mid 80' french boat blistering

rico

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mid 80\' french boat blistering

I like the boat very much. She is an 1988 Sun Legend 41 really cared by her owner. He recently went sailing where sun always shines and there are never storms. His heirs are willing to sell. No way anymore to have a first hand story of the boat, I was just able to get some rumors in the marina where the boat is sitting.

And rumors say this boat is one of the batch whose hull since new had problems in mid 80' because of bad resins supplied to Jeanneau and Beneteau. Apparently the yard recognized the problem and paid the repair expenses.

I do not trust rumours, expecially marina's rumours, but I cannot simply ignore them.

Does anyone here know which production years were affected ?
Any advice on how to sort out the truth ?
Would Jeanneau help ?
Where on the boat can I read number and year of construction ?

Thank you to whoever will help me

Rico
 

Robin

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Re: mid 80\' french boat blistering

We have just bought a 1988 Sun Legende 41, absolutely superb boat. The survey showed no osmosis and moisture levels about normal for a boat of her age. I thought (may be wrong) the problem was on the big Beneteaus and before they were the same company as Jeanneau. Sun Legendes were built from late 1986 on, replacing the Sun Fizz 40, copy test reports are available from PBO copyshop.

If the deal is right, go for it!
 
G

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Re: mid 80\' french boat blistering

from personal experience, dont buy a boat with osmosis or resin problems. its not that the problems are terminal - they are not. its just that the time involved in getting things right, plus the cost, and the aggro arent worth it.

and the osmosis cure is often not permanent
 

Robin

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30 May 2001
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Re: mid 80\' french boat blistering

A survey will show if there is a potential problem. If there is then it can be fixed and the price renegotiated or the boat rejected. Marina rumours are just that, often as dodgy as some replies on this forum, our 1988 Sun Legende did NOT have a problem on survey with osmosis, survey done by a recognised osmosis specialist surveyor. If the boat is good it's surely worth proceeding as far as a survey.

There was a well reported problem with big Beneteaus, I am not sure if this was before or after they joined up with Jeanneau, I think before but do not know for sure. In any event Beneteau did fix the problems on the affected boats I believe so even these should be worth a survey if otherwise attractive buys.

I have 2 friends who knowingly bought boats with osmosis (at the right price) and then did the repair themselves under surveyors supervision, superbly I might add and one of these had been previously gelcoat stripped and epoxied by a famous south coast yard. This one was stripped again dried properly and re-epoxied and is now well into a world cruise and at nearly 30 years old still looks like new.

In general (and I include myself) we tend to panic too much about this, much more than our friends in the USA for example but it's good business for some. Sure there is a lot of hassle involved but if the price is right the project can be managed and even done yourself. Who is to say that a boat with no problem (yet) is any better than one where the problem has been identified and fixed properly?
 
G

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Re: mid 80\' french boat blistering

Thanks for highlighting the jeanneau owners network.

It now has a hopefully more user friendly URL address at:

www.jeanneau-world.com


Fair winds

Malcolm
 
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