My First Sailboat

[JonVonOrient]

Hello everyone,

First I want to thank the community for the welcoming response and helpfulness in my search for a Bluewater sailboat that will be able to fulfill my dreams. I hope that I too can contribute in the future and give back what this forum has offered me. Without further ado, I would like to announce that I have just acquired my first sailboat, a 1974 Dufour 35. If anyone has any information on this boat I would love to hear it as I am currently working on her with the plans to splash her after the Virginia winter.

My main questions are these:

1.) Currently she has a water Blatter which I onto replace with a water tank. When replacing the water tank did you go with fiberglass or stainless steel?

2.) What are the known problems with these Dufours? What should I look after in so far as extra maintenance?

3.) I know that it has an Iron keel that is fully encapsulated, but then what are the point of the small holes in the keel for?

4.) How does one access the black water tank?

Sorry if these are dumb questions, and I am thankful that you have taken the time to read my post.

[DDabs]

Congrats! Beautiful lines on the old Dufours... and also welcome to the flush deck club

1) If you're thinking of adding a tank, I'd stick with a poly tank (they are plastic, not fiberglass), or consider replacing the bladder with another bladder. If they used a bladder- there may have not been sufficient room to put in a tank. With a bladder, you can get a bigger tankage while still fitting into tight compartments. Check out Nauta or Vetus, they both make bladders.

2) It's an old boat, but the hull is solid fiberglass with a cored deck. Check for soft spots on the deck. Check all of your on board systems (plumbing, electrical, etc.) Nothing out of the ordinary from the usual old boat maintenance I would think.

3) Small holes in the keel?

4) Where is your tank? follow plumbing from the head to find the tank- could be accessed under a berth or in a compartment?

[JonVonOrient]

So after the winter I would like to lightly sand the bottom before putting on a layer of bottom paint. However before all of that I have been wondering about my keel.

This is what I am seeing and I am wondering for what purpose is the holes for in the keel?

[SunKing]

the holes are not supposed to be there, they were probably drilled by someone to drain water from the keel... i'm guessing you didnt have a survey as this should have been seen... problem or not??? some one with better knowledge will have to tell you... you will at very least have to fill those holes... the fourth pic is a grounding plate...

[Calif.Ted]

Ronco rigid plastic tanks are most commonly used.
https://ronco-plastics.com/product/w...-holding-tank/
I don't see the "encapsulation" on that keel, that's not just painted iron showing there ?

[marshmat]

OK, so those holes (and the rust streaks below them) mean that your cast iron ballast is no longer encapsulated. It's wet, and is starting to turn from cast iron back into rust. If it were my boat, I'd be awfully tempted to enlarge a couple of those holes enough to fit a mechanic's digital endoscope / borescope (basically a cellphone camera on a long flexy stick, about $50) in there to see what's really going on. Then decide what (if anything) there is to do about it.

Your black water (sewage holding) tank is, 9 in 10 chance, located between the hull side and the bulkhead behind the toilet. Follow the hoses to find out for sure. The pump-out port should be on the deck directly above it.

[upstateny]

I am also a relatively new boat owner and not very experienced. I purchased a 1977 IRWIN 30 citation two years ago. Here is what I learned. I would recommend the following which mostly focuses on the the engine systems.

1. Test bilge pump and fix or replace immediately. Kind of important.
2. Check battery voltage. Should be greater than 12.5 volts. When running motor should be charging greater than 13 volts.
3. Find the diesel engine fuel stop lever. If you have a Solenoid to kill the engine and it fails your going to want to know how to kill the engine manually.
4. Know where the manual fuel pump lever is to bleed your fuel line or manually pump some fuel to get hard to start motor to run in spring. You probably need to rotate engine to get the cam in the right position to pump fuel with lever. Easy to figure this out.
5. Find all the hoses and holes in your boat. You need to know your boat and what all those hoses are for. This includes the fuel line valve if you got one.
6. Remove cover on sea water strainer and clean as needed.
7. Inspect replace water pump impeller . Easy change.
8. Pull covers off heat exchange. Replace anode and inspect heat exchanger tubes. Also find any broken vanes from impeller that will impede water flowing into heat exchanger.
9. Check water pump engine belt and adjust / replace as needed.
10. Now replace fuel filters and determine how much water you got in your primary and water separator fuel filters. Dump contents in glass jar and inspect. This is a great learning experience because you will learn how to bleed your fuel lines. I usually fill my new filters with fuel with a turkey baster before installing, which makes it a lot easier to bleed the fuel line air out with that little manual pump on the motor. Note finding fuel line shut off valve mentioned above.
11. Replace air filter
12. Propeller shaft stuff box. Is your stuff box is leaking to much, you may need tighten it up a bit or repack the stuff box.
13. After haul out check how much play there is in the prop shaft. Compare your boat to others.
14. Now you can deal with all the other stuff that actually sails the boat when the motor is off.

I am new to this. I am sure others will find some issues with my list and things that are more important to check.



Good luck with your boat

[Manateeman]

Hi. There are two YouTube videos on your keel. The keel bolts are kinda hidden.
You remove the fiberglass on the outside of the keel. The video gives you a good idea of what to do.
Whoever drilled the holes became aware of the keel problem as soon as the water and rust ran out.
Even if you do all the work yourself, it’s a bit of money. Once you get the ballast exposed and can see all the keel bolts, take some photos and post before continuing with the repair.
Happier trails to you.
Captain Mark and his fuzzy faced manatee friends

[boatpoker]

If it is an encapsulated keel you need an experienced person (preferably an ABYC Certified Corrosion tech) to look at that. Iron expands with great force as it rusts.

https://www.cbiconsultingllc.com/the...s%209%2C000psi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxide_...xide%20jacking.

[Manateeman]

An ABYC corrosion expert? You got to be kidding. This isn’t some million dollar yacht with some technical issue or litigation with tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. It’s a rusted keel encapsulated in glass. There are two videos on the repair. Lot of work but any competent yard can do this job. If you are capable of doing basic fiberglass work and get a little advice it’s within do it yourself.
ABYC expert?
Please. This is gold star silliness.
Captain Mark and his team of professional boatbuilder manatees

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

An ABYC corrosion expert? You got to be kidding. This isn’t some million dollar yacht with some technical issue or litigation with tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. It’s a rusted keel encapsulated in glass. There are two videos on the repair. Lot of work but any competent yard can do this job. If you are capable of doing basic fiberglass work and get a little advice it’s within do it yourself.
ABYC expert?
Please. This is gold star silliness.
Captain Mark and his team of professional boatbuilder manatees

Thought you might appreciate the seriousness of splitting open an encapsulated keel caused by oxide jacking.
PS. The name calling private messages are a little juvenille

[GordMay]

I am reminded, that it was the recently deceased Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who said:
“You can disagree without being disagreeable.”

[Manateeman]

Boat poker. I try to provide boatowners with accurate advice based on my experience and credentials. I do it pro bono. For free. I’ve seen enough poorly built boats and enough yard rip offs.
Your post was simple. The OP should hire someone like you.
His keel problem is so serious, he needs to pay an expert...like you.
Cause what...the rust in his keel will split open the glass and all the keel bolts will fail and he will turn turtle and die. Well it could happen. I think something like 40 people have been killed when their keels fell off. So you are correct there. Wait..No..No. I got it...the keel will fall off and hit a manatee on the head and the Feds will cart him off to jail. Got it.
You didn’t begin your post with the facts of what you do for a living because what? It’s right there. Marine Service Provider.
Free forum, free advertisement.
Because this boat owner needs to be fully aware of how serious his problem could be...kinda like a free initial consultation.
Well it’s pizza time for my manatee friends. Gotta go.
Captain Mark and his professional boatbuilding manatee crew.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Free forum, free advertisement.
Because this boat owner needs to be fully aware of how serious his problem could be...kinda like a free initial consultation.
Well it’s pizza time for my manatee friends. Gotta go.
Captain Mark and his professional boatbuilding manatee crew.

Been retired for 2yrs. no free advertising required.
Notice, no personal insults ?

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Captain Mark and his professional boatbuilding manatee crew.

ManateeMark,

You are so incredibly off-base about Boatpoker, you are no longer in the same galaxy.

Boatpoker is a trusted, reliable and incredibly generous and EXPERIENCED yacht surveyor who has been a valued Member of this Forum for years. He's offered tons of helpful advice to countless CF members for FREE.

He also wrote a do-it-yourself survey guide called "Marine Survey 101" that he regularly passes along to CF Members - ALSO for free.

Your disparging remarks to him are lame, unjust and not appreciated. If you continue in the vein you have been lately, you'll find you're no longer welcome on this Forum.

Stop it.
LittleWing77

Oh - And I think you also owe Boatpoker an apology.