buying a Vega - questions

[marcin_palacz]

Hello,

This is the first time I post a message to this forum, but I hope it
is not the last one, as I now seriously consider buying a Vega
(and the decision probably should be taken this week!)

I have a few questions related to the three Vegas which
I have seen during the last weekend:

* A Vega used and equipped for serious off-shore sailing
has 250 kg of extra ballast in the keel (led),
and many reinforcements laminated in all over the hull.
The owner quite dramatically stresses the fact that it was
absolutely necessary to install these reinforcements as Vega's are
not stiff enough in heavy conditions.
To what extent is that correct?
Is it in general a good idea to add extra ballast ?

The owner of the same boat also says that the standing rig wires
were replaced by thicker ones. Is it justified ?
(I think 6 mm instead of 5, if the original thickness was 5 (?) )

* On two of the Vega's I have seen small longitudinal cracks of the
gel coat on topsides, exactly in the same place on the two boats,
slightly above the waterline, approximately 2m from the bow.
The area of these cracks is small and limited: perhaps
50 cm long, 30 cm high, and the cracks are roughly 5-10 mm separated
from each other.
Is that something to seriously worry about?
Why in the same place on the two boats? Is there any common and
known reason for that ?

Thanks in advance for answers and comments to my questions.

Marcin
(Warsaw, Poland)

 

[pelagicasd]

Marcin, The stress cracks are caused by the forward bulkhead being loose. If
the fasteners are tight now it is because somebody has retightened them. The
cracks are easy to repair and I would not worry about them. The wire size is
more than needed. I once did the equation for figuring wire size (sorry but
I do not recall it). The wire size as supplied on the Vega is actually
larger than required. It is common for people rerigging their boats to go up
one size on the wire as a safety factor. On the Vega it was already done by
the designer. More important is how old is the rigging. If there are any
broken strands in the wire it all needs to be replaced. This is one case
where being bigger dosen't mean better. Doesn't detract from the value but
not to be considered as adding to the value either.As far as reinforcements
on the outside of the hull I would wonder if they are covering up an area
possibly damaged in a collision. If so it would have been one heck of a
collision. We once hit a submerged piling at hull speed. I was sure we were
going to sink but the only damage I could find was a scrape on the hull. As
far as the extra ballast I would advise against it. It will only slow you
down. The designer was Per Brohall and he said that the most important thing
was to keep it light. For its time the Vega was considered a light
displacement boat. Now a days it would probably be accurate to call her a
medium displacement boat. I've only heard of one Vega being lost in heavy
weather and that was in a hurricane. Walt
S/V Lyric #120