New sailor, 2 boat options, need quick advice.

[High Current]

Welcome to the forum.

Condition condition condition ....

Obviously, you're partial to both boats, so the major differentiator will be condition. You didn't mention the condition of the diesel engines, has there been a mechanical survey (takes about 2 hrs) .... corrosion and compression being the main concerns.

If one has soft decks, water intrusion or a surveyor detected high moisture content in the deck, do not buy that boat unless you are experienced with fiberglass repair, boat building and are willing to spend a lot of time grinding, sanding, filling, etc... It's tough work and you need a dry environment. Some yards require the boat hoarded when sanding. If you like a project and have the time (maybe you won't sail this year), then that could be an option..... just keep in mind that if the water ingress is too large, it may not be worth repairing. Surveyors use both percussion and sensors to detect motion. Usually one without the other is not a reliable test, they will often rely on both methods to estimate the condition of the laminate structure and presence of moisture.

Moisture in the deck anywhere is a critical flaw and if not addressed very quickly (within a few weeks of leak starting), it degrades the balsa core which turns to mush. Keep in mind that the cabin top is what keeps the boat from folding back on itself. It's just as structural as any other piece of the hull or rigging.

Racer tend to look after the important stuff (rigging, sails, steering, hull structure) but it might have some rash (gel coat scratches, gouges, etc....).

New sails, no deck issues. If the Tanzer has a clean survey, that would be the clear winner if that is the two boats you've narrowed it down to.

Do you know how to sail? That is step 1 BEFORE buying a boat.

Can you break down the 100 NM trip into 3 - 3 day trips ?

All boats have great expenses. Cheap boats, new boats, old boats, fancy boats, clean boats ..... Things just fail or we have an oopsie coming in to dock, a $150 winch handle falls overboard, an exhaast manifold and heat exchanger rusts out from the inside? That's a $2500 bill, engine mounts? $800-$1000 plus a day for your mechanic to install them and align the driveline, etc... Whatever you think your budget is for maintenance, triple it. Can you still live with that? If not, buying a boat is not right for you.

When people say Bring Out Another Thousand (BOAT), they mean it

That being said, there is no better place to spend a nice sunny Saturday.

Is deck moisture REALLY that big a deal though? I certainly worried when the deck-stepped mast of my old Hunter was supported by balsa compost, but boats of this age with a truly dry deck are the exception.

FWIW my 1990 Catalina 34 had some issues around the chainplates that the PO tried to fix with silicone. That made rebedding a pain, but the plywood (I think) core didn’t seem compromised by the moisture.

All that said, if the Tanzer is all fiberglass/rot-proof, that is a major plus.

 

[marcham]

Yes it is....

When you load up the sails and heal, tension builds on the shrouds. This creates a compression strain along the cabin top. If the balsa or plywood core is wet, the structural integrity is compromised and the cabin top flexes under load. This is easily diagnosed when a boat needs to have it's shrouds frequently retensioned (the downwind shroud should not go loose when sailing close hauled in 15 kts).

I recall the early tanzers were solid glass top and bottom ...

Silicone has NO business on a boat. 1) it doesn't last 2) nothing sticks to it ..... so when it's removed it has to be chemically dissolved and then the surface sanded down to remove all residue, otherwise the proper marine sealant won't stick.

Deck rot is the main reason these older boats are sold for cheap. It would cost the owner a few thousand to have it dismantled and disposed of, it's easier to dump it on the next pour soul for cheap. Now if all you do is go motoring around the bay on calm sunny days, no biggee. But if you get caught in 20-25 kts of wind and things start flexing and breaking, that ain't no fun. Deck rot (considered wear and tear) would be considered as gradual deterioration by an insurance company , which would be excluded from the all risks policy, or they may deny a comprehensive policy entirely. If you're keeping the boat at a marina, most require at least a 1 000 000$ liability policy these days.

That being said, if caught early, it's repairable. Sometimes from the top side, sometimes from the inside. It depends on how the boat is finished and which surface the owner wants to retain. Usually, cutting things open from the top is easier (the inside fiberglass remains intact). All the rotten balsa/ plywood is removed, new wood laid, glass on top. It's often easier/cheaper just to paint an older boat instead of applying gel coat. This requires a dry place to work for a a few weeks. it's a big job. Not a ton a materials, but a LOT of labour.

We still see some 50 year old fiberglass boats without soft spots or jelly decks.... which shows their previous owners kept up with regular maintenance, such as rebedding windows and deck hardware every 20 years (don't wait for a leak!). Most boats were not this lucky.

 

[FastOlson]

Is deck moisture REALLY that big a deal though? I certainly worried when the deck-stepped mast of my old Hunter was supported by balsa compost, but boats of this age with a truly dry deck are the exception.

Yes ... Really! The core that makes the deck stiff only functions if kept dry.
RE-BEDDING all the deck fasteners every 25 years (to pick an even-ish round number) is a minimum period.
Unless you are content with the value of your boat descending to zero, and next to a minus number, this is a Preventative Maintenance item you need to address.
The good news is that doing it is just "work" and not very technical. No great strength is needed. If I can do it - and I did - any reasonably-sentient monkey can also do it.
Even better, if done in a timely manner, your boat will very likely Never have a soft spot (and accompanying weakness) in its deck all the time that you own it.