Buying a boat - which GRP

[ivisonm]

I am in a bit of a dilema.

There are 2 Moody 39 boats that I am interested in.

One appears to be well looked after, although the owner has had to leave it ashore for the hull to dry out after being in the water for 4 years. The owner claims there are no blisters and is dry enough (20% moisture levels - is this good or bad?). The boat is equipped for blue water sailing (my intended use).

The other boat looks a bit shabby, but has a recent survey that shows only lack of maintenance and a few non-hull/deck problems that need addressing. It also has a good inventory.

What would others think is the priority; a well maintained boat or a boat that has a better survey but has been pooly looked after?

Thanks,

Confused!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

I'd go for the well maintained boat every time..... things that can't be seen will almost certainly be better on this boat, such as the engine condition (has the oil been changed every year?), and fixing things when they need fixing makes a huge difference to their overall life expectancy generally.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Always go for the well maintained - unless you have a lot of experience you will not see the real dangers which may cost you badly. Also in my experience, owners of shoddy boats seem to have an inflated view of price, and take a long time to reduce - you normall waste a lot of time with them.

18% is getting on the high side - but you must get a good surveyor to report, and also it may be advisable if there is no wicking or osmosis to paint the bottom in Gel shield 200, especially if you are going to be in warmer waters as a precautionary treatment. Others here may have some usefull views on this

 

[ivisonm]

I forgot to mention that the survey is from 2006 and the hull got a clean bill of health with just a little wicking where the anti fouling had come off (brittle all over).

This is the first big boat that I will own so I don;t want to make (m)any (expensive) mistakes!

 

[captainslarty]

I would go for the one with the best overall condition (not prettyness !) AND equipment..
dont underestimate the price of equipment for blue water / liveaboard use. we have spend more than the cost of the boat again. Not unusual.

Without seeing the boats I cant obviously comment on the 'best' one. See through a bit of muck and debris though.. many boats are well maintained up untill their last few years before sale.. then they get left.
Your surveryor would probably do a discount to do both. Get the professional to answer the question.

 

[dickh]

I would go for the 'shabby' one with lots of equipment - just make sure you get a good survey, and with some bargaining you should be able to get a good discount. In my case I had the choice of an excellent example at a high price and a shabby one for a lot less. I put a silly offer on the shabby one, in the expectation of osmosis treatment and a new engine and got it!(Moody 33). I had to fit a new engine but avoided the osmosis treatment as two surveyors said it didn't need it - remember that no boats have sunk from having osmosis.
As long as you are going to do the work yourself, go for the 'shabby' one but of course it's your decision.
Good Luck anyway and if you get one of these Moody's, join the Moody Owners Association - worth it just for the technical side and all the good advice from the members. See:- http://www.moodyowners.net/

 

[PeterGibbs]

1. If you can meet the previous owners it helps to form a view on how the boat was valued and cared for. If not possible, you have to use your eyes, of course. Does "lack of maintenance" fall into this category?

2. Regard the electronic equipment as suspect - then you'll not be surprised when at least one piece goes down in the first season, followed by... I would not ask nor expect value on sale for equipment - sea air is too aggressive.

3. This is curious - "One appears to be well looked after, although the owner has had to leave it ashore for the hull to dry out after being in the water for 4 years." Being in the water does not make it wet - breakdown does. Most boats spend years afloat, especially in the sub tropics as you know, without consequences.

4. Moisture in the hull is a relative matter. I bet the rudder is heavy with it - most are. If there are consequences of the moisture - best avoided; osmosis is not what it was, but you are taking on a fair load of work if your surveyor tells you its there.

5. High profile damage or wear will, if not fixed, eventually get at you - especially if you are going to be on board a lot.
Old vessels often have heavy wear at the bridgedeck that shows in glassfibre coming through - nothing to do about this, but every time you pass, you'll see it.

If you're making a long term commitment to your boat, perhaps a wider look is justified?

PWG

 

[wotayottie]

[ QUOTE ]
just a little wicking where the anti fouling had come off (brittle all over).



[/ QUOTE ]

That immediately sounds alarm bells. Wicking = osmosis, and its highly unlikely to be one small area. And it wont be affected by antifoul so its just as likely to be underneath the antifoul as where the antifoul has come off.

Cosmetics are hard to recover if neglected so the answer to your initial question depends on your skills. Boats that look badly maintained sell cheap, and if you have the skills and time to bring it back you will gain. The areas to watch out for are the engine, the deck/hull and the rig. If these are dirty but sound, then a scruffy boat that you are capable of recovering could well be the best bet.

But dont forget - a 39 ft boat is a fair size and bits for it like engines or sails will cost a fair amount

 

[MarAzul]

There lots of good advice, but some conflicting. We all have our opinions!
A 4 year old 39 foot Moody is going to be an expensive investment and as you mentioned you don't want to make expensive mistakes
A qualified surveyor will look at both boats for you, based on your criteria for wanting a boat, and provide you with an initial report to help you make the best choice. He can then provide you with a full pre purchase survey on your chosen boat in the full knoledge that it's the better choice.
Yes it will cost you several hundred pounds more in his time, but it's a small investment to protect a much larger one.
If you contact the YDSA or the IIMS both will be happy to give you details of suitable qualified surveyors. Good Luck

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
A 4 year old 39 foot Moody is going to be an expensive investment and as you mentioned you don't want to make expensive mistakes

[/ QUOTE ]Didn't they stop making the Moody 39 about 30 years ago?

I'd be very cautious about any mention of "wicking". A thorough survey is needed to confirm what state the hull is in. Don't underestimate the work involved in "tidying" a neglected boat.

 

[ivisonm]

On the boat that has the slight wicking, this was revealed by the surveyor who concluded that it was because of the poor anti fouling at that spot (in other words the anti fouling had fallen off!).

The scruffiness of the boat is not really the problem; the apparent lack of care and maintenance is - I'm concerned that there is some major problem ready to show itself after I buy it, but I guess everyone feels that when buying a boat.


On the boat that has 20% moisture readings, does wicking always mean that the boat will show osmosis after some time or if the hull is dried out and then epoxy painted will this prevent it? Is the only option to eventually have a gel coat peel, dry out, then another gel coat applied?

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
On the boat that has the slight wicking, this was revealed by the surveyor who concluded that it was because of the poor anti fouling at that spot (in other words the anti fouling had fallen off!).

[/ QUOTE ]I'd be worried about this surveyor. Wicking is moisture in the actual glass fibres in the laminate. The water should be kept out of the laminate by the gelcoat. Antifoul isn't a waterproof coating, and isn't intended to keep water out of the laminate. If there's wicking, there's gelcoat degradation, not antifouling problems.

Might be worth getting another surveyor to look at the boat. In the meantime, there's some interesting info here about hull problems.

 

[Lakesailor]

Plenty of other boats about. At least have a look at them if you're concerned about not making a mistake (aren't we all?)