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edbulmer · 29-09-2011, 17:25

I'm in the process of purchasing one of these. Does anyone know anything about the boat. Look great inside, beautiful teak interior. It has Ford Lehman diesels with approx 1100 hours. Will do a survey. Is it a good choice?

dacust · 29-09-2011, 18:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbulmer

I'm in the process of purchasing one of these. Does anyone know anything about the boat. Look great inside, beautiful teak interior. It has Ford Lehman diesels with approx 1100 hours. Will do a survey. Is it a good choice?

A good choice for what?

What type of boating will you be dong.
What waters (US, coastal, rivers??)
How much range do you need (or do you know?).
How much experience do you have in repairing different boat systems?
How many people on board. How long will you be on board at a time.

Questions, questions, questions...

Survey. That gets you a check mark in the column headed "Smart Moves".

Lehman's are noisy, dependable, fairly efficient for an old design, can be repaired by anyone anywhere. Probably my top choice for that style boat. Did I mention they are noisy?

My opinion? That style boat (trunk cabin trawler, old Grand Bank clone, single/twin small diesel) is probably the best used boat deal for long trips in relatively protected waters. Coastal, river type stuff. Wouldn't mind taking one through the Caribbean as long as I had plenty of time to wait for weather windows.

BUT, they were made by a wide range of builders in a wide range of qualities. Surveys are an absolute must. (I looked at a 42' DeFever that looked like a dream deal. All new engine room courtesy of an insurance company. Pity. A few weeks after the survey, it was hauled to the boatyard to be chopped up. Owner didn't know (?) the stringers were rotten inside the fiberglass.)

So, tell us more so I'll know if anything I said applies to what you really need in a boat...

-dan

motion30 · 29-09-2011, 19:17

it would a great liveaboard and I cw cruiser those fords last forever

edbulmer · 29-09-2011, 20:16

I will take the boat from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West for the winter. Then I plan to sail it back up to Toronto in the spring and live on it and sail it around lake Ontario for the next few years.
Will the surveyer be able to tell if the stringers are rotten?

dacust · 29-09-2011, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbulmer

...
Will the surveyer be able to tell if the stringers are rotten?

Yes.

How old is it? Is it fiberglass?

GDFL · 30-09-2011, 14:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by dacust

(I looked at a 42' DeFever that looked like a dream deal. All new engine room courtesy of an insurance company. Pity. A few weeks after the survey, it was hauled to the boatyard to be chopped up. Owner didn't know (?) the stringers were rotten inside the fiberglass.)

So, tell us more so I'll know if anything I said applies to what you really need in a boat...

-dan

Why would rotten stringers cause an otherwise good boat to become scrap? I've read of several methods of removing all the wood and then filling the resulting cavities with lightened, reinforced concrete or similar. That's a shame that a DeFever had to die like that.

AnchorageGuy · 30-09-2011, 14:28

We have a 34DC, the same builder and the same potential issues, like any older boat. Lots of information on our Beach House site including a good Marine Trader review. Chuck

dacust · 30-09-2011, 14:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by GDFL

Why would rotten stringers cause an otherwise good boat to become scrap? I've read of several methods of removing all the wood and then filling the resulting cavities with lightened, reinforced concrete or similar. That's a shame that a DeFever had to die like that.

Yeah, it was a shame. It was the only boat anywhere in its class for less than 60k at the time (2003 +-?) It also had some rot in the bulkhead between the aft cabin at steering sector compartment. And the bulkheads fore and aft of the engine room. Except for the engine room, it was in your basic 30 year old original condition.

I don't know the entire story, but maybe with all brand new genset, 2-A/C, water heater, etc, they figured they stood less chance of loosing by parting out the brand new equipment and scrapping it.

Also, the fact that it was scrapped came at least 2nd hand from the broker who was apologizing to me for the wasted plane fair and survey fee. So to be fair, there's always the possibility I got it wrong. HOWEVER, the surveyor told me it wouldn't be worth it even if I got it for free...

Main point still holds, a survey is a MUST.

To the OP - Chuck is definitely your guy for questions about Marine Trader. Check out his web site.

-dan

edbulmer · 02-10-2011, 10:13

Who is "Chuck" I liked the TV show. LOL.

I have just talked with a surveyor who said that Marine traders have a history of bottom problems. I and do remember the broker saying that when they hauled the boat there was a severe blister problem. I took 10 ks off the price for that. Is that enough to have it fixed? Or is it worth it. Please let me know asap because it will be surveyed soon and maybe I will axe the whole plan and go back to the drawing board. If I took the boat down somewhere in the Carribean could it be fixed at an affordable price as well. BTW the boat is an 1988.

jsschieff · 02-10-2011, 19:29

Have a very good survey done on the boat! Old Marine Traders are subject to lots of expensive problems, from delaminating cabin superstructures to rusted out iron fuel tanks. They were not considered top quality boats, and you can run into all sorts of plumbing, wiring and structural problems.

However, if the survey doesn't uncover any major problems you could have a fine boat for ICW cruising and winter liveaboard. I think $10K for severe bottom blisters is optimistic. You could get blisters repaired for that amount or less, but if there is extensive water intrusion into a cored area you could have a higher bill than $10K.

Good luck!

dacust · 02-10-2011, 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

We have a 34DC, the same builder and the same potential issues, like any older boat. Lots of information on our Beach House site including a good Marine Trader review. Chuck

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbulmer

Who is "Chuck" ....

...

Chuck is "Waterwayguy" that posted right before me...

-dan