used sailboat checklist

High water temperatures may be something as simple as a bad impeller, but could also be caused by corroded manifolds or exhaust risers. They can be very expensive and require additional fuel lines, not to mention an exhaust port or chimney. Evening and early morning light where the suns rays are at an acute angle to the hull are especially good times to view. A clean engine means the owner appears to be maintaining it well. It would have been a different story if we noted any corrosion in the chainplate. Pay close attention to lower terminals, which are particularly susceptible to corrosion as a result of salt-laden water running down the wire and inside the fitting. Check the batteries for age, how well they are secured, and wired properly. Note how difficult the engine is to start. At the very least, It will get you thinking deeper than a simple walk through as you step aboard a potentially "perfect" sailboat. How old are the panels? Is there spare line onboard? But it is less strong, and we upped the thickness to make up the difference in some places. Stainless steel will rust under plastic sheathed life lines and you might want to consider replacing them if they are more than 10 years old. Its been a long time coming but we now see tangible progress emerging to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel. What kind of spares come with the engine? Our boat had filler in many places on the hull above the water line. Again it is sweat equity and we, at times, enjoyed the process, especially the finished product. Thats not to say a shiny, seemingly new engine will be trouble free, but if its a real mess on the outside, chances are the owner hasnt exactly been a stickler for regularly scheduled maintenance. Are their signs of terminal corrosion or dried powder on the tops of the batteries? This actually is a normal way to do it. Are they LED or fluorescent or incandescent? Where chainplates are bolted to a bulkhead or other interior structure, look for discoloration, delamination, and rot due to water intrusion. Check all wire rigging for rust or cracking, check wire for rust and barberpoling, and check turnbuckles and cotter pins in turnbuckles, and chain plates on deck. Sign up with your email address to receive the latest Following Seas articles. We had to replace our DC electrical panel to make room for additional electrical systems.

Note the extent and consider the time to fix it, or just live with it. It was a little scary sawing away, but if you go slowly and carefully it isnt hard.

Check for sealant compatibility with different plastics. Underneath were a lot of little blisters. This is just one reason both DC and AC systems deserve a thorough inspection. While this list is by no means complete, and certainly does not substitute for a professional survey, perhaps it will help you in your search for a good boat that fits your plans. Lack of antifreeze should raise red flags (due to possible leaks) as should coolant with a rusty color or an unusual amount of solids. I dont even remember looking at the shroud or stays, as I moved through 12 feet of arc at the top of the mast. It is quite common for rudders to be water-logged, which can deteriorate the bond between rudder core and support tangs. Fiona is an electrical wizard now. Check where it connects to the keel and where it passes through the deck for signs of leaking or corrosion. It is shocking how many mis-sized props there are on boats. Where possible check the connection between bulk heads and the hull/deck. Is there a watermaker? I had to grind it all off, fill the area properly and fibreglass over it again. They both contribute to allow you to keep enjoying the lifestyle. Check lifelines, wire terminals, and condition of the wire and gates and stanchions where fastened to the deck (rust). Check metal fittings for signs of rust or corrosion. This continued for years, despite ongoing pleas from the FAA and USCG to provide everyone with the accuracy available from the GPS satellite system. At the time we found the previous owner had not done any connections properly so we redid them all. If the boat is already on stanchions, stand at the front of the bow and visually line up the keel with the centre line of the boat. In this case it is from Navionics, a Garmin Company. By the end, more than 30% of our deck was covered in pencil marks. It became my great pleasure to help them with the process and help them understand what they were getting into. How old are the batteries? We found one boat with bad corrosion of the keel stepped mast. She wanted to show the list to her husband, so they would be better prepared to continue their search. Listen for especially dull taps in a cored-hull as they may indicate water intrusion into the coring. Pull hard on the grab rails and note any deck deflection or movement of the rail itself. We had super bagged out sails that we used for a couple of years of cruising. If wet, but not damaged and there is no delamination, attempts to dry out the core can be made. New technology and improved functionality promise a safer, faster, and easier user experience. They can appear as small wet spots (usually about the size of a dime or quarter) or areas where paint has chipped off. If faced with a large amount of deck repair, move on to the next boat or be prepared to expend a significant amount of time, money, and effort to make it right. They should have a slight upward positioning on upper shroud.

The best ones we know of are DOW 795 and GE Silicone II. Do you like the color? You made a great point when you said that I should be on the lookout for any boats with some amateurishly fixed wiring. Look at all thru hulls, including head intake and discharge output, sink intake and output. Are the connections done properly? Pull laterally on the stays and shrouds close to where they connect to the chainplates. We had never tapped the deck with a hammer before we bought the boat and decided to do it before we outfitted it for a big trip. Bottom line: Although rarely structurally significant, blisters may very well have a negative impact on a vessels resale value, depending on the knowledge and perceptions of a potential buyer. While an owner may offer assurances or hazy recollections of rigging replacement, unless these improvements are properly documented, the best policy is to assume the rigging is original and plan your purchase strategy accordingly. If they barely turn at all, then it is a much larger problem and winches are shockingly, like cosmic jokingly, expensive to replace. Check the connection above and below deck of the mast. Once inside, the water molecules and soluble chemicals join to create a solution with larger molecules that are unable to pass back though the gelcoat. Tap around the grab rails especially carefully for signs of water intrusion or damage. It was not expensive, or dangerous, just time intensive. We saw a ramp bead of silicone around the perimeter of the chainplate above deck.

If the hull has been out of the water for a few weeks or months, the blisters may have dried out and will be more difficult to see. Is there any cracking or discoloration? It is a maintenance cost. Is the surface chalky, or are there corrosion bubbles and peeling? A lot can be told by simply pulling the dipstick and checking the oil. How many amp hours is the battery bank? We have never done this and we know very few people who do. Most often the damage will be where the stainless steel wire connects to the turnbuckle. Under the galley sink, check the check valve (if present), seacock, and all hose clamps. Is the metal in good condition? Blisters will typically appear as circular bumps or dome-like protrusions while sighting along the hull. It did not matter if we spent long months at a dock or anchorage, or made a long ocean passage, the boat always had to look and be in perfect running order. Each should be checked carefully for signs of fatigue, proud strands (a common indication of broken strands in the swage), cracks, and corrosion. Its amazing how long you can keep a sail going. Is there a fuel filter off engine, does it have a vacuum gauge? If not, it could suggest a deformation of the hull or deck and should be investigated further. adpost ds22 classifieds keel sailer swing ontario toronto trailer boats It wasnt a big deal, but could have meant structural problems. Still, a one-shot oil analysis can show unusual wear and the presence of water, antifreeze, or diesel fuel. Check where the wires exit the mast and enter the boat for signs of water leaks. They can run up to $1000 pretty quickly. How many hours does the engine have? Oil thats thick initially, but then starts to spread out over the cloth is an indication of fuel contamination. Be on the lookout for equipment hard-wired without any fuse directly to the battery (a potential fire hazard) as well as crowded post syndrome (more than four wires connected to a single battery post). How warn is the drum? With much improved technology, computers, and satellites, we know much more about this phenomemun todayand they are much more common than previously believed. Do they all work? How an engine looks can offer valuable clues about its overall condition. Check the batteries. Weve learned to live with it. Obviously, you should consult a reputable surveyor prior to purchase, but who can afford to have every promising boat surveyed? They should be neat, well organized, and labeled. Downwind pole, stowed on track on mast is best. Try each light and make sure you can see it working. Although the internet has helped close the gap between parts suppliers and cruising sailors in far corners of the earth, the long-term cruiser still has to carefully consider which spare parts and supplies he needs to carry with him. Monday Minute - Ignore It and It Will Be FineNot! Inspect the headstay chain plate and if there is an inner forestay make sure there is a chainplate to hull. It suggested the previous owner may have thought they were leaking.

acrylics boatload mediums The thru-hull hose connection should have two gear clamps. Having a sail tear out there was too scary a thought and we realized that performance over 10 000 miles actually matters. In the future we would definitely do this. Soft spots, oil-canning (flexing), or even water squishing from deck fittings are all indicators of a potentially expensive repair. How old is the hot water heater? Check the steering system, look for rust, worn wire or cable or fittings. Feel around for rot or corrosion. Is the steering mechanism hydraulic or cable and gear? relocating a vessel from cool to tropical waters, fresh to salt, etc). See thru-decks. When were the thru-decks last replaced? Inserting a long, thin magnet (the kind mechanics use to retrieve dropped bolts) through the dipstick opening and sweeping the bottom of the gearbox may produce interesting results as well. Does all the mast electrical work? Check the binnacle compass. After cleaning them thoroughly they ticked so much smoother. In some boats this may appear as a smile. Check the bottom paint for cracking as it may not be obvious. We have been burned a couple of times by dishonest owners so we take their answers with a grain of salt and check everything no matter what they say. When I think about all the boats I have been aboard in my lifetime of sailing, it amazes me what a brief inspection around a boat, even a quick glance, brings to mind. Bottom line: Remember that hour meters mean nothing (they can easily be swapped out by an unscrupulous seller) and that an owner should eagerly provide invoices if claiming overhauls or major work has been done. If the boat is in the water, look at the waterline for cleanliness, no grass or barnacles. The first step (literally) in finding deck problems can be as simple as walking on the suspicious spots. Look around for signs of impact or stress on the hull. Monday Minute - End of Year Changes to Apps, Monday Minute - Differential GPS Bids Us Adieu, The Cost of Cruising - Part 4 - Cutting Expenses. Problems include unsupported wires, dead ends (cut wires no longer in use), corrosion, and lack of chafe protection (especially where wires pass through a bulkhead). Check carefully at the connection between the steel cable and the turnbuckle. Chainplates: Chainplates should be checked carefully for issues such as movement, rust, cracks, deformation of the clevis pin hole, and improper lead angle. This is one reason why chainplates that are glassed in or otherwise inaccessible for routine inspection are undesirable. While I did not want to discourage her, it was important to point out a lot of things I saw while going over the deck, the rig, and below. Here are three primary standing rigging components along with possible issues to watch out for.

He said, no big deal this looks like the deck of lots of old boats. It took us a month of straight work to tear up the top layer of deck, replace the core and fibreglass over it again. Under floorboards, inspect all water, fuel, and holding tanks, wiring, hoses, bilge pumps, traces of water or oil, general condition. Make sure all the lights work. Check the roller furling system, the drum, make sure there is a double-jaw toggle in the turnbuckle of the headstay (link plates would be good too). Shake the shaft back and forth, is there much play in the cutlass bearing? Low oil pressure could be due to anything from faulty oil pumps to cam bearing failure. Especially check at the chainplates, mast and forestay. Scraping bottom paint is a time intensive job. Check lee cloths, hatches, toilets not leaking (if replacing, suggest Raritan Elegance toilet). How clean is the engine? . Smoke color can also provide an indication of problems (blue for burning oil, black for incomplete combustion, white for water vapor, etc.). Note the engine hours, check all hoses and hose clamps, overall inspection (oil leaks, rust, engine mounts, where to check engine oil as well as transmission level). We spent some long hot hours together going over this seemingly lovely boat that had captured her imagination. I climbed the mast of our boat while it was swaying around on a mooring. Bedding hatches and windows is messy and stressful. Windlass condition and chain and lead to anchors, foot switches up and down, what kind of anchors, anchor snubber (such as 35 feet of half-inch three strand nylon and use a rolling hitch on the chain). Check all rope clutches in cockpit to make sure they work.

Most of time there is no problem. boat hard read away checklist water leave Rough running can be caused by anything from clogged fuel filters to compression problems, and engines idling at more than 800 rpm may have been intentionally set to idle high to mask problems. If the coring is rotten or damaged, it must be replaced. Check chain plates for rust and fatigue,look at all fastenings. Where does the shower drain? Wet wood coring can rot, allowing the cored deck to separate, drastically reducing structural integrity. There was a lot of water in the bilge and the bilge pump didnt work. Check all thru hulls and hose clamps. If multiple layers of bottom paint have built up it is an indication that the owner has not been putting much time into maintaining the boat. Check the joint between the keel and the hull for any cracking or signs of water intrusion. We had a little water staining at first glance, but that was only because the owner had cleaned it up before we came to look at the boat. Crevice corrosion occurs when stainless steel is continually exposed to stagnant, anaerobic water, such as that found in a saturated wood or cored deck. Check the age of the antennae and turn on the VHF to make sure they work. Check the condition of the hydraulic ram seals or the steel cable, gear and cable clamps. If they need to be updated, how difficult will it be for proper placement and installation. Much of the maddening part has to do with trying to ferret out a boats problems before buying (and making them your own). The best time to spot blisters is just after the boat is hauled, preferably after the hull has been power washed and is still wet. Thats a big job and we walked away from the boat. Liferaft, and think about placement of tender to be stowed on davits or on deck. Check out the water pressure system and hot water, look at hot water heater and hoses to the engine. I soon realized that many of the wonderful friends I made by helping them find the right boat, knew very little about any of it. It required having to pull the mast and make significant repair. We rebed all the chainplates when we took the mast off for re-rigging. Moisture intrusion into cored decking is typically caused by a combination of failed caulking and improper installation of deck-mounted hardware (cleats, lifeline stanchions, winches, etc.).