Advice on a Cheoy Lee Please

[Hillbillylad]

1973 Cheoy Lee Luders 30 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

I am interested in this boat. Does anyone have any personal experience of them and also the marina it is being sold at?
I know many will see the teak deck as a major downer but for me it is a major draw and I will plenty of time to look after it.
I will be offering cash but not as much as the sale price and will hopefully get down there to look in a week or two.
Your comments, as usual will be greatly appreciated.

(I emailed the marina last week and the boat has a full compliment of good sails and mast etc.)

[avb3]

At that price, and assuming motor runs and rigging/chainplates do not need replacement right away, it's one heck of a great little boat.

You might want to contact some owners here

[Hillbillylad]

Yup thanks for that I've emailed the owner on the mailing list there for more info.

[otherthan]

its an asome sailboat...I would grab her pronto...but i am in montreal and alredy have my hands full.

rgds

[ozskipper]

Cheoy Lees have been well respected for decades.

MY biggest concern, aside from the engine and rig, would be whether or not that teak deck is sound. If it isnt they can be extremely expensive to replace - even if you DIY.

I love the name, hope it comes with a stash of guy-liner lol.

[Blue Stocking]

The Cheoy Lee site and the Rhodes Reliant/Offshore 40 site is a wealth of info.

[klubko]

Be prepared to deal with the teak. The Cheoy Lee I have seen in Hong Kong had appallingly thin planks, screws and plugs sticking out. Not sure if this is common or if it was just the boat I've seen. Good luck and wish you a quick refit!

[Hillbillylad]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

Cheoy Lees have been well respected for decades.

MY biggest concern, aside from the engine and rig, would be whether or not that teak deck is sound. If it isnt they can be extremely expensive to replace - even if you DIY.

I love the name, hope it comes with a stash of guy-liner lol.

It seems the Teak deck is the main concern for everyone so far. Totally taken on board as my main point of investigation. Having read some of the great threads on here about teak maintenance, I'm concerned it has been stood for so long drying out.
apparently it was called "Black Pearl" before the movies were made, but I'll still consider changing it as its become one of the most common boat names now. If I change the name I'll still go for the full on guy liner and braids aye.

[roverhi]

There are usually two problems with teak decks. One is the thickness of the teak being worn down by scrubbing/sanding so there is not enough wood to hold the plugs/exposed fasteners.

The more serious problem is the 1,000s of fasteners that penetrate the underlying, usually fiberglass cored deck. When these fasteners begin to leak and some always seem to, the core rots. Then you have a headache of monumental proportions. The fix is to remove either the outer or inner layer of fiberglass, remove the rotten core, replace with new core, and reattach the FRP layer. It's a BIG BIG BIG job that will easily run into 5 figures if you have a yard do it.

The mast looks to be wood. Largely just a contiuing maintenance issue as long as there is no rot, the glue joints are sound and the hardware is in good condition. A lot of diehard cruisers prefer wood to Aluminum claiming it can better withstand the loss of a shroud or stay. Be careful if the mast is painted, not varnished. Paint can cover a multitude of sins.

Cheoy Lee's are beautiful boats usually with lots of teak. Unfortunately, they pioneered using thin veneers of teak and/or thin teak planks. They also used to make most of the hardware that went on their boats, much of which wasn't the greatest quality stainless. Get a good surveyor to check out the boat. Ask around for the meanest, nastiest surveyor that's in the area where the boat is, be there when the boat is surveyed, carefully study his report and reccomendations and be sure you understand what the ramifications are.

Bill Luders designed some of the prettiest boats ever and this boat is no exception. Just be sure that there you know what the problems are and have a good idea of the cost and your ability to deal with any fatal flaws hidden under that wood. For the asking price, it would be hard to go wrong even if the deck core was rotten especially since the boats looks like it has a lot of nice equipment.

One last thing, the Volvo MD2 is my all time favorite engine. Sips fuel and can be easily hand cranked which I did for 10 years. These engines are salt water cooled and there could be issues because of all those years pickling in salt. The engines were designed so that all the salt water effected parts are replaceable which is mainly the cylinders and heads. They were also designed to be rebuildable in place with the exception of the main bearings so a rebuild is reasonably easy job to do. Might want to check on the availablity and cost of parts necessary for a rebuild, however.

[Hillbillylad]

Thanks for the detailed heads up Peter.

[otherthan]

yes it is work but anyone can do it...many ways to peal an apple.
hears what I prefer; mark ever plank with a pen (take a photo)...unscrew them one by one...do one section at a time.
the sun will heat the deck and allow vapur to expele out from the holes...remember to cover the erea befor the mist or rain...then sceal the holes and glue your planks to the fiberglass...this is much better then rescrewing them and makes for a watertight deck.
after a week or so of being in the sun...if you still have any spongy spots they will be easy to deal with...even on my 41ft there was only 2by2 ft of rutten caor that needed replacement...nothing a simple grinder and a piece of plywood cant fix...once its covered and scealed who cares what caor materials you used???

I say teack decks should never be a deal braker...anyone can deal with this and not wast $$$ in the process.
go for it!!
cheers

[Adams13]

My uncle had one of these in the 70's and always speaks fondly of it. The stainless steel was very ordinary but at this age any elements thet were no good will have been replaced.

[redcobra]

Originally Posted by Hillbillylad

It seems the Teak deck is the main concern for everyone so far. Totally taken on board as my main point of investigation. Having read some of the great threads on here about teak maintenance, I'm concerned it has been stood for so long drying out.
apparently it was called "Black Pearl" before the movies were made, but I'll still consider changing it as its become one of the most common boat names now. If I change the name I'll still go for the full on guy liner and braids aye.

I know it's superstition, but the only boat I ever had a lot of trouble with was the one whose name I changed.

[btrayfors]

Having visited the Cheoy Lee yard several times in the 1970's and 80's, and having owned a 42' CL-built sloop (1981) for 22 years, I can confirm:

1. The teak decks will be very thin and the fasteners will be causing problems, both with the bungs popping out and with leakage into the decking beneath (this is NOT a cheap fix);

2. Much of the s/s will be CL-built and substandard; you will likely need to replace lots of it;

3. Spruce masts require a lot of maintenance and, if not regularly done, can be a major headache;

4. You can almost plan on replacing the standing rigging and the chain plates (unless they've been done very recently);

5. There are relatively inexpensive ways to deal with deck voids and water intrusion; and, you and a friend can do it yourselves;

6. The hulls are hand laid-up and are very very strong; not likely to blister or cause problems; and

7. These boats are indeed beautiful and are head-turners at anchor or dockside.

BUT....it will take a LOT of love, energy, and $$$ to bring this boat back to decent condition. Never underestimate the amount of each. Figure about five times what you figure at the beginning.

JMO,

Bill

[rowingdude]

I was actually looking at the same boat, but I got a line in a 27' DuFour