuted nearby swimmers. This is why you see "no swimming" signs at marinas - many boats have this problem, but usually to a much lesser extent. Search on "Electric Shock Drowning Incidents - Marinas" if you'd like to learn about it.
The cause was reversed hot/neutral wires at the output of a Victron Inverter-Charger that fed the boat's AC receptacles. Most AC appliances can be operated just fine with this condition, thus the previous owner never noticed it. Since the ground and neutral are bonded at the Inverter-Charger, the 120V hot was bonded to ground instead. Ground is bonded to the engine and underwater metal parts of the boat. This was not a shock hazard on the boat, but formed a circuit through the water and back to the shore power ground.
Electrical Issue 3: (DC leakage through the water)
Accelerated zinc corrosion was due to an incorrectly installed galvanic isolator. In effect, it might as well not have been installed because the original ground wire from the shore power inlet to the ground distribution panel was left in place. This allowed DC current to flow between other unprotected boats (lacking correctly installed galvanic or transformer isolation) and submerged marina structures connected to shore power ground.
DC leakage kills boats, AC leakage kills people. Both are easy and inexpensive to avoid if you know what to look for.
Well, I always seem to get the ladies with the problems… sailboats can’t be any worse 🤷🏼♂️😁 🤙🏻
Love this video! Before I discovered Lady K Sailing I had determined that I was going to retire on a sailboat. I grew up in marinas, mainly in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and am former Coast Guard. I had a sailboat and power boat but have been out of the sailing life for a bit. So, to get back in the swing, and to learn things I would need to know when I retired, I bought a fixer upper 1982 ComPac 23. Hull crack below the waterline aft of the cement filled keel, hole through the deck where the gas tank for the outboard would be, and a mast tabernacle that needed to be rebuilt. So... bought the boat, it rained for two weeks straight so no work on it. Went to work on the tabernacle, found the cabin full of water (I had thought the cracks in the gel coat were just that... nope). Through deck cracks right into the hull from the fuel tank cubby under the rudder. Mentioned them above but didn't find them 'til latter! Anyway, spent last summer fixing these issues, and needed new cushions throughout. No foam either, I needed everything. Got quotes for the cushions, had a minor stroke and said F that! Bought a Brother sewing machine and got a sail bag kit from Sailrite to use teaching myself to sew. Made the bag, I'm fussy so I would give it a 7.5 but the flaws I point out are laughed at by my friends who didn't see them (so they say). Bought everything I needed for the v-berth cushions and made those. I am definitely improving! Anyway, as far as our mentor of 267 episodes has said many times, you have to decide how much you want to do (work) to get your dream boat ready to roll (I have paraphrased, sue me). I was willing to do a lot on the ComPac, to learn skills I might need next time. I will be buying something bigger next year but it will be a decent representative of its class and not a total fixer upper. I want to retire after all, not repair boats! Plus, I have been slicing all kinds of rope since I was 10 and now I can sew and make boat cushions! Couple of great skills to have as a retired dude on a boat.
Sure I would. Then I would start a RUclips channel called this old money pit.
I went off the deep end, purchased a 1970's ferrocement 37 foot Samson C Bird. This is my first boat ever. Engine hadn't run in 2 years, interior needed serious work and electronics, plumbing, steering all needed work. Any guidance would have been a firm "do not buy". I put a lot of sweat equity into it, did my first ever haul out, prop shaft, cutlass bearing, stuffing box, bottom paint, zincs.. the list goes on. We are now using it every year and I intimately know everything about it. The biggest struggle has been the very old volvo engine... parts and support are non existent, but it runs reliably. Every used boat needs constant work, doing it yourself brings a lot of confidence that you can handle issues if they come up when you're away from the slip.
This was a super useful video-I'd love to see more of these, especially in nice digestible chunks like this.
In the future Ill most likely to be looking to move onboard a boat. LOTS to think about and to be honest. It scares the hell out of me. But, your video's have a ton of useful information. Thanks
I bought a Pearson 424. I’m glad I didn’t pay the asking price. I had a survey done on the boat which gave me a good idea of what needed to be done. Basically the hull was in great shape and the engine had 87 hours on it. Now I’m basically doing a lot more than anticipated but I’m enjoying the refit as I handle a lot myself. Oh and I had never been on a sailboat before buying but I had hired a consultant which even today answers all my questions. Sorry Lady K I had hired him before knowing about you. I encourage others to do the same as I bought the boat which fits my needs. Quickly I bought this boat for 45,000 will at least put 45,000 and keep in mind or budget travel costs to go find a boat and then go refit the boat. Long story short, I enjoy this new lifestyle
Master color matcher here. The first thing to know/acknowledge is that there are many different whites out there and it's your job to figure out which one you're dealing with first.
Bring a sample piece to an auto/body paint supplier and get them to throw it on their color scanner. Figure out which base white to start with first. Then just add a tiny touch of brown and or yellow to age it a little. I always bought tiny amounts of all the base colors the machine found and played with those a little, as well.
Only color match wet sanded and buffed clean surfaces. Using a magnifying glass during color match helps a lot. Look for the number of occurrences of a particular color in a sample.
Same issue with all of your colors.
Once you color match many surfaces, spotting a base color becomes second nature. Don't be shy about cheating if you're uncomfortable or don't know.
All sailboats have problems. Even brand new boats have problems.
I bought a 1991 Tartan 31 in May 2023. I had a good consultant and a good surveyor, who both gave her the thumbs up ("above average" on the survey report). No fiberglass problems except a few stress cracks in the gelcoat in the usual places. No keel smile. Standing rigging was good, but the running rigging needed replacement. I replaced all the halyards with dyneema, along with new delrin sheaves, and replaced all the sheets with braided dacron. The previous owner had just replaced both the main and furling genoa with brand-new North sails. The engine is a two-cylinder Volvo Penta which had 842 hours on it.
Other than a thorough cleaning, I only had to fix a leaky water strainer and replace some water hoses. I found out later that the heating element in the hot water tank was burned out, but I'm going to remove the hot water tank anyway, I really have no use for hot water.
With a friend I sailed her 850 nm through the Great Lakes to her new home port, no problems except for some water in the Racor filter, so had to drain that halfway through the voyage besides adding engine oil periodically, as we found that the engine does consume oil, about a quart every 50 hours. I'm not sure what to do about that, someone mentioned that the valve seals usually leak on older marine diesels.
I attribute my good fortune with this boat to her excellent build quality, good maintenance by the previous owners, exclusive fresh water use (had probably never left Lake Erie), and light seasonal use. In the parlance of the boat trade, she was "unmolested", the previous owners having left everything as built.
I still have a long list of upgrades I want to do, but overall I'm very happy with this boat and look forward to years of happy sailing.
How do I contact Lady K about consulting? I've emailed and even started a donating via Pateon but not heard back? What's the secret handshake?
I got the 25th like. Lowest ever... so far! 🙂
There are sailboats without problems?!?
Is there such a thing as a boat without "problems"?
LOL … no. Even brand new boats come with problems. Fix what’s broken and try and keep up as other things break. If you’re not into DIY or learning new skills … stay away from boats.
Brilliant, advice given thank you. From Australia 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘
I'm shopping around for my "first" boat.. looking for something cheap, 18-25ft probably 22ft.. fb marketplace is full of boats that would suit my requirements or so it appears, seems like 4k gets me a nice boat 2k gets me on the water and 1k gets a project. mostly looking at 80s boats.. I want to do some primitive camp cruising and could also picture a windrider 17 or one of the bigger beach cats if the price was right. thinking the hobie 21 or similar. would love input from boat owners. naysayers and doom&gloomers need not reply
I love your channel. Your delivery is so matter of fact and blunt. I love it. My sister had to do chain plates on her 43' sailboat after she and her husband bought it. They were pretty bad and this cost them about $15k to replace them along with the standing rigging. Fortunately, her boat had them mounted on the outside of the hull so replacing them wasn't too difficult.
After fixing up an only 16 foot Daysailer, Noooooooooooo! Too expensive, too much work. Much easier to wait for the right boat and save money and get boat without problems.
diesel crankcase oil is ALWAYS black-- 5 minutes after changing!
We must have different crank cases. Mines still golden brown.
@@LadyKSailing Atomic 4 ?
My experience and my expectation of the boat I bought was to have a nice racer-cruiser for costal sailing. I own an x-102 bought for 23 k Euro. I had to replace the rigging after the delivery. The conditions were bad and the furler got wrapped around the stay. I did not want to risk the mast falling, so I replaced the whole rigging. I has to be done once every 10 years anyway. I replaced the batteries, modified the electric lines, added a marine charger, added a new VHS antenna, AIS system, new winches, and displays for wind, speed etc. I almost had everything done this season but two weeks ago the starter broke. The hull however is as new, no cracks the boat despite being 40 years old has not been sailed a lot nor raced a lot. I like working on boats and learning new things.But this would be an ordeal for someone who wants to just go sailing.
A big tell tell sign with diesels is blow by. Really on all engines crankcase ventilation needs to be disconnected if possible check for heavy vapors out of crankcase. By removing the oil fill.
Excellent points for buyers, I searched for my sailboat based on a criteria of Cap screen Ratio, I was looking for a stiff boat, in the blue water era, I looked for good design, good bones, and knew I would make repairs, the major systems were sound, some were old, but could be upgraded, and added sweat equity, my Cal 2-30 is coming together I’m in the PNW, previous owner went to Hawaii, and Australia so she’s proven for offshore, should get me to the Caribbean 😅 Davethemmp, from Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦
EVERYONE buys a boat with problems. Nothing is perfect. Hopefully small problems in the beginning.
Really informative! Thanks Tim!
I bought a Catilina 27 a few weeks ago for 2K, sat in the water for 2 years minimum through the tropical storms in Tampa. Deck is sound, interior is dry -- some water in the bilge but the bilge pump was dead. The diver who cleaned off the oyster farm said the hull seemed sound and no blisters, just needs sanding and paint.
The main problems are the engine (m 18 with 950 hrs) won't hold a prime, but that is probably me not knowing what I'm doing, and the Genoa's leech is sun damaged.
I sewed on new tape on the leech and foot, and have Sunbrella ordered for UV cover that I am hoping will last the 600 nm trip home (3-4 days up the St John River). I THINK it is a 130, so I'll look into getting it cut down when I get here.
Hoping next year it will be ready to get the hell out of Florida!
I got a 20-foot trailer sailer with a concrete encapsulated keel for free because the keel was damaged and concrete was spilling out of the side. I fixed it myself and basically ended up grinding down the entire keel and recovering it with West System epoxy and biaxial cloth. Did it cost twice as much as I thought it would? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes!
While I agree about getting an oil analysis I disagree about the oil being black. During a typical 5 to 6 month season I do about 50 to 75 engine hours, the oil is usually fairly dark by the time I do half of that. This on a 35 year old Yanmar 2GM20F that runs well.
On a say 28 footer, doing some stuff, absolutely. But I'm getting too old for big projects, 'I'd rather be sailing'. Nope, unlike Lady K she wouldn't look new, just fixed and yep, she'd be getting good used sails. Like many people, my stuff always looks its best when I bloody sell! Cheers.⚓
Rudder Pintles and Gudgeons. Was on an offshore cruise with a buddy in his O'Day, and we lost the rudder in 12 ft. seas. Last time I ever board an O'Day ;)
I'm starting to research older sailboats .
I'm looking at a C & C 44 would this vessel be good for off shore my younger brother lives in Oahu .
And that would be on my bucket list .
And I see your from Chatham, ontario I'm in Whitby.
Thank Robert Riggers
"you can go from epoxy to polyester"
This isn't true. You just have to sand the heck out of it. You have 2 kinds of bonds. Mechanical vs chemical. Epoxy will nuke a chemical bond to polyester (epoxy first and then polyester) but you can always break out the elbow grease and shoot for a mechanical bond.
Most that attempt this do not sand anywhere near enough. You can't leave any shiny surface. Not even a spec.
There are many easier methods.
I bought a "project" boat knowing it was a problem child. I did all the work myself from new floors to headliner, I only have about $6000 usd in it. but a lot of time. It's worth 3 times what I paid. If you have the skills, some major problems really are not that major. Most people would never even consider gutting a boat to the hull but its really not that bad.
Short, sweet, informative.
Well done.
*Lighting looked great on this one!
I have found that if an egine sits for a day the oil looks clear. The black shoot seems to settle out. So check the oil after you run the engine too. Engine oil analysis is best done knowing how many hours it has been run. Even better oil analysis is to track over time and look for trends.
We bought our boat with a bad engine and squishy part of the deck. One winter along we fixed the deck and the engine. We now have a beatiful Victoire that cost us half of what they normally sell for.
We knew what we got into because of a survey, and I know my way around engines and epoxy, so for us this was the right decision. However be prepared to shell out a LOT of your free time. I had to start working parttime because of the boat project to keep my sanity.
Remember: with boat maintenance the time is normally the constraint, with upgrading the wearable parts it’s the money.
I was very lucky the Used Catalina 27 the owner had a 5 inch thick book of every oil change , every nut sail or part he replaced
Plus the guy who did most of the work is a sailor in the same club . So I would just ask him any questions I have
Launch Apr 30th since no ice but water levels down
Engine question
Looking at a Gemini Mc 105 that has 3,000 hours on the Westerbeake 30 B diesel is that too many ?
I'm in a sailing coop and the standing joke is that the people who source boats aren't the people who have to bring them up to snuff. Hey, this boat is free! well, not really... We're not sourcing boats all the time and the benefit of learning maintenance and repairs might be an less tangible benefit to newbies like me.
Is the reason that epoxy sticks to polyester but not the reverse due to using a fast curing hardener? A long time ago I was warned only to use slow cure hardeners to prevent an amine surface from forming on the epoxy, discouraging further layers of anything unless it is possible to wash off the amine. Thanks for the video, and congrats on the new gig!
Much thanks but a question on rigging, How does one at a time work when your moving from steel to synthetic fibre ropes?
You hit on sails a little bit. Would you please do an Indepth look at sail materials and their uses. Plus, the popular modern sail types and their uses. If there is an episode that covers this, please let me know. Thx
Is it possible to buy any sailboat without any problems? Even a brand new boat will typically have issues that need to be worked out.
I should of but nooooo, I'll wait until i got the cash. Then i had a stroke and considered lucky to be still walking.
Great episode, have you done or thought about doing a video on the most common customized upgrades long term sailors do to their craft?
You lost weight! Looking good man! Love the content, keep it coming 🎉
There's no such thing as a boat without problems.
Just bought my first proper sailboat. 88 Catalina 30! Fresh water boat lightly used and hasn’t been out of the water in a bit so she’s got quite the grass skirt going. Diesel won’t start previous owner put an outboard on it rather than fix the diesel. No rust on the rigging also no idea how long it’s actually been installed. Sails are 6 years old. For $500 and I get to keep the slip she’s in cutting the line on the waiting list I’m gonna call it a win! I got a lot of neglect to work thru but I feel I got a solid deal. Join a sailing club! They pass around cheap bots all the time!! More content please!! Need something to listen to while I run a sander!! 😂
Those are good boats. Sailed one with BAY AREA OF DISABLED SAILORS for five years weekly on the sf bay. They are very capable boats. Racing, day sailing, even Bluewater are all possibilities. I love Catalina and islanders for a nice plastic classic.
@@cheifreal Figured I couldn’t go wrong with a Catalina for a first boat. Popular enough that parts shouldn’t be an issue and capable enough to keep me from out growing it for awhile! Still good to hear an uninterested party say! Thank you!
When running rigging is done correctly its easy to solo. The one I sailed was set up for disabled and even had a joystick for the helm hacked into the autopilot system. Easy to work on and cheap for a birth when 30' or under. Ive been out in 40 knot winds and still had good control. Good first boat.
@@cheifreal well plans are to haul her out next month and put her on the hard for a bit. Engines gotta come out for an overhaul or be replaced (yanmar or beta marine if it needs replacing?) and everything involved with the diesel needs to be gone thru (diesel tank, lines, cooling system, sail drive, etc..). They never used the head on board but I’d like it to be an option so yay! Plumbing! Already started cleaning topside and pulling the wood trim to repair / fab a replacement. Budget of 20k cash to buy a boat and get a slip. The boat cost $500, the haul out isn’t too bad, and I’ll be sub leasing my slip while I’m on the hard. Just a lot of work! It’s nice to hear once I get her done I can learn on the lake then drag her to the salt and keep going.
Thanks Tim!... The only things I need to fix on my little 25ft are things I broke myself... but I am fairly handy, and enjoy puttering on it as much as using it... I have half the boat in the the basement workshop refurbishing them over the winter. Next up, learn to sail without the motor on!
You can do it!
teak decks and their replacement/removal costs worry me at the moment...
when you own a boat you've got a sick woman on your hands
Can you do a video on west wight potter 19s
I just purchased 1987 Gulfstar Single mast sloop. Totally gutted, no engine, nada…. 😂
Oh no!
Great show Tim , very informative 🙏🏻
buying sails every 4 or 5 years is not a racer.
Your opinion on the Kraken 50
Thanks for the great info. I really want to get into sailing but I can not afford a new boat. I will most likely buy a used boat and do the work myself. So this is very useful information for me.
New boats are a waste of money , a large percentage of the cost is written of in the first few years.
They usually come with problems not anticipated , mostly covered by the warranty but a PITA.
The supplier will be slow to do the repairs , hoping you take it on yourself if the job isn't too extensive.
Buy a boat a few years old or an old one if you don't mind some DIY.
I actually enjoy it and you get to know your boat well.
I bought a boat from 1987 , very well maintained with a fairly new engine.
Needed new electronics and had a birdsnest of wiring , a common occurrence .
Do one step at a time and enjoy sailing her meanwhile.
If you try fixing everything at once you may become overwhelmed and loose interest.
Get one with minimal wood on the exterior , may look good but causes leaks and require a lot of maintenance.
Watch his next episodes , I am sure he'll bring up "soft" decks and hull blisters.
@@planet4allofus I agree. Buying an older boat from the 80's may be the best way to go. I can do the fiberglass and electrical work myself. I also live on a large lake that is part of the great loop so there are plenty of boat mechanics here that can help me. And it gives me a good place to test it before I go out on a long trip. Thanks for the advice.
Ideally before buying any boat, do your shopping with the most experienced and knowledgeable boat owner you know or can find. (If you don't already know one, go out and start making friends.... ) Sailors and especially boat owners need as many friends and contacts they can get.
On my boat the Surveyor said electronics seem to work. They don't do much more than this. The electronics were obsolete, the AIS was a Chromebook that no one can figure out how to work again, and the digital compass is upside down. (I can do math as quick as anybody, adding or subtracting 180° then subtracting 360° doesn't work. ) I'm embarrassed that I didn't notice this, but shouldn't the surveyor have spotted it? (He did say the GPS was accurate) The owner should've told me. (No one has any clue how that can even happen.)
You want someone who's done some engine work. Knows how obsolete or workable the electronics are... what upgrades you will need, how soon and about how much? I've only ever met one surveyor, who came with high recommendations. Surveyors I think are oversold, they do an important job, but I don't think they are going to tell you what this boat will cost you to bring up to spec. The only recommendation on my survey? Replace the EPIRB and the flares are out of date. You could meet the love of your life and the TODO list will be longer.
Regarding aged KEEL BOLTS...? Why not leave the original keel bolts in place, shoot some new holes through the hull and into the keel and torque in some New Bolts.? New bolts in virgin material with fresh bedding compound....Whats not to like?
Bought a very neglected Beneteau Oceanis 400 for roughly half of market value. Best point was a good engine. Spent a year replacing all rigging, chain plates, mast step, keel bolts, some sails and canvas, chain and anchor, all through hull fittings, electronics - pretty much servicing everything. Did a lot myself and had lots of help from sailing friends. A year later it was safe to take back out for a sail. Two years later first coastal cruise. Lesson? Over the two years I spent as much as having bought a good yacht to begin with. However, I was able to pay for the refit as I went and earned money, so accrued no debt or did not have to liquidate other assets. And now everything important is brand new with a 10 year life span. But a project like this takes time away from sailing, requires you to be able to do a lot yourself to be economical. It's definitely not for the fain hearted but can be a good option.
I’ve walked away from boats that had water in the bilge and a grounding. The brokers insistence on the crack around the keel was purely cosmetic was a red flag. No keel issues!
Another I looked at had a “start problem” with the motor. I rang around and found the diesel mechanic whom had worked on it. It wouldn’t start because it was seized and the owner had bought cheap Chinese starter motor which had burned out. Red flags, bad motor and a cheap owner. Walked away. The other stuff, I can deal with. Motor and keel are deal breakers unless the motor problem is adjusting the price fairly.
Thanks Tim great video wonderfully thought invoking, lessons i'd rather learn here than latter by mistake :)
Problems can be fixed and make cheap boats. Positive attitude helps 😊Here is a trick: assume every system in the boat has issues, if it does you wore expecting it, if it doesn't you will be pleasantly surprised. Im fixing our Second sailboat and i find it to be the case. ruclips.net/video/UtkSevq7a1k/видео.htmlsi=qC3M_vaOSBDa2mZT
Great video! Looking forward to part II.
My guess it will be: Standing rigging/Spar, Running rigging, Spongey decks, Water intrusion/woodwork to be replaced, and something else I haven't thought of yet.
Either way, I'll watch it.
What a fabulous know how video…. Found two nuggets… buy used sails! Only replace one shroud at a time so the rigger appreciates you instead of crisis and chaos…. Love the videos
Bought my Paceship 26 a year ago. She’d been neglected by her previous owner. But being in a city owned marina where boats are not allowed to stay in the parking lot during summer months, I knew she’d float. The marina manager tried to talk me out of buying her due to gel coat cracks and the fact that she hadn’t had a bottom job in years. After 6 weeks of fixing gel coat, sanding, buffing, and painting, I had her looking pretty sporty. He was blown away when they came with the travel lift on splash day. He even apologized for trying to talk me out of it. So far the worst job has been painting the ugly anodized mast. Well worth it in the end tho.
Soft top deck steered away from a Tartan, if it's like a trampoline NO. Delam under the engine on another boat from too many grounding. Caught by tapping.
We all have problems
Thanks Tim. Your usual intelligent video. Much appreciated. I hadnt thought of using a halyard in lieu of s stay to be replaced. Smart. In a few years time that might be useful info for us mate
A couple months ago, I acquired a '74 41ft Morgan out island. It ticks a lot of boxes for the type of boat I want and the best part was that it was free. Only problem is that it sank at the dock but it was shallow enough the top deck never got submerged. Electrical is trash. Engine is trash. There is a lot of work the boat will need and I almost walked away but I realized that I don't have to do everything at once. I do all my own work. If I relied on paying someone else, it would be ludicrous to get something like this. I know I can fix everything over time and can make it exactly the way I want it. The best part is I'll know every square inch of the boat when it's done. Since I got it for free, I've got a long way to go before it's not worth it.
So, bought a Mcgreggor 26, rigging snapped while sailing, did not know to check it. I replaced the steering, but did not improve the performance of the boat. Engine would just not start sometimes.
I bought a boat with a lot of problems. In the process of removing them. It was the boat that I wanted. As Walter Schultz stated, sometimes the boat picks you
When repairing. Ad a small amount of colour to match boat. Then your white Finnish coat, gell
Love your show. I just purchased a decked out Catalina 36 mkI. Using your advice I was able to filter this gem from the rest of the Chaffee. One point of note: check any wiring work done for proper marine materials used.
NO! i want a boat as perfect as possible. I plan on paying extra for a near perfect boat. I want a boat fitted out to my specifications turn key 100% ready to sail ⛵️.
I’ve been building and repairing fiberglass boats since 1974. Also worked in composites in the automotive and commercial aerospace writing repair procedures. I have several patents regarding composite repairs. I disagree with using epoxy to repair polyester laminated boats. First off most folks unless vacuum bagging the repair won’t get as high a glass to resin ratio as when using polyester or better yet Vinylester resin. Secondly time wise it’s much more efficient to use poly or Vinylester. Thirdly you can still use polyester fillers and Gelcoat over the repair.
I love the idea of adapting an air cooled undersized diesel. They're cheap, easily replaced, and better for charging batteries. I'm also wondering about replacing cast steel keels with an aluminum keel with a bottom lead bulb. The hardest problem I encounter is where to live near your boat. Almost all sea and inlet zones are expensive.
Good information. My experience, I was looking for a boat I could single hand but also over night on my small lake. And because of our age, my "Admiral" and I wanted a walk through transom. I found a boat in Maine that was exactly what I wanted, an18 year old Catalina 28Mii with only 298 hours on the engine meter. Lightly used and all else was in perfect condition. All else looked great and the price was just right. Our mistake, however, was estimating the cost of transporting the boat from Maine to Georgia and the cost and time to have it cleaned up and rigged. And the transporter kinked one of the lower shrouds which we didn't see until a year later when some of the wires in the bundle were sticking out. And the transporter gouged two of the cleats he used to hook the boat to his truck. If I had to do it over again I would be more patient and wait for a boat that fit our needs closer to home. So overall, adding it all up, I probably overpaid when all costs, purchase, transport, commissioning considered. On the plus side, the boat has been perfect for us and we have enjoyed now 7 years of fun sailing on our small lake.
Dare I say; osmosis?
This is excellent advice...Wait.. just hire you to help survey the boat... are you licensed?
Thank you Tim!
My the most crazy job that I have done so far after the purchase - reglass entire bow that was previously cutted away! The good thing is that was a small dinghy :)
The more I watch the more I'm impressed with Steel and Aluminum hulls. You have to keep in sealed but boy it sure lasts.
Thats it!
The #1 thing I have is a Marine moisture meter .It can tell you in a few minutes if the decks or area around the mast is wet
As always, full of good information. Thanks, Tim
Love this type of vid. Ultra practical
Awesome, very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks as always. You should make a pdf checklist of everything to inspect, ask about, when viewing a boat and sell it for $10 a pop. Would do great I think!
PDF's are how you sucker a computer owner into installing an Adobe product. The computer gets abused regularly. It's called corporate spyware.
That’s when stuff goes bang!
Excellent as usual. Thank you
Wow Sailor, great episode
Another Great video Thx for it
Great information Tim!!
Great episode.
Perfect timing for my lunch break! 😁
SWEET! Mine too!
Thanks Tim
Yeah I got stress cracks last year around the heel of the mast. It led to me removing all the fittings, the railings, redoing all the teak wood, resealing the windows, and after fixing the cracks, and repainting the entire top side lol. I think it's called ocd..... Cheers from Alberta!
Another great topic and well covered. I bought my 1970 Tartan 34c knowing full well I was going to need to do core work. But the price was right and the I had worked out a budget for the repair work I would need to do. It was an incremental investment over a total of 3 years (near end of year two now) that was part of the program. The boat is now in a state that odds are it will out live me. I could have saved up and bought a better boat at the same cost but that would mean waiting more than 3 years and not being on water. I prefer the later...