***Well, I would rather buy a boat that was put up on the hard for five years than a boat that sat in the water unused for five years.
A boat wrapped up in plastic for five years could have a mold and mildew problem in inaccessible places.
***Either powerwash the
interior with a strong dilution of Lysol soap, available in gallon bottles or use several cans of Lysol spray. ...and keep using the spray every spring.
Look for permanent hull deformation at supports.
***Small, shallow indentions will ususally pop back out when the boat is back in the water. I had this with my
Pearson 26, the hull went right back to shape after being on the hard for 4 years.
Dried out cutlass bearing.
***Check for play in the prop shaft.
Through hulls not operated.
***Good ones can be disassembled, cleaned and re-greased.
Cheap ones should be replaced anyway...with good ones. As much
bronze as possible.
Rigging has aged and weathered?
***Since the mast is down, the standing rigging should be in the same condition that it was when the boat was put up. Might need replacement anyway due to overall age and type of usage, but with stays preswaged at the top end from a
chandlery cut a bit longer, adding a Sta-Lok or Norseman fitting to the lower ends is not a big job nor the $10K job that some people spend their
money on.
Your available time and skill set or cost of hiring pro's
Gelcoat/paint condition.
***Any boat will have these issues sooner or later.
Rebed deck
hardware.
***Always a good idea
Blisters, you certainly would not know if it was blistered as they are dried out and in hiding.
***You will be
sanding the bottom and that will make any
blisters more visible. Skylark has a few small blisters from time to time, but she is 38 years old. Blisters or delaminating from manufacturing defects is one thing, but many old boats blister a bit from just being in the water. Scratching the bottom will also tell you if there is a water barrier over the
gelcoat.
In any event, hire a reputable
surveyor. Call Boat/US for a local
surveyor.