Light use on AD41a's

[ian38_39]

Light use on AD41a\'s

A boat I am interested in has AD41a's that were apparently overhauled 4 years ago and have since done only 50 hours of river use.
I also heard a rumour that it had previously been on the bottom although this rumour did come from someone selling a much less tidy same model boat at 7k more and the owner denies it.
The boat appears nice with shiny painted engines, clean bilges obvious mods such as glass bowl pre filters all new head linings, reupholstered and carpeted but then it would if it had been sunk.
Is a boat that has been down more trouble than it is worth?

Ian

 

[volvopaul]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

PM sent.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

The 41s will smoke a bit becaise they are 41s, a bit more because they are 41as and a bit more yet because they have done a lot of pottering. A good blast or two will get rid of mcuh of the latter, the other two just are. Your favoured anti smoke agent in the tank won't do any harm either. The charm of the 41 is that it is still a basic engine that a bodger like me can maintain adequately and a pro can make a fantastic job of using skill and experience rather than fancy diagnostic gear. Or, put another way, if something goes ping mid-Channel you are in with a chance of a diy get home.

 

[gimmesunshine]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

I wouldnt buy a boat thats been on the bottom unless i refitted myself, apart from the engines my concern would be the electrical system, all the contacts, crimps, switches etc will be full of electrical gremlins that could drive you bonkers

 

[DoubleVision]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

Have to agree here. My last boat had 300 edc`s and whenever I looked in the engine room I felt I needed a lap top not a decent set of spanners. I`ll stick to my old 42`s and the many happy hours of spannering /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[ian38_39]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

Have the same concerns regards electrical components, thing is if it hasn't been on the bottom and goes through survey ok it is definately the one, but don't want to spend £1000 on a survey to be told it has evidence of internal water but looks ok. think I would still end up walking away, just a grand lighter in the pocket.
Did forget to say though it would have been fresh water it went down in if this makes a difference.

Ian

 

[Chris_d]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

£1000 for a survey, that seems a bit steep. When my last boat was surveyed by Paul Homer (of MBM fame) he was charging about £15 a foot.

 

[ian38_39]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

Think my last one in September was £640 plus lifts. not much change from a grand.

Ian

 

[Chris_d]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

Ahh yes forgot about the lift cost, why is that so expensive. When I last rang round on the Thames it varied from £12-£50 per metre /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[ian38_39]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

the boat is out of the water so in order to do trials I have to pay for 2 lifts, one to put it in then one to take it back out again, would only be lift and hold if it was in the water.

 

[KevB]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

If you gave more details of the actual boat, possibly someone reading the forum may know a bit about it's history. Worth a chance.

 

[ian38_39]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

It is a Sealine 305 currently moored at Stourport, was on the Mid Wales coast previously.
think the name is probably irrelevent, if it was mine and it had been on the bottom I would change the name to give it a new identity.

 

[andyball]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

don't think you need a surveyor to look an tell you if it shows signs of being on the river bed - have you seen a typical report? Must be fair, and say there's some good ones too.

I'd get back aboard while it's out the water & have a really good look yourself; take a friendly forumite or pay an all-round boaty type from another yard to look too if you're not confident. Tell the broker/buyer why you looking so in-depth ( tho really, why shouldn't you, even w/o the err rumours ? ) Extremely clean looking and done-up boats are often just that, tho I'd look a lil more err cynically if all work seems recent of course.

re water ingress - you'd be trying to access areas where no-one normally looks - for signs of unexpected corrosion, water-marks on plywood or mouldings etc.

If the boat's been at the same yard/moorings a while- someone will know if it sank - ask around - don't be embarassed - it's your money /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Somebody lifted it out if it sank - ask the yards nearby.

 

[KevB]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

As andy says - get on board and have a good mooch round. if it's been sunk I'd imagine there'd be doors that don't close properly because of the wood swelling and similar tell tale signs.

Hopefully though it's just a rumour started by the seller of another boat and everything is above board.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

And further, if they boat sank do the rumours suggest why? Collision/seal failure/swamping may all leave different evidence and a slow sinking due to seal failure could leave a lot of areas wetted for far longer than a swamping with quick salvage.

 

[ian38_39]

Re: Light use on AD41a\'s

Unfortunately no, did ask but the person with the rumour just said he didn't know but he had been told it had been on the bottom.
There was a very rough repair just above the waterline which matched exactly the cleet on the pontoon so seemed to agree with what the owner said. it looked like it had just been painted over which he claimed was just to keep the water out and he was planning to have it properly reaired, just hadn't got round to it