New boat buyer question

[rtaylor522]

Hello all, I've been lurking for a few days and I have'nt been able to find the answer to a specific question. I'm looking at a 1985 Catalina 27 Tall rig. It had a marine survey done in 2004 before the current owner bought it, and it has been in the water for 2 years without being pulled. The price is right, and I'm not crazy about having a marine survey done, but I am going to have it pulled because the 2004 survey mentioned "possible water intrusion into rudder, but impossible to tell without core sample" so that brings me to the question:

1.How can I tell if there has been any more damage, or is it even worth worrying about?

2.There is an area that the cabin hatch slides under. What is under that piece of fiberglass and how sturdy should it be? The one side is fairly solid, but "springy" and the other side is a little more "saggy" when you step on it and shows a large arcing crazing crack around the are it "sags". Is this a hard repair, I have done fiberglass work before? or is it even a major concern as long as I am careful not to step there too often.

The boat is being offered at a reasonable price by a live aboard fellow who just brought his newly purchased Benetau back, and he's in a hurry to move it becasue he's paying for 2 slips and 1 boat. he's a retired gentleman who has put a good amount of work into the boat overall.

The best part is that the complete 2004 survey is there, and all the reciepts since then have been kept. The survey also talked about hull blistering, but there are complete reciepts for the repair and repaint of the blisters and hull. It has an M-18 diesel in great shape (i'm better mechanically inclined than I am at fiberglassing) and it rated quite well in the 2004 survey also. It is the boats original i believe with 640 hours.

Thanks for reading this long post and helping a new guy out!

 

[Banooma]

Two thoughts - first, it sounds like you've already determined that the price is right, so how much sway do you have in your decision? If the only soft spots are on the cover over the companionway hatch, I wouldn't worry too much. On my boat, this is a separate piece from the rest of the deck. I would be concerned, however if it is spongy and connected to the rest of the deck - it could be indicative of water rotting the fiberglass.

I would be a little concerned about the rudder - see if you can get a price to replace it from Catalina... or ask what they would recommend you do to repair it.

Ultimately, it sounds like you believe you're getting it for a good price. Take some time and compare if you can. The blistering would concern me the most - If the fiberglass had blisters below the waterline, the proper repair is to sand it down and replace the entire surface with a barrier coat. That's an expensive job.

If you considered all of this when you said the price is right, then go for it. Otherwise, proceed with caution, hire a surveyor, and be prepared to pay the difference over the next few years to make your new pride and joy exactly as you want her.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[Maine Sail]

A lot

A lot can happen in five years. If one deck fitting, or a few, were leaking for even a couple years you may have some very wet decks. If the rudder was wet then you may now have some serious internal corrosion of the shaft and web structure of the rudders internal frame. How is the keel stub? It too could be wet.

A survey nearly ALWAYS pays for itself...

 

[rtaylor522]

I've had the same thought myself about things happening in 5 years...now i'm going to sound like a noob here, but here I go.

When I pulled the board that covers the bilge area, there was about a half inch of standing water in the rear of the bilge area...the keel bolts were re-done by current owner with stainless. When I saw the water in there he said yeah thats the collection area for drainage from the shower and fresh water...(that made sense to me) so I assumed it was because we had been running the water, but it did look a little dirty. So come to think of it, should the bilge have been perfectly dry? or should there ever be water in it if the fresh water system has'nt been being used?
Thanks

 

[Banooma]

My bilge pump allows almost 1" of water before it kicks in, so I always expect to see a low amount of water in there. The bilge is a collection area for the shower, but it's also where water that leaks in from anywhere goes (this includes the propeller shaft, which is normal in small amounts, as well as potentially unseen leaks). Also, on my 28, the fiberglass in the bilge is the course, unfinished structural - looking stuff (as opposed to the glass-smooth fiberglass of the hull and deck). This inner fiberglass is always more difficult to clean. It does not surprise me that over 24 years this would look dirty. But, as Maine said, a survey almost always pays for itself. A good surveyor can give you much better advice having seen the boat than anyone on this board in cyberspace can.

 

[Jeff 21307]

Having just purchased a 1984 Catalina 27 (standard rig), and having paid for a survey and engine compression test, I highly recommend spending the couple of hundred dollars for information. If there is nothing to worry about, you paid for peace of mind. If there are minor issues, you paid for a punch list. If there are major issues, as the commercials say, the value of the survey was "priceless". Additionally, if you plan to insure the boat through Boat US they will want the surveyors report. I guess any other insurance company would. The cover above the companionway hatch is a bit springy on my boat as well. We try not to walk on it too much. I also always seem to have a 1/4 to 1/2 of water in bilge that the pump will not pick up. My M18 had 500hrs when I got the boat. It moves us along very well. Better than the 1GM in my last boat which was 5000lbs. Good luck!
Jeff