Brandlmary 48' - Should I Buy this Boat or ?

[bigwhyte]

http://http://vancouver.en.craigslis...653178885.htmli have been reading this site and latitude and aditudes for 6 years and all i think about is sailing away . so now i have the money to buy this boat .it looks like it can cross the pacific ie pics of this boat in ports all over the world . my wife loves it .and its in b.c where i live .i know i will have to put 15 to 20 k in to it and im in to that .i have went coast to coats on a 1975 hd i restored and love that i fixed it a know how it worked ,i have worked as a electrican plumber glazer carpenter ,and am now working as a elavator mec so i should be able to fix most all things before i leave . so if the servey comes back that the hull is sound what am i missing, please help!! im so excited and strested out at the same time is that what i should be feeling !! i will put a link to the add .im meeting with the owner tomorow http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rd...653178885.html thanks again so much to all that have took the time over the years to answer my questions
scott whyte

[skipmac]

Looked at the listing for the boat. Construction is fiberglass over plywood.

Be very, very careful. This type of construction can have serious problems and cost more to repair than the value of the boat.

The fiberglass tends to hold in moisture causing rot and delamination in the plywood. Make sure you have a really good survey before buying. It could be a good deal or it could be a nightmare.

If any doubts, ask more questions on the forum and I'm sure you will get more advise on what to check. Bottom line, there must be a reason why the boat is so cheap.

[Laidback]

Like Skipmac,
I looked at the AD. One statement rang a bell "This kind of construction lends itself to very easy repair" Well, what does that say ?
The Hull is Fir Sheeved in Plywood, 44 years old, which reading between the lines has been no more than a houseboat.

Gives this a miss, unless you have a qualified surveyor of your choice provide you with a full in and out of the water 'Condition and Value survey' The Survey to thoroughly check for rot in the sheeved fir/ply hull.
I believe that this is a project that is not worth starting. It has the smell of 48ft of problems in each and every foot.

[Butler]

Brandlmary...
IMHO and as above... be very, very careful with this boat. Reading between the lines in this ad (40 year old wooden mast...easy to repair) makes me suspicious as it has others. The similarly constructed old Newporter 40s down here in SoCal are great boats if you can find one that isn't rotting from the inside out and that is not always an easy thing to spot. They tend to rot from the caprail down where the edge of the ply is.
There is a gorgeous ply under glass Thunderbird over in Sab Pedro but you can just barely see the bubbling of bad wood under the slick paint job of the cabin top.
These boats need a lot of attention to remain healthy.
My own boat is balsa cored above the waterline and some fool installed a small through-hull w/o protecting the core just before I bought it. The first thing I did was pull that nonsense apart and inspect... fortunately it was dry but you can imagine what would have happened if rot had taken hold.
Ask very specific questions of the owner, try to get a clear picture of how concientious and repair savy he/she is and crawl over every inch of that boat and up the mast with a little awl or screwdriver...
Better yet, give it a pass.

[marc2012]

Never heard of fir for frames,which is what ply.over fir means.IMHO fir is not used on boats.If I remember correctly fir tends to bruise where fastened.Think I would pass.marc

[Laidback]

Originally Posted by marc2012

Never heard of fir for frames,which is what ply.over fir means.IMHO fir is not used on boats.If I remember correctly fir tends to bruise where fastened.Think I would pass.marc

Hi Marc, the actual wording in the Ad reads "She is fir sheaved in ply then fiber glassed"
Douglas Fir is used to make marine ply - here is a standard for that ply :-
"Marine-grade plywood is made entirely of Douglas-fir or Western Larch. The grade of all plies of veneer is B or better. B-grade veneer may have knots but no knotholes. A-grade veneer has no knots or knotholes. Both A and B grade may contain wood or synthetic patches. Panels are sanded on both faces or Medium Density Overlay (MDO) or High Density Overlay (HDO). The maximum core-gap size permitted is 1/8 inch. Its exposure durability rating is EXTERIOR and the glue used is a fully waterproof structural adhesive. It is considered a "premium" panel grade for use in situations where these characteristics are required. It is available in 4x8-foot sheets of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4-inch thickness. Sheets up to 5x12-feet are also available. Available grades are A-A, A-B, B-B (face-back), MDO and HDO.

Marine-grade plywood is not treated with any chemicals to enhance its resistance to decay. If decay is a concern, it should be pressure-preservative treated to an appropriate standard.

The detailed description of veneer grades and Marine-grade plywood is contained in Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-95 Construction And Industrial Plywood."

It does confuse when using the term Sheaved - normally meaning layer on layer like sheaves of paper. Could be, around about that time boats were be built using that technique with plywood.

[marc2012]

The fraqmes are not fir then?marc

[Laidback]

Marc,
I believe you are quite correct, Occasionally used for masts, but because fir does not take bending - not ideal for frames, and as you mention too soft.

[Seahunter]

The frames on these boats aren't bent, they're sawn fir. I've worked on a number of boats like these and they can be a real nightmare. Check out around where the deck and the cabin structure meet for dry-rot; chances are the deck is rotten too. Check out the toe rail as well for loose screws and fresh paint; (also signs of rot). These boats don't do well in fresh water unless they're highly maintained; with that in mind check her history.