Finally getting around to
posting my
new member into
I have read CF for several years now, and just recently picked up my first Sailboat. A 1968
Columbia 36. Figured it was time to sign-up and officially join in the fun. Community has already been helpful figuring out
insurance issues with a good old
boat.
So a little about the
boat.
First lets get this out of the way, Yes she was an Ebay BoatAngel
purchase. So I bought her off of a description and a handful of photos. Once I was able to go inspect her she was well represented on the ad and I completed the
purchase. She had been
on the hard since November 2019 and was never launched in 2020 because of covid concerns. I spent the next week giving her a through
inspection, figuring out 'MOST' of the
electrical system and checking out the relatively new
Yanmar 3GM30. She was then launched from the VERY expensive boat yard in
Annapolis Maryland, and we moved her just over 22 miles north to her new home in Sparrows Point
Maryland which makes her a much easier compute to and from my home. She is now back
on the hard for the
winter.
The good:
The
Yanmar 3GM30 and
transmission performed perfectly! Paperwork on boat suggest they were installed new around 2006. She does vibrate more then I would like at idle. This
winter I will be checking
engine mounts and confirming
engine shaft alignment. I suspect this is more of an issue of the mounts sagging a little since install. Stuffing box drips a little more then I would like so this will be done at same time.
Interior is in excellent condition. All
cushions were professionally made and are still in excellent condition. Have all
cushions for both
interior and
cockpit.
Nice two burner Force 10 stove/oven combo and stern rail mounted
grill. All prefect.
Propane locker is in
cockpit and likely get moved and locker box is showing its age.
Has what looks like pretty new install of Vacu-flush
head with
holding tank. I have not tested as
wiring to
head hasn't been figured out yet. Or any of the
water pumps
tanks.
Came with two very good condition
sails (head and big head sail) and one old falling apart main. With matching
mainsail cover in good condition (assume done same time as cushions) and
bimini canvass.
Standing
rigging looks prefect and I suspect was done when
sails and engine were done.
The not so good, but as expected list.
Running
rigging is tired and needs replace. Also looking at running if aft.
Tracing down a bunch of rainwater
leaks in deak. Started address these and plan is to rebed most if not all
deck hardware.
Bilge is wet and has looks like it has always been wet.
Bilge pump leaves about 3 gallons in,
Shower drains to
bilge, cooler box drains to bildge, pretty much everything drains to bilge. You get the idea which lead to.
Keel bolt nuts are rusty and tops of some of the
keel bolts show results of prolonged exposure to bilge being kept wet. Prelimilary
inspection looks like replacing the nuts is going to be all that is needed. Most of the nuts are incased in
epoxy and look good, but some areas look pretty rusty.
Keel to Keelstub joint look perfect from the outside. No leaking, no smile, Keel is solid and doesn't show any signs of movement while the boat is in slings. I am 99% sure keel stub is solid fiber glass so not worried about wet
core causing hidden
corrosion of
keel bolts. So plan is to remove nuts one by one and replace and tighten down. I don't expect a problem, but this is biggest question mark at this point. If a problem if found will go from there.
There are a couple bulkheads where the tabbing to
hull has started to pull away. Worst areas is under
galley and in aft locker. Will be re-inforcing these area and redoing the tabbing.
Topsides was
paint but boat was shrinkwrapped the last year is was on hard for covid. Resulting in a whole lot of small
paint blisters where the shrinkwrap was in contact with
hull. Purely cosmetic issue and not very noticeable in
water. Will like be staying as is for next season at least
Ok, lastly my WTF was the previous owner thinking. because every boat (especially a boatangel boat has to have these)
Wires for
depth sounder, speed and
wind where cut above engine with a section of each wire removed. I rigged up the
depth sounder for the marina move and it function prefectly. So no idea why all these were cut. Boat has some older
Autohelm Depth/Speed gauge and an
Autohelm wind gauge. No idea what word and doesn't expect the
depth does since reconnected the wire.
DC and AC
electrical system had recent
work done. New DC switch panel installed in
galley, originial maybe DC circuit breaker still in place in engine area. New AC breaker wired in with
shore power plug and
battery charger installed. All the
electrical work looks to be professionally done. But much of it was disconnected when I got boat. I am still going thru everything to confirm so far I just to to figure out head and freshwater
plumbing.
Newer plastic diesal tank installed in aft locker I assume when engine was installed, is mounted on a piece of
plywood which got wet and need replaced.
Drains and more freshwater
leaks. Two drains on the sides drain to thruhull with the main cockpit drain. Hoses were not properly attached and leaking and hoses from side drains to the
thru hull looks like
cheap pool hose and it sags and traps water. Also access panel in cockpit floor is held down with four screws, only one isn't stripped out and no seal on access. It leaks bad... I fixed with duct tape for now but need re-engineer this access
hatch.
So enough about the boat. A little about me. As I said this is my first sailboat, but have some experience. Boats main purpose to introduce the better half to sailing and see if it is something she wants to do a lot of. My long-term sailing hope is to go cruising fulltime in next 5-10 years. but she has zero experience so this boat is to get her comfortable with the idea. Otherwise, I am an extremely
DIY kind of guy. Almost finished doing a frame off pickup truck
restoration in my garage and do all make and type of
DIY projects. When my house need a new
heating system, I DIY'ed removing the
oil furnace and installed new high efficiency Heatpump.
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