Considering buying 15 year old sailboat -- issues?

[Dr. D]

I am returning to sailing and for my wife this will be a new adventure. We are narrowing our purchase decision down, now to a 2001 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37. But it is a 15 year old boat.

What general issues might I face with a boat of that age?

Any specific issues with a Jeanneau? BTW, the boat was built in France.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Dr. D

What general issues might I face with a boat of that age?

sails, cushions, leaks, creaks, pumps, old electronics, ....................... normal stuff

[cpt_757]

Mine is 30 years old, 15 is new for me!

maybe both running and standing rigging.

[boatpoker]

Built in France for 220volt system and appropriate AC conductors. Imported to NA they changed the shore power inlet but left the wiring which is now undersized for 120VAC.

[siamese]

I'd be looking closely at the decks for any water intrusion into the balsa core. That's pretty high on my list of things I don't want to have to fix.

After that, I'd want to look at everything else, starting with the engine.

Fifteen years isn't a number that would worry me too much. It's all about condition. Over the course of fifteen years, owner neglect and/or abuse can manifest itself in many ways. A well maintained 15 year old boat is a good find.

[tkeithlu]

This forum is full of threads from people facing one problem or another in getting an older, and in their cases usually neglected, boat back to sea. Get a really good survey done, specifying that you are looking for things that will need work before service. It will be worth every cent spent. Then include the money and the time needed to do that work into your plan. Too many people in my local yard have ended up in a trap - they don't have the time/skills to do the work themselves, and they don't have (Who does?) the money to get it done professionally. There must be fifteen partially completed project boats sitting idle in the yard here. Good luck with it, and welcome to the cruising world.

[lesterbutch]

Originally Posted by cpt_757

Mine is 30 years old, 15 is new for me!

maybe both running and standing rigging.

When I bought my 35 Pearson it was 42 years old! I carefully evaluated such things as the hull structure and the standing rigging, all of which was excelent. I totally ignored the engine, electronics etc. and just replaced all of it! Now it's like a new boat! The Pearson hull was built like a tank and being a 72 it was just pre-blister. (Not one anywhere on it!). As a former boat builder, (wooden), I generally have a pretty good feel for a boats structure and older boats almost always come in way better built than boats after about 1975-78 and up. But, give me over built rather than under built when I'm going blue water in it!

[puffcard]

I bought my boat when it was 15 years old and thought it was in good shape. Now mine was a New England boat used 4 months a year. Professional maintained, rig pulled each year, saves alot of wear and tear vs a boat that has been in charter down south. Buying a boat 5 year old or 25 years old boat you need to check the same stuff. Leaks, glass. rig, engine, sails, cushions all need a good look. The nice thing is that boat has a structural grid and helps to stiffen the boat up. Think it could be a good sailing boat, which is important to me. Is it the First, deep or shoal draft one? How does the boat look at your first impression? I could almost tell in 5 minutes what the condition of the boat is. Good point about the 220 conversion to 115. I know that can be a major pain.

[Dr. D]

Originally Posted by puffcard

I bought my boat when it was 15 years old and thought it was in good shape. Now mine was a New England boat used 4 months a year. Professional maintained, rig pulled each year, saves alot of wear and tear vs a boat that has been in charter down south. Buying a boat 5 year old or 25 years old boat you need to check the same stuff. Leaks, glass. rig, engine, sails, cushions all need a good look. The nice thing is that boat has a structural grid and helps to stiffen the boat up. Think it could be a good sailing boat, which is important to me. Is it the First, deep or shoal draft one? How does the boat look at your first impression? I could almost tell in 5 minutes what the condition of the boat is. Good point about the 220 conversion to 115. I know that can be a major pain.

Shoal draft keel. The boat looks bristol: The current -- and second -- owner bought it in 2006 and he has maintained it impeccably. He even has all the statements from all work done on the boat.

Thanks all for your input. More welcome.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dr. D

Shoal draft keel. The boat looks bristol: The current -- and second -- owner bought it in 2006 and he has maintained it impeccably. He even has all the statements from all work done on the boat.

Thanks all for your input. More welcome.

There was a Jeanneau Shoal Draft model in about that size range reputed to be fairly tender. I believe it was a 90's boat though. Not an issue for everyone but something you may want to run to ground and see if it's the model you are thinking of.
At the ~8 year point many bolt on things can start to fail; pumps, appliances, surely electronics.
At 15 years you definitely want to be investigating:
- tanks (especially any below the floor boards),
-Rudder (water ingress),
-Prop shaft (corrosion inside the stuffing box if it has one),
-keel bolts,
-rigging life is ~10 years but many go further.
-Sails, sail covers, bimini canvas, dodger canvas
-and of course engine hours and condition.

[barnakiel]

I do not think there is anything Jeanneau specific.

But I do think 15 y.o. can be really painful as some/many/practically all of the systems will require replacement. Unless she is 15 y.o. but her systems are newer.

Of the top, some possible things to look at:

- soles,
- hatch glass crazing, hatch gaskets, hatch handles/locks,
- bearings (drive shaft and rudder shaft),
- wheel / steering wires,
- pumps,
- furlers,
- standing rigging,
- running rigging,
- sails,
- engine,
- teak deck (if present),
- winch buttons (if el. winches present),
- AP,
- genset,
- instruments (esp. the wind one),
- VHF (DSC),
- liferafts,
- galley stove,
- etc.

Check the ballast / keel interface as some Jeanneau have lost their keels. You want spotless bolts and dry and sound ballast to grp transition.

You may get lucky and some of the above may have been upgraded thru the years.

Cheers,
b.

[sandy stone]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Check the ballast / keel interface as some Jeanneau have lost their keels.

Really? Can you give specifics?

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Dr. D

I am returning to sailing and for my wife this will be a new adventure. We are narrowing our purchase decision down, now to a 2001 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37. But it is a 15 year old boat.

What general issues might I face with a boat of that age?

Any specific issues with a Jeanneau? BTW, the boat was built in France.

Seacocks and trru hulls if CE certified might be brass instead of bronze or Marelon

[Dr. D]

More good input.

The Ocean Marine reversing AC/heat is original. What might it run to replace it? I can easily find cost of a new unit, but I have no idea what the labor would be (doesn't seem like a DIY job).

[Prairie Chicken]

I don't recall any Jeanneau's losing their keels.

We've a 2002 Jeanneau & are very happy with her. If you've found an older boat with an owner who took loving care of her, you're a lucky man. Do a good survey, but it sounds like you've found your boat. Don't be afraid of an older but very well cared for boat. They were far better built back then.


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