Idle Musings....

...... is how all our problems initially start.....

I know of a 40 foot centre cockpit wooden ketch sitting on the hard down in Italy for the past seven+ years and whilst she was clearly in good condition prior, she has dried out over 7 summers. Some seams are rising, she's lost all her deck and rig varnish work. I imagine despite having a good hull paint that she's toally dried out.

Whats the approach for this kind of project - throw her back in and let her take up before reseaming only as much as she wants or...?

In my mind there are probably a dozen hidden problems associated with drying out - keel bolts, deck, mast integrity etc.. and the visible might be just the tip of the iceberg.

Thoughts?

Cheers
Richard

 

A coupla pics.

 

You're best advised to call a surveyor, to look the old girl over and access the needs she may have. Owners or best buddies, that knows a bit about boats, recommendations should be taken for their true value (no offence intended), which generally, though usually with best regards, isn't what you need. An un-biased, professional evaluation is what you need, perticularly on a vessel of this size.

 

Par gave the best advice. The boat is beautiful, and the hull looks good from the outside ... but none of that can matter yet. A thorough inspection by a professional with a lot of experience with wood hulls is essential before you make any commitments.

 

Twist the knife guys, twist the knife..... make me commit to a surveyor´s fee from the outset.

Its like inviting a pretty girl out for dinner and buying a diamond ring before she´s even ordered the soup.

 

Yep, it kind of sucks. You can pay for a fair survey and find she's not worth your trouble. You could forgo the survey and start right in, spend much more then the survey, before realizing she's not worth the trouble. Then again, you could have the survey and find she's a real gem, in need of some polish, plus they'll provide the places you need to apply the polish.

A vessel in this class has many systems, a complicated structure and can eat up a second mortgage in a heart beat if you're not careful. It's often a difficult choice, but would you buy an old house with out a house inspection? How about an old car without your favorite mechanic looking her over good first?