Info wanted/needed !!

[FredO]

Hello to all and thank you in advance.
I've been wanting a sailboat for some time but with kids in school and other comittments the time hasn't been right. Well the time has come and now I need advice.
I've come upon a 1976 S2 8.0(c) w/center cockpit. The boat has been sitting for quite some time (last tagged in 1998). External condition is what I would call good (7 out of 10), acceptable gel coat (could use a good buff & polish), no cracks or damage etc.
Interior is a 3 out of 10 at best. It appears complete but I felt some softness in the inner floor and the interior smelled damp and musty so I know there are hatch seals leaking. It appears through research and inspection that the center console design also lends itself to drainage into the cabin ??
Sails are there but not able to unfurl for inspection. Lines are definitely in need of replacement but mast appears in good shape.
2 cylinder diesel (Yanmar I assume) appears complete but nothing known about it.
It is on a trailer and it has the 4' keel.
Cost is up in the air and it will have to be a bargain before I haul it home.
My question- While I realise this is a project, winter's coming, but with S2 no longer building. Am I biting off more than I can chew. I am an ASE certified auto technician and have extensive internal combustion experience so the engine is not a big concern (if I can figure out how to get it out of there) and I am definitley of the "McGyver" mindset so it doesn't scare me to tacjle it if resources are available.
I'm looking to learn about the boat as I repair it and then ultimitely sail her and this seems like a possible way to go.
Again thanks in advance for your time and I'll be back !! Fred

 

[BobT]

caution

Moisture meter every inch of her. Spend the $200 now and save yourself a lot of work. Then you'll have it to check a less neglected boat when/if this one is a total loss.
Last year I bought an S2 27 that was last tagged in 2001. Every piece of deck hardware has been leaking into the core. (The cored hull, thank goodness, is dry.) Would I have bought her if I'd had the meter? Hard to say, but it helped me do a thorough job on the repairs after the fact. (Rayplex ct-33)

Considering the value of our time with the work required to re-launch some of these forgotten boats, the price should be just about free. You will need to Really Enjoy ripping apart things and spending time and cash putting them back together.

Read everything you can on that model before diving in.

 

[BobM]

She is probably the biggest trailerable you can get and she has a trailer already, which is a huge plus. It costs $60/ft to keep a boat through the winter up here in Boston. She probably will be a bear to launch off that trailer with her draft so think carefully about where you will launch her. There are likely only a few ramps you could float her off at and that is probably true only at high tide. Use of a crane may still be required.

Regarding the engine. There should be a hand crank to start it lying around. You can hand crank the engine just like an old model T. You will see a T bar for it projecting from the crank of the engine. At the top of the head there should be a couple of pivoting armatures connected by a small rod. These vent the chambers during a cold start so you can get the motor spinning faster to get the high compression you need to start it. DO NOT start the boat without water running to the engine or with uncertain crappy old fuel. Diesel grows algae and the tank and lines and filters will have to be replaced (the aluminum tank is quite likley near the end of life anyway...pinholes form at the base under straps and at welds). However, with the fuel off open the chambers and give it a spin with the manual crank to see if the motor spins freely. If it does, short of a compression test, you have an idea that the engine could be saved.

Skip the moisture meter for now. Take a plastic hammer or the plastic handle of a screwdriver and rap on the deck. If it sounds like you are tapping a piece of hardwood the deck is good. If it is dull the deck has issues and you should definitely fork out the money to get the boat surveyed as a boat with a wet deck can be a total loss. I looked at one such boat. Owner was asking $10K. Deck was totally saturated, because a whole bunch of aftermarket equipment had been added to her decks and not sealed properly. Try tapping the following areas versus an area in the middle of the fore deck far from any deck penetrations. It will give you an idea of the sound difference I am talking about and the areas are most likely to be wet. Those areas are around the mast step and around the chain plates.

Also check inside the boat where the chain plates are secured to the bulkheads. Wet decks around the chain plates usually indicates poor maintenance. Water gets in, rots the bulkheads then the mast falls down. You can fix bulkheads, but it can be a major repair (see the project file for the repair of my boat).

The other significant thing to be aware of is that the engine beds on S2's are poorly secured and the fiberglass tabbing to the hull may have broken loose. They are essentially 4x4's sitting on a bed of putty with a few fiberglass L-braces to the hull. The putty degrades, due to age and vibration, the tabs break loose, the motor does a dance and then the drive shaft alignment is off...the cutless bearing gets ruined...etc...

Don't get me wrong. In general the quality of the S2's, especially the fiberglass work, wood work and rigging is top notch. I am just telling you about my experiences.

Regarding the cabin sole. No biggie as long as you can replace it. Look at it carefully to see how it is secured. I have traded a few posts recently with someone with the center cockpit (not console) version of my boat and he indicated that his sole might be tabbed (secured to the hull with fiberglass mat L-brackets) to the hull under his settees. Mine sure isn't. If that is the case it means replacement of the sole may mean significant disassembly of the interior.

The sole is likely plywood with teak and holly veneer. It is readily available, but pricey. There is a really good project folder on the main site showing this job being done. It is certainly doable and you can get professional results. Just be prepared to spend $1000 on the materials. Alternately you can just replace it with marine plywood epoxied on both sides for water protection and then throw down a nice floating floor. They also make a linoleum product that looks like teak and holly, but it is too is expensive. If you have the sole up, be sure to check under the mast as there is likely a compression post that is wedged up under the sole with a block that can be damaged with time too.

If the deck is sound and the motor spins it is worth at least $5k with the trailer. A boat this age is usually priced at about what the trailer, sails and engine are worth if she has an outboard. The diesel adds a lot of value, especially if it is a 2 cyl, in my experience. Many smaller S2's came with a saildrive, which usually has a negative impact on value.

Not exactly a quick reply. Good luck.

 

[BobM]

Be sure to tap the cockpit floor, around the drains and the steering pedestal too, if leakage is common there.