Is boat damaged?

soling42 · Apr 14, 2011

A 15y/o boat will have some rail damage and possibly other damage too but saying a boat "that fell off a trailer" is sort of vague. Are we talking about falling off a trailer behind a tow vehicle at speed(think omg severe damage) or blown off the trailer while being stored in a yard(still not fiberglass friendly). If the price was suspiciously low or the seller just seemed suspiciously happy to sell then buyer beware. Your friend who gave it an OK may or may not know about sailboats, again buyer beware.

Pics of the questionable spots might help but look inside carefully for remnants of major repair work. If the rig is in good shape it might not have fallen off a trailer in the yard. Does the ballast tank hold water after sailing for a few hours? Do most systems operate with consistency?

All this might just be a case of buyers remorse/paranoia too. I've been there. It wasn't pretty but it turned out that it was just me being too anxious over nothing major.

Mike

Don S/V ILLusion · Apr 14, 2011

Last Chance60 said:
I just purchased a 1996 H26. I had spoke with an inspector at a boat yard on Stockton Lake and he told me to be aware that someone was trying to pawn off a H26 that had fallen off a trailer and been repaired. He examined my boat and it passed.

I began cleaning and waxing. I notice some evidence that there has been either some repairs or painting around the the window openings and along the edges.

Does anyone know if this type paint defect is common on H26's? Does anyone know about the boat that is being pawned off. What is the serial No. of the boat?

Is there any way to research a boat history? The previous boat name was Miller Time and the current boat name is Moon Dancer.

I infer you "spoke with an inspector" means you didn't contract with a surveyor to inspect the boat before purchase?
Unfortunately, these questions should have been asked before you purchased it, not after as it seems a moot point now. At this point, you might be better served by posting some pictures of the damage so we may see the extent and able to offer some repair suggestions.

Steve Dion · Apr 14, 2011

Don't know that any Hunter was ever painted! They have gelcoat.

peptobysmol · Apr 14, 2011

If the boat is structurally sound, fugettaboutit and go sailing.

soling42 · Apr 15, 2011

Glad it's not major and welcome to the board. As I suspected it sounds like it's time to get out of "shopping mode", stop analyzing and get out on your new boat. Go have some some fun and learn to know each other. It's a fine boat and you'll be very happy with your choice. I know we are.

Like a beautiful older woman, after close inspection don't think of your 15y/o boat as covered with defects, consider her well experienced and pay attention to her tender spots.....you'll both get along better if you do.

Have a great season. Mike

jao1972 · Jul 19, 2011

I have seen H26 hull cracking that originated at the forward portion of the centerboard pocket. Boatyard speculated it was the result of being dropped or repeatedly hitting the trailer while loading. The previous owner had "patched" it with a 3M-type product (inferior job). The patch was not obvious until the bottom paint was removed and the gelcoat exposed.

The upside is that the crack did not affect sailing characteristics or the water ballast tank holding water.

Just keep an eye on the area.

LuzSD · Jul 19, 2011

spoke to the surveyor and he told me I would be wasting my money. He said the boat looked sound and all his report would show would be things like need a battery, a bulb is not working etc... I learned my lesson and next time I will hire a more reputable survey.

I think our little inner voice that sceams "WHAT???" when a surveyor says something like this, should be be trained to speak up a little.

Deucer · Jul 19, 2011

Concur with the posts here. If there was major damage, it should be obvious on the inside of the boat since there's a lot of areas where there's no inner liner (like inside the settee and cabinets, under the forepeak, behind the aft bulkhead, etc). If you don't see repairs there, you're good. You might look hard at your ports and hatches to see if they've been replaced, or reseated. I don't think it's unreasonable for the seals to have aged enough to start leaking and the repair (if done by the owner) may have caused some of the damage you're seeing.

Also, even if the boat was repaired, if it was done professionally, then you probably don't have too many worries (especially if you got a good price). As everybody else said, if the boat doesn't leak or creak (well, anymore than normal), just sail it and enjoy it. It isn't like you're crossing an ocean with a H26.