Buchan Sailboats

[tyrol]

I've just bought one and would be interested in chatting to other owners or people who know of them...
Cheers,
Ty

[wildhitsuji]

Hi, we are considering buying a 1969 Buchan, and are wondering if you know any of the stats on it. There isn't much info available on the internet, since apparently there were only 50 or so manufactured. Do you happen to know the hull speed, sail dimensions, etc? We'd also love to hear your overall impression of the boat.

Thanks!

[GordMay]

The Buchan 37 ~ by Lon Robinson
48° North - Buchan 37
And
48° North - Buchan 37

Buchan 37 measurements per Sailboat Rig Dimensions for boat starting with B
I: 45.0
J: 15.3 (?13.5?)
P: 38.0
E: 14.9
ISP: 45.0
JSP: 15.3

[wildhitsuji]

Thanks GordMay. I had come across the 48 North site before, but it lacks some of the technical info I am looking for. We are considering buying the Buchan long-distance on the word of an appraiser, and are trying to do our homework beforehand, so we know what to expect. Everything I've been able to find on the boat is good, but so far I haven't found a real live person to ask questions of who has sailed one and can give me his/her impression of the handling and possible problems.

[tyrol]

Hey there,
I bought one a year and a half ago as my first boat. It needed a lot of work, which I did myself so I can give you some insight into the structure if you have specific questions. It's fairly narrow as you probably already know, so it sails fast (I've had mine up to 8.5 knots and I'm just learning how to sail really) and seems to outpace most newer boats if I put it on the same heading. Nice heavy lead keel so it handles wake and waves with ease. Mine has a tiller so is quite responsive. Mine has a 20HP Yanmar which seems to put it along at 5 knots at medium revs.
BUT, it's an old boat so no molded fibreglass bathroom, interior shows its age, I've had some wood rot inside and some wet core up around the mast and the anchor chain hole. I had to replace all my thru-hulls and install seacocks. I only paid $9k, but I put $20k in parts and material into it (and a LOT of hours). Bottom line, I love it, my friends all think it's a beautiful boat, it's fun to sail and pretty comfortable for overnighting. Yes, I'm jealous when I see new Benneteau, but I can probaly sail faster so I get the last laugh!

Login | Facebook - you can see some more photos here.

You can call me if you'd like to chat 604-834-3545 (Vancouver).

Cheers,
Ty

[wildhitsuji]

Thanks for the reply and pictures! You've done a wonderful job restoring her. One question we had is have you replaced the sails? The boat we are looking at has a 50-foot mast, and I am finding several different measurements available online. Also, was it in the water when you bought it, and if so, was the hull itself sound (except for the thru-hulls)? Any blistering or delamination?

Regards,
Megan

[tyrol]

No, I didn't replace the sails, even though they're getting pretty mashed up. It came with 5 head sails and a spinnaker, but I've only used the one that suits medium winds. My mast is about 50 feet as well. I'd like to see how much of a difference new sails would make, but the budget is sort of blown for the next little while!

No blistering or delamination. I had to hammer a dent in the lead back into place; I pulled off a bunch of poor epoxy repair off the keel and refaired it; I repaired lots of little scrapes and dings; and then my girlfriend and I repainted the whole thing. I noticed that the fibreglass is pretty thin in some places (high on the bow for example), but overall seems in great condition. My guess is that unless it's been restored or is in really good shape, you had better be prepared to get your hands dirty, otherwise it won't be economically viable.

I also pulled out all the electrical and a lot of the cabinetry, the whole galley and built it all back out. Now I've got a good battery, bank a proper breaker panel, an inverter/charger, etc. etc.

The propane system is an issue because there's no seperate compartment for a tank. For now, need to leave the tank in the cockpit or off the boat to meet my insurance requirements...

There's no stern pulpit to attach a BBQ to anyway!

Ty

[tyrol]

Oh, yeah, it was in the water when I bought it (in Seattle). I had it pulled out for a survey (which you should do for sure) and it looked like the under water portions were pretty good. I pulled it out immediately when I got it home to do all the work.

[wildhitsuji]

Well, we had a survey done, and there is definitely work to be done to make her seaworthy again. One thing the surveyor couldn't tell us for certain was whether or not the hull was plywood core or not. Sounds like you have done enough thru-hulls to know? (And if we end up getting the boat, I may have to consult your expertise on that process as well).

A few more questions: have you had to replace the rigging, and if so, how monetarily painful was it? We may also need to replace a corroded fuel tank. Basically it sounds like spending a month or so in drydock would be necessary, and we are trying to decide if it is still worth it. The internet is a wonderful tool, but talking to someone who has already gone through the process is priceless.

Thanks for the help!

[tyrol]

The hull is solid fibreglass, the deck is balsa-core and the cabin sides are plywood core. (At least on mine) I didn't do the rigging, it seems okay generally. My fuel tank is fibreglass so it might have been added later (or maybe yours was).

Where is the boat (and where are you)?

Are you doing the work yourselves? It's an absolutely amazing learning experience, but can be frustrating and tiring. Although having someone else do it would probably not make sense finacially if there's much to do. Mine was in drydock for more like 9 months, but I have a (flexible) day job to maintain too...

I expect that it's being offered at a pretty good price? These boats are only worth about $30k once they're back in good condition...

[wildhitsuji]

Well, we bought her! She is down in San Diego, and we (three college student owners) are in Alaska. The prior owners sailed and motored her reasonable distances in the last year, so while there is certainly work to be done, we paid little enough to make it worthwhile (a bit more than 8 grand). We will definitely be doing the work ourselves, but hope to make it farther up the coast so that dry-dock fees aren't so high (or maybe we should just head for Mexico!). We have until late April before heading down there and finding out for sure if she is up to real voyaging or not.

[wildhitsuji]

[vicman]

I purchased it in November. It also needs work, I dont have any photos to post now but I will. It is called Turn Point and I live in Victoria. I will post some pics later. Let me know your progress. This is interesting.

[Rossairboats]

I too am working on a Buchan 37 restoration...... It's either a form of insanity or passion, still not sure which

The boat is named Big Mir, it's name when new. My sister and I are the second generation, our parents having purchased the boat new from Bill Buchan. Unfortunately we've had to take the boat apart down to a bare shell, now it's going back together. Lots more to do. To echo other comments, it's questionable if it's worth all the effort but you do learn a lot, and comments from friends are encouraging!

I'm looking for ideas on how to revise the gunwhale/cap rail installation so it's leak tight, and strong enough to hold the jib sheet block traveler - any ideas?

Ross

[Alan Wheeler]

Lovely boat Ty. I especially like her lines in the photo you have of her out of the water. I see the desinger had an eye for some speed by the look of the lines.