Help! New owner advice please

[Duane Dockter]

Hey everybody!I am presented with an opportunity to purchase a 1985 28.5 as a "fixer-upper" for a relatively low price. A couple of questions for anyone who has an opinion. I have reviewed old posts regarding leading edge cracking at the keel/hull joint and this seems to be a common concern- I get the idea that alot of these are manufacturing problems, bumping aground, and cosmetic defects- is this the case, (in general), and is it hard, or expensive to fix? Second, most of my past experience has been in smaller boats- 20-26 ft., and on fresh water. Is a bottom job generally more expensive/comprehensive for mid size boats in the salt? Last, the mast step/foot is compressed about 3/8 of an inch and will need repair. Any thoughts on the difficulty, or expense, of fixing that? I'm waiting for a survey report, and have to make a quick decision once I get it. Any input would be much appreciated. The rest of the work that I can see is generally stuff I have enough experience to fix myself, but I don't think I would trust my own expertise on the above. Thanks.

 

[Terry]

Hi Duane, hire a certified surveyor to inspect ...

the boat, then based on his findings, decide whether this is the boat for you. Terry

 

[Steve O.]

some answers

Since you will be saving money, definetly hire a surveyor to find the hidden problems with the boat. The keel/hull joint crack is common and generally is cosmetic, and unless the boat is actually taking on water through the crack, probably isn't a big deal. You can try to repair it but it will probably spontaneously reappear.It's true that a bottom job will be more expensive and require more material and more work because it is a bigger boat, and will require in-water cleaning more often in salt water than in fresh. That is normal maintenance.The mast compression could have been caused by over tightening the rig. This boat has an aluminum? compression post already so any damage must be to the deck or hull at post foot.Other things specific to the 28.5 to look for are: de-lamination of the rudder skin (bubbles), leaking water and/or diesel fuel in the cross-bracing under the sole; leaking tanks (the fuel and waste tanks are molded into the hull) and gate valves instead of ball valves on seacocks. Other general things to look for common to all boats are: blisters, rusted keel bolts, poor condition of sails, leaks in hull or deck, degraded hoses, leaking fuel or waste tanks, hull or deck de-lamination, moisture intrusion, worn or damaged standing rigging, bent drive and/or rudder shaft, worn cutless (strut) bearing, mold/mildew damage.On the bright side, if you are handy and have the time and money to put into her, you will get a great-sailing 28 footer that looks and feels like a 30 footer.

 

[Jim Clower]

Call Me!

Call me! I sail a h28.5 on Canyon Lake. Did I see you sailing a "For Sale" on Saturday afternoon? Jim @ 210-509-8997

 

[S. Sauer]

28.5 Issues

We've owned our 28.5 since new in '86, and have taken good care of her. A survey should include an honest opinion on the care of the Yanmar 2GM20F engine and a look at that cast iron keel. I've tightened our rig for racing and never had any issues with compression at the mast base. We've spent a lot of time but not much money on that hull to keel joint and on scraping, primering and epoxy painting rust spots on the keel at the start of each season. We take that to be a normal annoyance of a cast iron keel and prefer the 5'-1"deep keel, which easily out performs any shoal draft boat of similar size.A good maintenance program could have included replacing the gate valves, possibly the fresh water pump, and maybe the plastic hatches. You should typically be looking at something other than the original sails as well. The condition of the main salon cushion upohlstery should tell you a little about how much she has been used. The surveyor should check the condition of the strut's cutlass bearing, the shaft log and the engine mounts if they're the original equipment. We've not had any problems with the water, fuel and holding tanks in 17 years. The foam core rudder has a tendency to de laminate and should be checked for moisture.All in all, at a good price with an understanding of what you will need to put into the boat, she may have great potential.