26S pre-purchase keel/hull inspection

[daveg_72]

Hi all!

I have been lurking on the forums on this website for months, maybe years! I hope that you can share some experience with a quasi new sailor who has only handled a 14 foot Beneteau Wizz!

A 26S as come up for sale locally and my "admiral" and I went for a pre-purchase survey yesterday, as the boat is stored in the water at a local marina. The owner was out of town and allowed me access to the cabin. However, there are three things that concerned me that I need the forum's advice on.

1.) There was about 2 or 3 inches of water in the bilge. According to him, this is normal and what I'm seeing is a year's accumulation, as he has not used the boat in about a year. Is this really normal? In looking at the starboard access by the fuse panel, it was strange to see wiring headed aft to the cockpit that was under water. According to the owner, the battery is dead, but the electronics work. I was not able to test anything, but plan to come back with a new battery.

2.) I was unsure of the condition of the gas, so I did not attempt to start the 9 horse engine. According to the owner, it worked fine last year. I have asked him to demonstrate that it runs and I expect that he will be able to demonstrate this.

3.) The boat has been stored in the water for the past 6 or 7 years. According to the owner, a coat of anti-fouling paint was applied prior to that. I have asked him to pull the boat out of the water for an inspection of the hull. The problem is that I don't really know what I'm looking for. How do I know if my hull and swing keel are in good condition?

Any advice that you could provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!

[mastreb]

If there's only 3" of bilge water in a year, the boat is not sinking. Its likely collected rainwater. It is somewhat normal for MacGregor owners to run cabling through the bilge, and if its PVC coated it's likely just fine. As for the motor, expect to take it in for a tune-up but if it even slightly runs, it's likely just a carb job away from being fine. But it will almost certainly need a carb job. Likely most if not all of the electronics are fine, but expect to replace the battery.

As for the bottom, there's nothing that could be wrong that can't be fixed with a cleaning and another coat of anti-fouling paint, but you should expect that you'll be doing that. Bottom line, I'd earmark $1000 for various repairs to get it up-to-snuff.

No used boat is perfect, and this sounds very typical.

Matt

[daveg_72]

Matt,

Thanks for the quick reply! I am accustomed to cleaning/replacing carburetors with my lawn/garden equipment and I'm actually looking forward to that maintenance, as I imagine it to be familiar.

I appreciate the response. I don't know if I was this nervous about buying my house.

I feel bad about asking for a test sail for a boat that is for sale less than "bluebook" by a man with small children who just needs to get rid of it, but I want to know that the keel works. Is there any way that you can determine this with a boat sitting on a trialer? If I see blistering and don't plan to store the boat in the water or race it, am I okay or do I still need to think about an anti-fouling coat?

Again, I appreciate your response and time!

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

If the "price is right" the boat repairs are do-able as needed. Obviously, the engine may need carb cleanings and tune up.
If the boat has been in the water 6-7 years, you can expect to redo the grime and stuff built up below the water line.

We owned a 26-S previously...not too much can go wrong with this boat...fairly easy to work on. The centerboard removal requires a special wrench, and the boat has to be on a hoist (sling). We had an 8 hp -- and it handled the boat well.

Good luck...

[mastreb]

There's very little that can go wrong with the keel--A visual inspection of it on the trailer will reveal any deficiencies that you would need to worry about. There can be issues with hull damage around the hinge so take a good look at it from the underside on the trailer with a flashlight. That inspection will tell you everything you need to know about it. If the boat is currently in the water, you don't have to sail it to inspect the keel for proper operation--just have the owner drop it for you and raise it back up. It'll either work or it won't. It's a swing-up keel so there's likely no damage even if it had hit something in its lifetime.

If you intend to keep the boat on the hard, you won't need anti-fouling paint, and anything you do will just be cosmetic after cleaning. That said, paint isn't expensive and you'll likely want to do it just for the cosmetic aspect.

Good luck!

[tomchitecture]

My advice...

I agree with all the advice above. Good estimates on scope and cost, but...

Have him run the motor. You want to be out there for a cold start. If you say 1:00, go out at noon and make sure he isn't there fiddling and warming it up so that when you pull the chord it turns right over.

Centerboard. When you raise it quickly, it will knock in the trunk a little. When you lower it, it will take a few seconds to fall. You can cycle through that test in the water.

Water in the bilges is normal. 2-3 inches is a little high in my experience. This really points to leaking deck hardware. Look for brown staining on the interior walls. That should not be rust. That is the saturated core material rotting. Your holds are mostly above the waterline so any water likely came from above.

It is his boat, but you know what? It is your money. He should be doing everything possible to make sure you are satisfied. Don't worry about being a pain in the ass. This is one of the easiest boats to haul out of the water.

Go there with a check. Meet for a day. Make sure you're happy and then make the exchange. The buyer should be accommodating you.

I bought one boat in the water. It is now a planter in a storage yard. Take it easy. Do it right and have fun. He doesn't want to lose a buyer and you don't want to regret your decision.

Thomas
1990 26s

[daveg_72]

If the boat has been in the water 6-7 years, you can expect to redo the grime and stuff built up below the water line.

We owned a 26-S previously...not too much can go wrong with this boat...fairly easy to work on.

Good to hear. I was planning on using a pressure washer for this task. Is this okay or do I need to use some special cleaner?

There's very little that can go wrong with the keel--A visual inspection of it on the trailer will reveal any deficiencies that you would need to worry about. There can be issues with hull damage around the hinge so take a good look at it from the underside on the trailer with a flashlight. That inspection will tell you everything you need to know about it. If the boat is currently in the water, you don't have to sail it to inspect the keel for proper operation--just have the owner drop it for you and raise it back up. It'll either work or it won't. It's a swing-up keel so there's likely no damage even if it had hit something in its lifetime.

If you intend to keep the boat on the hard, you won't need anti-fouling paint, and anything you do will just be cosmetic after cleaning. That said, paint isn't expensive and you'll likely want to do it just for the cosmetic aspect.

Thanks so much! This may be a dumb question and I'm getting off-topic, but is it possible for me to paint the boat at home? I can't imagine how I'm going to deal with the trailer bunks.

My advice...

I agree with all the advice above. Good estimates on scope and cost, but...

Have him run the motor. You want to be out there for a cold start. If you say 1:00, go out at noon and make sure he isn't there fiddling and warming it up so that when you pull the chord it turns right over.

Centerboard. When you raise it quickly, it will knock in the trunk a little. When you lower it, it will take a few seconds to fall. You can cycle through that test in the water.

Water in the bilges is normal. 2-3 inches is a little high in my experience. This really points to leaking deck hardware. Look for brown staining on the interior walls. That should not be rust. That is the saturated core material rotting. Your holds are mostly above the waterline so any water likely came from above.

It is his boat, but you know what? It is your money. He should be doing everything possible to make sure you are satisfied. Don't worry about being a pain in the ass. This is one of the easiest boats to haul out of the water.

Go there with a check. Meet for a day. Make sure you're happy and then make the exchange. The buyer should be accommodating you.

I bought one boat in the water. It is now a planter in a storage yard. Take it easy. Do it right and have fun. He doesn't want to lose a buyer and you don't want to regret your decision.

Thomas
1990 26s

I really appreciate the advice about the motor, swing keel, and water. In addition, I feel like I needed to hear someone remind me that its okay to worry this guy because I need to know what I'm paying for!

[mastreb]

This may be a dumb question and I'm getting off-topic, but is it possible for me to paint the boat at home? I can't imagine how I'm going to deal with the trailer bunks.

Search the forums here. Many others have painted on the trailer by painting around the bunkers, allowing it to dry, and then moving it back on the trailer to expose the areas that were unpainted and painting them separately. Be exceptionally careful about trailer balance--you should probably hitch it to your tow vehicle to be sure it doesn't tip up when you pull the boat back. It may also be easiest to float the boat at a ramp in order to move it back, but the logistics there aren't easy. Finally, you'll get paint drips on your trailer. Be ready for that.

Good luck!

Matt

[vizwhiz]

I can tell you that I didn't do a thorough enough inspection of the boat I bought, and found some things afterward that I am not happy to have found.

I also compromised and accepted some things I wasn't planning to (or to do without), thinking that some trade-offs of lesser quality here and there for some good things (like the new motor, trailer in good shape) weren't going to be such a big deal. They were...

The boat is a good choice, but still, take your time, look for the important stuff, and don't be bashful about passing on the boat if it isn't all to your liking...as many on here advised, there are always more of these boats to look at.

[Catigale]

A brand new 9 HP costs about 3k so that is your upper cap on liability.

I'm a bit worried about a boat that has sat in water for 6-7 years. Was it used during that time?

Freshwater , saltwater?

Probably need to have a surveyer with a moisture content reader to make sure you have not brought water into the hull FG...very unlikely on these boats but probably a deal killer if it happens.

[Blue Max]

I bought an 82 Mac that was in a slip and discovered thousands of blisters on the hull when I pulled it out. This is not fun to deal with! Having them removed professionally will cost several thousand dollars. Doing it yourself-you're looking at a few hundred and hours of grinding/sanding fiberglass then refinishing.

Your switch panel is probably toast from the water (if its in the stock location) but they don't cost too much . These boats frequently leak (rainwater) in several different places, the fitting in the cockpit where the main sheet attaches and the seal between the hull and deck (under the rubrail-all around the boat) just for starters. not to disuade you-I like these boats a lot.

Good luck.