Picking up a 26s this weekend. Need advice

[Chumpy36]

I’ve found a boat and settled on a price. It’s a good 6.5 hours away. Owner is saying he’ll have the bearings serviced and new tires on trailer but what else should I do to make sure this trip goes smoothly?

And what are any dealbreaker things to check for on the boat before I hand over the money?

Thanks all!

J

[pitchpolehobie]

Check for hull deformation and any damage around the centerboard trunk. Those could be big time repairs.

[Jimmyt]

Look it over closely from end to end, inside and out. Take a good flashlight so you can see in the dark interior, and use it to inspect under the boat.

Verify that the trailer lights work. If not, take a light kit with you. You can mount lights on a 2x4 and zip tie the wires to the boat and trailer. You can ratchet strap the light bar to the boat or trailer.

If the lights work, make sure you have the correct adapter for your vehicle.

Take some long 2” wide, heavy ratchet straps to secure the boat to the trailer. No telling what shape the winch strap is in. Also, take an assortment of ratchet straps and bungee cords to secure everything for trailering.

Are you going to get a test sail, or just going to look and buy? Hard to evaluate ballast tank without putting it in the water.

Good luck! We want to see some pics when you get her home!

[Chumpy36]

Check for hull deformation and any damage around the centerboard trunk. Those could be big time repairs.

This is a 26s. Does it have same issue? Thx!

[Chumpy36]

Look it over closely from end to end, inside and out. Take a good flashlight so you can see in the dark interior, and use it to inspect under the boat.

Verify that the trailer lights work. If not, take a light kit with you. You can mount lights on a 2x4 and zip tie the wires to the boat and trailer. You can ratchet strap the light bar to the boat or trailer.

If the lights work, make sure you have the correct adapter for your vehicle.

Take some long 2” wide, heavy ratchet straps to secure the boat to the trailer. No telling what shape the winch strap is in. Also, take an assortment of ratchet straps and bungee cords to secure everything for trailering.

Are you going to get a test sail, or just going to look and buy? Hard to evaluate ballast tank without putting it in the water.

Good luck! We want to see some pics when you get her home!

Thanks. I doubt I’ll be able to put it in the water but it’s a good price with extras so I’m willing to take a chance.

Will do on the rest of the stuff. Thx!

[Russ]

Sounds like the current owner is being responsible to check bearings and tires.

I would inspect the trailer, specifically the tongue. These steel trailers rust from the inside out and the tongue is one of the known places to fail.

It sounds exciting. You will love that boat. When you get her home, take some photos and come back here and post them.

[Stickinthemud57]

Congratulations on your find!

-Be sure you have full faith in your towing rig. I had a ball with with a measly 1/2" bolt and sweated it all the way from St. Louis to Dallas.
-Stop and check everything after the first mile or so. Do so again at 10 miles, then 50. After that, you're probably OK, but still check at every stop.
-Pick a smooth, well-travelled route home lest you be out in the boonies if something goes wrong.
-Give yourself plenty of time.
-Don't expect people to give you room or be courteous.
-Consider rescheduling if unusually high winds or inclement weather is forecast.
-Make sure everything on the boat is properly secured against movement and wind.

Good luck and again, congratulations!

[Jimmyt]

Check for hull deformation and any damage around the centerboard trunk. Those could be big time repairs.

This is a 26s. Does it have same issue? Thx!

Yes. Not necessarily an issue on every boat, but sometimes bad things happen at the pivot pin and in the trunk on swing keel boats. You need to inspect the swing keel and trunk as close as possible. Since you're confident in the deal, you may be willing to do a repair or two. Not typically catastrophic if you catch it early and are handy with fiberglass.

[Dougiestyle]

Hi welcome to the forum. Here is a good thread on the trailers. viewtopic.php?p=287353#p287353

[Chumpy36]

Thank you all for the great advice. Will post pics when I get back.

J

[Starscream]

Bring a robust jack, a couple of 2x4 pieces, and some ratchet straps, and a set of ratchet keys of different diameters so you can remove a wheel if necessary. You could also bring one of those spray-can tire inflator/repair kits, where you connect the can to the tire and spray in pressurized glue to inflate a punctured tire and seal a small leak.

[Chumpy36]

Bring a robust jack, a couple of 2x4 pieces, and some ratchet straps, and a set of ratchet keys of different diameters so you can remove a wheel if necessary. You could also bring one of those spray-can tire inflator/repair kits, where you connect the can to the tire and spray in pressurized glue to inflate a punctured tire and seal a small leak.

Ratchet keys?

[Starscream]

Bring a robust jack, a couple of 2x4 pieces, and some ratchet straps, and a set of ratchet keys of different diameters so you can remove a wheel if necessary. You could also bring one of those spray-can tire inflator/repair kits, where you connect the can to the tire and spray in pressurized glue to inflate a punctured tire and seal a small leak.

Ratchet keys?

Didn't know what to call them...now I know: socket set. To remove the wheel lug nuts if necessary: you probably don't know what diameter they are so bring an assortment of them, and maybe a breaker-bar too.

[Starscream]

As a bit more of an explanation... English is my mother tongue but I've lived in Québec for so long that I have forgotten common English names for certain things. Wrench, or Socket, is "Clé" in french, hence my calling it a set of "keys".

[Be Free]

Bring a robust jack, a couple of 2x4 pieces, and some ratchet straps, and a set of ratchet keys of different diameters so you can remove a wheel if necessary. You could also bring one of those spray-can tire inflator/repair kits, where you connect the can to the tire and spray in pressurized glue to inflate a punctured tire and seal a small leak.

Ratchet keys?

Didn't know what to call them...now I know: socket set. To remove the wheel lug nuts if necessary: you probably don't know what diameter they are so bring an assortment of them, and maybe a breaker-bar too.

Trailers commonly use 13/16" lug nuts. Some sets include a 13/16 spark plug socket. Do not use this for lug nuts. They have thin walls to allow them to slide down into holes to reach the plugs. The thin wall socket will probably crack if you try to remove a stubborn lug nut with it.



Your local discount tool supplier should carry something like this for a reasonable price. Any auto parts store will have one for a slightly higher price. Each end is a different size. One of them will fit.