Buying 1990 Beneteau 35s5

[Thetone]

Hello,
I am going to go look at a 1990 Beneteau First 35s5 Sunday. Can anyone tell me what to look for? I am trying to avoid the hassle of making a deposit and paying for a survey if it's not the right boat.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.
Thetone

[J.Kitchens]

Look around the keel and rudder (inside and out) for cracking or anything that doesn't look normal.

What is normal? Smooth and even.

Look at the keel bolts. Are they weeping rust?

Are there any odd smells? Don't let people tell you "That's the way boats smell". A boat should not smell.

How's the rigging?

Are there proper seacocks? Probably not...it's a Beneteau

How do the sails look?

[Thetone]

Originally Posted by J.Kitchens

Look around the keel and rudder (inside and out) for cracking or anything that doesn't look normal.

What is normal? Smooth and even.

Look at the keel bolts. Are they weeping rust?

Are there any odd smells? Don't let people tell you "That's the way boats smell". A boat should not smell.

How's the rigging?

Are there proper seacocks? Probably not...it's a Beneteau

How do the sails look?

Thanks!

[Thetone]

I looked at the boat today. She looks good except for steering. There is play in the wheel and it feels wobbly. This has a rack and pinion system. Any suggestions?

[Marathon1150]

hi: did you end up buying this boat?

Sorry I didn't see this post last November. We currently own two boats - a 1985 B. Idylle 11.50 which we sailed to Tahiti in March of this year and one of these - a 1990 B. First 35s5 which we keep in Vancouver, Canada. We looked at a bunch of Catalina's etc but found this Beneteau to be superior in many ways.

If you bought the boat, how many water tanks does it have?

Also, I hope that you are enjoying it - we love ours. Fast and very responsive.

I noted your comment re the steering. Island Packets use the exact same Edson rack and pinion steering system, which Edson is no longer making. Some parts are still available so you might want to buy them soon. A friend with an IP 4X (forgotten precise size) mentioned this to me.

cheers