Cheoy Lee Luders 36

[Sailsarefull]

Am considering putting in bid on 1972 Cheoy Lee Luders 36. Hull has been completely redone, top deck stripped and redone (no teak), motor is 2009 Yanmar with 180 hours. Boat very clean. Pricing is $39000. Seems a good price for it compared to others I have looked at. I will need to furbish with safety stuff (jackets, extinguishers, etc).
How do you really know?
Has anyone had experience with this year/model?
Thanks,
John

[lifeofreilly57]

I see you haven't received any feedback here, you might try the Cheoy Lee owners site. I have a model which only had limited production but was able to find connections there. I was able to converse with other owners of the same model. It may take a bit to get a response, it doesn't get as much traffic as this site but you just might get lucky. Cheoy Lee Owners Association. Google it.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[chris95040]

I've got a 1964 Cheoy lee Rhodes Reliant.

Few things I've learned:

Pay attention to the teak decks- if it was built on a good day, the fasteners didn't penetrate to the core material and it's good and dry in there. Others not so lucky. Sounds like this is no longer a problem for you.

Cheoy lee or someone nearby made a lot of their stainless, it hasn't aged super gracefully. The bronze parts are typical still perfect assuming no electrolysis issues. Keep a good inspection routine until you phase out the old stainless.

The Reliant was built with a lot of woven roving with a layup schedule defined by Phil Rhodes. When they didn't want to pay his royalties anymore, they mirrored the deck plan, doctored up the mold superficially in the bow, and called it the Offshore 40. Some minor corners cut, like a hollow tube rudder shaft instead of solid, but what I find interesting is they started laying up according to Lloyd's specifications, which at the time shied away from woven roving for some reason. These boats over time have suffered from blisters whereas the Reliants have not. Is it because of a resin formulation change, or are boats that are made solely out of chopped strand more prone to blistering? Either way, they seem to have started messing something up. I'd keep my eye out for that and inquire about any barrier coat the previous owner may have introduced, with specifics about what it is and how it was applied. Possibly include price of a proper barrier coat application (not cheap, not easy, but straightforward) in negotiation.

Finally, they liked to do a lot of deck fastening using /machine screws/ into fiberglass. Not through bolted mind you, just threads cut into the glass. It's interesting, but I'm not sure how strong that is.

[lifeofreilly57]

I agree that the stainless was questionable, I'm looking to replace the chainplates on mine, I've inspected them as much as possible without taking them out but still don't trust them based on other stainless CL parts on the boat.
I'm not sure on that model but some have CL built winches in some areas which can be hard to service and may need replacement, it's something to be aware of, CL does still have some old stock in some of those models and have been great to work with, but you may still have to replace it if they don't. It's worth looking at.
Blistering? Hard to say, I've seen many different makes of that era with those problems, resin formulation changes? Layup techniques? Choice of layup schedules? I couldn't really say, I've been given many different reasons from many sources but it seems common among many makes at that time.
Any boat I've had from that era has been barrier coated just to make sure. Yes, it requires you strip all the bottom paint off but is worth it in the long run.
Looking up and joining the Cheoy Lee Associaton will get you a reply from Cheoy Lee's PR person which is helpful since he can find some hard to find parts they may still have on their shelves.
Good luck.

[Don C L]

I can add a bit, only because a friend of mine just bought a Cheoy Lee Luders 30. Chain plates and blisters in the hull seem to be common areas of concern, but the hull is built so thick I've heard just grind them out, fill them with epoxy filler and keep sailing. Large blisters may need a little more attention but no need to keep the boat on the hard drying out for weeks, not a cored hull.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by Sailsarefull

Am considering putting in bid on 1972 Cheoy Lee Luders 36.
...Boat very clean. Pricing is $39000. Seems a good price for it compared to others I have looked at....

By "putting in bid" means you are buying at an auction? If so there are risks there unless you can have it surveyed - which is the best way to determine the state of boat and systems.

As for the price, it is a bit high due to age, even if it was restored. If the boat looks clean and in good shape overall, there is room for negotiation, but pending survey results.