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Question 2: My significant other and I are going to retire this year. We plan to cruise the Bahamas, the Keys, the western coast of Florida and further. May be in a few years sail to Europe. I would like a boat that is a good livaboard, but has sailing performance. I'm looking at an older hull number. What should I be looking out for? The Answers from our owners: First, the 'bilge box' you describe - the sump aft of the ballast keel
- can be a weak area in many boats as the hull was laid up in two parts
(just like a plastic airplane model) and then mated by laminating across
the two halves. E.g. Bristols have a high reputation but are also known
for this area to be weak & I've known 2 Bristol 40s that had to have
the keel area of their bilge box repaired after grounding on sand (no
immediate damange) and surge & wave action pounding the boat enough
to pop this section, which has no internal reinforcement. Typically, this
occurs when either the inner or outer 'joining' laminate was omitted by
the builder. (We would probably grow weak in the knees to watch most boats
being built, especially our own!) The repair is straightforward and, yes,
I've known owners of several different designs lay up additional glass
in this area despite having no detectable problem. We have at least one
424 member who poured a large amount of concrete into their bilge box,
in part to reinforce it and also to make the bottom of the bilge more
reachable. My own 424 was very badly damaged during a storm before I bought her.
She ended up on the rocks and lost her keel and rudder. She was only three
years old at the time. The boat was purchased as salvage by a local boat
yard and restored. The yard did a great job reglassing her. I had the
boat surveyed by a reputable surveyor before I made an offer. I've since
had her offshore in rough conditions with no problem. I suppose that the
bottom line here is that it is possible to properly repair damage , but
be very careful. Have a proper survey done. 1. The broad flat sections of the hull just aft of the chain locker bulkhead have "oil-canned" in rough conditions on several boats (mine included) to the point of breaking the shelf alongside the vee-berth loose from its fastenings. The shelf stiffens these sections, but only if securely fastened at each end. I had to repair some glass work, then reinforce the cleats to which the shelf is fastened by through-bolting them to the shelf and to the bulkheads. It's a straightforward "fix". 2. The aluminum fuel tanks on early boats were set into wooden cradles lined with rubber strips which were attached to the wood with copper staples. If any water ever got below the cockpit sole, galvanic corrosion between the aluminum and the copper ate pinholes into the tanks, causing leaks of diesel fuel into the bilge. The only way to correct this is to remove and repair the fuel tank, and get rid of the copper staples...an arduous project that involves removing the engine. One owner did it the "easy" way by sawing the tank and cradle into pieces small enough to be removed through the cockpit lockers, but this obviously precluded repair of the existing tank. 3. Make sure that you are comfortable with the relative complexity of the auxiliary propulsion system. Many cruising boats have a Hurth (or similar) gearbox coupled directly to the prop shaft; to lock the prop when sailing one merely leaves the gearbox engaged. The 424, by contrast, has a 1:1 reversing hydraulic transmission, a hydraulic disc brake on the transmission output shaft, an intermediate drive shaft with a universal joint, a gear reduction v-drive, then the prop shaft. The engine is burdened with three heat exchangers as well as an assortment of proprietary (and very expensive) odd-ball coolant hoses. If hydraulic fluid is lost even for a brief period, as can happen if a hose bursts, the clutches in the transmission will burn up and then there is no "go" at all until after an expensive transmission overhaul. If your prospective boat does not have a hydraulic pressure loss alarm, consider installing one. Lee ThurnerMeriden, #139 |