Tayana 37

[Kevin84]

So my wife and I think we may have found our boat. It's a 1982 Tayana 37. She's cutter rigged with a spruce mast and boom. A camberspar on her staysail, has had the mast repaired and varnished in 2011, a new bowspirit fabricated and installed at the same time along with new standing and running rigging (with the exception of the chainplates) and is powered by a Yanmar 3HMF that was rebuilt in 2000. Is there anything I should keep my eyes open for when I go down to take a look at her in a week? The boat has not been used since 05, but has been given some maintenance since. Basically, is there anything that should make me run from this boat before I hire a surveyor? I'm also considering hiring Bob Perry as a consultant on her. Since he designed her, I figure he probably knows more about her.

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[robert sailor]

Early T37's had the mast placed to help the layout below rather than the sailing qualities above so some of them had excessive helm and had to be reefed way early. That was changed in later models. Hull to deck had leaks that were hard to fix. Really have the teak decks carefully looked at if you have them. Tanks are getting old.
They sail pretty good for a full keel vessel but are not very close winded. They back up like a drunken elephant. They will make decent time in the trades and have pretty good stowage. Over 600 of them were made, used to have an active owners group so check them out for more info, used to be called TOG but I think they have changed due to smaller membership.

[DDabs]

Beautiful boat, best of luck to you! Where is she located?

[Mike OReilly]

Hi Kevin, we looked at a couple of T37s before purchasing our Rafiki-37. I would have purchased a Tayana if we'd found one in good enough shape. The ones I looked at had soft decks (water intrusion into the core), and one had a split rudder. Examine the teak deck if it is still in place. If it has been removed, look ever closer. A poor removal could lead to even more core problems.

From your description I would immediately want to know about the recent repairs -- why where they necessary. I also wonder about the spruce spars. I know early Tayanas can with wood spars, but it seems rather late in the build (1982) to still have one. Is this a replacement mast? If so, again, why? Was this boat dismasted?

Robert already mentioned some of the challenges of sailing with a full keeler. Our Rafiki shares the same characteristics. I assume you've already considered these negative factors. Teak maintenance is also an issue for these Taiwanese-built boats. On the flip side, our boat (and I assume a T37) is a terrific sea boat. The full keel, heavy displacement and hull design gives ours an easy gentle motion in most conditions. They track very well, making steering an easier task, and they carry a lot of storage space. If you're looking for this kind of boat, and if this one is in good shape, then I'm sure you'll love her.

[Gerrycooper56]

Tayana Owners Group (TOG) is alive and well as a Google Group subscription forum

[Kevin84]

Robert, thanks for the heads up about the leaking deck to hull join. I'll make sure to take a close look at it.

DDabs, the boat is in Jacksonville, FL.

Mike, the decks, I believe, are fiberglass. As for the mast and boom, as I understand it, the boat was specifically ordered with a spruce stick and boom. The repairs were made due to dry rot. As to why they were made then, the owner was going to try selling her back in 11, but his wife has had major health problems since and everything was put on hold. My last boat was a full keeler as well, so I'm somewhat familiar with their general handling. This particular boat was ordered by the current owner new from Tayana back in 82 and he has owned her ever since. As far as teak maintenance goes, what should I look for? The only teak on my last boat was the rub rail.

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[robert sailor]

If the vessel originally came with FG decks that in my mind is a bonus however all older boats need a careful survey. Wood sticks are a negative on resale so make sure you take this into consideration. There were several different layouts on these boats and some are excellent however the factory did allow custom layouts and some of them were poorly conceived and will also effect resale.
As another poster poster has said once underway and especially in the trades these boats sail just fine a make decent daily runs. They are also quite easy on the eyes as most all these traditional designs are.

[jcapo]

+1 on the TOG.

Chainplate corrosion can be a problem and should be looked at. A lot of T37 owners move them outboard instead of rebuilding the knees. Cruise through the TOG archive for more info.

I wanted a T37 but had no time to look, I was working very long days 7 days a week. So I sent my then girlfriend out to look at T37's and other comparable heavy cruising boats. She picked a V42. It was more than I wanted to spend but I'm glad I went for the larger boat.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by jcapo

+1 on the TOG.

Chainplate corrosion can be a problem and should be looked at. A lot of T37 owners move them outboard instead of rebuilding the knees. Cruise through the TOG archive for more info.

I wanted a T37 but had no time to look, I was working very long days 7 days a week. So I sent my then girlfriend out to look at T37's and other comparable heavy cruising boats. She picked a V42. It was more than I wanted to spend but I'm glad I went for the larger boat.

I love the V42, but they are far out of my price range. I'm looking at under 40k for this one. And most likely well under.

Robert, again, thanks for the heads up on the stick. I'll keep that in mind when we start talking dollars (if we start). The owner seems to just want the boat gone.

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[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

Mike, the decks, I believe, are fiberglass. As for the mast and boom, as I understand it, the boat was specifically ordered with a spruce stick and boom. The repairs were made due to dry rot. As to why they were made then, the owner was going to try selling her back in 11, but his wife has had major health problems since and everything was put on hold. My last boat was a full keeler as well, so I'm somewhat familiar with their general handling. This particular boat was ordered by the current owner new from Tayana back in 82 and he has owned her ever since. As far as teak maintenance goes, what should I look for? The only teak on my last boat was the rub rail.

Were there ever teak decks, or was it ordered without teak? If the latter, then you've just got the normal considerations all older boats have with cored decks (I assume this one is a balsa-cored deck). The issue with all such decks is water intrusion. Do your own check first but get a good surveyor.

Interesting choice of wood spars. Aesthetically pleasing, but I wonder about the maintenance needed on them -- I've never had wood spars. You might want to research that a bit more. Probably no big deal, but I'd investigate.

There's nothing special about teak maintenance; varnish, oil or cetol as you see fit. The only issue is that it is a never-ending job. Our Rafiki has tons of interior and exterior teak: toe-rail, cockpit combing, hatch covers, and pretty much everything down below. We just always carry varnish and oil, and whenever we have nothing else to do, we go to work. I'm not fussy (and don't do anything to my decks), although some people get pretty anal about it all. All depends on you.

[robert sailor]

Mike all that teak on the exterior of boats like yours and the one we are talking about is what makes a well looked after design like these look so damn pretty BUT they are huge work to keep them looking like this. Not so bad in the PNW where you can get a reasonable time period between varnishing but in the tropics they are really work.

On the T37 you are right the wood sticks were on the very early models and you would not expect one on an 82 but Tayana did allow custom changes so its certainly possible. The wood sticks are plenty strong but the additional weight aloft is a negative and as I mentioned resale is hurt because the average person buying today is scared of wood masts. Now that may present an opportunity for a buyer who is knowledgeable and is prepared to do the proper maintenance that is required on this type of rig.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Mike all that teak on the exterior of boats like yours and the one we are talking about is what makes a well looked after design like these look so damn pretty BUT they are huge work to keep them looking like this. Not so bad in the PNW where you can get a reasonable time period between varnishing but in the tropics they are really work.

Agreed Robert. It is a never-ending project. It just ensures you never have to wonder about what to do today. If you have no other project on the go, you can always varnish .

[Kevin84]

Actually, my previous boat also had a spruce boom. So that I'm familiar with. Not real crazy about the mast being wood however. And if I get this boat, I'll probably end up replacing it with aluminum just for my own peace of mind and to save weight. I do not know if she was ordered from the factory without teak decks or has had them removed. I'm waiting on an answer from the owner.

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[Pirate999]

on the T37 really really look at the chain plates. Others have given you tips on what to look for as well.

I assume you LOVE to varnish, specially 50+ feet in the air. You're going to be doing quite a bit of it, specially in the tropics/florida. It will also depend on what they used on the mast. Varnish or a two part or oil or something else. Wood masts are beautiful but trust me, they are work. I had a pair for 15 years so I know and my old boat had about the same exterior teak.

Obviously, get a good surveyor.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Pirate999

on the T37 really really look at the chain plates. Others have given you tips on what to look for as well.

I assume you LOVE to varnish, specially 50+ feet in the air. You're going to be doing quite a bit of it, specially in the tropics/florida. It will also depend on what they used on the mast. Varnish or a two part or oil or something else. Wood masts are beautiful but trust me, they are work. I had a pair for 15 years so I know and my old boat had about the same exterior teak.

Obviously, get a good surveyor.

Actually, I don't love to varnish. Lol. At least not the mast. According to the owner, he put a "ten year" varnish on the stick in 11. Not really sure about that as I've never heard of a varnish lasting 10 years in a marine environment. I planned on looking at the chainplates when I go, what's a good way to check the knees though? I mean, if it's obviously wet to the touch or soft, that's a dead give away. But what if it's more subtle?

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