hunter323
Well-Known Member
I am getting a sea trial for a yacht I am about to purchase. I would be grateful for any tips or advice as to what I should look out for during the trip particularly relating to the engine an 18hp Volvo 2002
Purchasing a Yacht _ Sea trial
- Thread starter hunter323
- Start date
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Sea trial is for the purpose of satisfying yourself that the boat works as described. The engine is pretty much commonsense. Make sure it is cold before you start so you can check out cold starting. Once running there should not be any excessive smoke, gears should engage smoothly and it should be able to reach maximum revs under load without black smoke. Cruising speedd should be comfortable in the rev range 2-2500. There should be a good flow of cooling water andd no signs of overheating. A well maintained engine should look clean and ask for a record of its servicing, particularly oil and filter changes.
maby
Well-Known Member
Motor full ahead, check you can drop down into neutral, then transition fairly quickly to full astern without excessive graunching from engine and gearbox - and definitely without stalling.
Also check for excessive weeping or leakage from the stern-gland (assuming shaft drive) or round the saildrive leg.
Lift the soleplates and look for general water ingress - pay particular attention to the keel bolts - we came close to a nasty experience with a boat that had been run aground and had been leaking at the keel joint.
Also check for excessive weeping or leakage from the stern-gland (assuming shaft drive) or round the saildrive leg.
Lift the soleplates and look for general water ingress - pay particular attention to the keel bolts - we came close to a nasty experience with a boat that had been run aground and had been leaking at the keel joint.
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Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Also check that the heads and basins don't back fill and flood on one tack or the other.
xeitosaphil
Well-Known Member
Hi When I bought my boat I had a sea trial and I am glad I did?
The engine vibrated excesively in different RPM ranges, there was vibration under the cockpit sole and the shaft oscillated very badly. out come was engine mounts were shot, shaft was bent,cutlass bearing was worn, all the diesel hoses leaked and needed replacing, and it also overheated.
Also look out for black / White smoke, and make sure it runs relatively sweet.
Just a few things to look out for? I expect others will give you more.
maby
Well-Known Member
Walk all over the decks, looking for excessive spring or spongyness - may be a sign of water in the balsa coring.
Look at the tension on the various parts of the standing rigging at various points of sail - do the leeward shrouds go slack(ish) - they may need tuning. Does it point equally well on both tacks? if not, the mast may not be vertical or may be bent.
Look at the tension on the various parts of the standing rigging at various points of sail - do the leeward shrouds go slack(ish) - they may need tuning. Does it point equally well on both tacks? if not, the mast may not be vertical or may be bent.
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
Don't forget the sails! That's what's driving your boat 95% of the time. How easy to hoist and tack. Also try the autopilot if there is one.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Do all the instruments work?
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>Cruising speedd should be comfortable in the rev range 2-2500
It depends how old the engine is. We have a Volvo MD17C and the cruising revs are 1600 to 1800. On the subject of smoke it is not necessarily a problem. Old engines were not designed to to modern emission standards and they all smoke to some extent.
>Does it point equally well on both tacks?
I've sailed over dozen different types of boat and none pointed equally well on both tacks. However I'm not sure why that is, weight distribution perhaps.
It depends how old the engine is. We have a Volvo MD17C and the cruising revs are 1600 to 1800. On the subject of smoke it is not necessarily a problem. Old engines were not designed to to modern emission standards and they all smoke to some extent.
>Does it point equally well on both tacks?
I've sailed over dozen different types of boat and none pointed equally well on both tacks. However I'm not sure why that is, weight distribution perhaps.
BAtoo
Well-Known Member
And sail shape - no use hoisting them if they hang like an old sack......
Do they fit the description in the inventory - ie are you expecting good/servicable/old sails....
Slycat
Well-Known Member
Reef and unreef the sails a few times. Great way to check the general well being of the rigging .
maby
Well-Known Member
well, ok - they are not bits of precision engineering, but you would expect them to handle broadly the same on both tacks! If it will push up to near 40 degrees off the wind on one tack but is struggling at 60 on the other, it's time to sight up the mast and boom and make sure everything looks straight and broadly where the designer intended it to be...
benlui
Well-Known Member
95% of time time? Cough Cough..... I doubt the majority, use their sales this much, weather they will admit it or not is another thing.
Good luck with the purchase. Excellent time to be buying. Mind me asking what type of boat it is? maybe then people can be more specific as to what to watch out for.....
Neil_Y
Well-Known Member
Look closely for signs of leaks at stansions, access to the base bolts is often in the back of a locker. Mast base corossion if it's keel stepped, rudder play, state of wiring, look for blackened copper which is bad. Also leaks around hatches and where wiring comes through bulkheads is common.
Has the wiring been documented/colour coded? on old boats it can be very time consuming sorting out which wires go where when they have been altered/added to.
Has the wiring been documented/colour coded? on old boats it can be very time consuming sorting out which wires go where when they have been altered/added to.
pappaecho
Well-Known Member
I asked for a sea Trial on a yacht for sale on dry land and ended up with a craneage charge! Be careful!
maby
Well-Known Member
It is a risk, but buying it without even seeing it afloat is an even bigger risk!
Mrnotming
Well-Known Member
Sea Trial
Volvo 2002 had a propensity to failure of the input shaft to the gearbox.Splines wore away over time.Drive is thus lost.
Some gearboxes were professionally modified by a firm whose name others here may be able to supply.
The fix was to machine a different shape perhaps an octogon, cannot remeember, on the shaft and supply a drive Plate to suit.
I'll search under various terms and see what comes up and post if I find what is needed.
Probably VicS will come on shortly!
If the job has already been done its a more or less permanent fix!
Volvo 2002 had a propensity to failure of the input shaft to the gearbox.Splines wore away over time.Drive is thus lost.
Some gearboxes were professionally modified by a firm whose name others here may be able to supply.
The fix was to machine a different shape perhaps an octogon, cannot remeember, on the shaft and supply a drive Plate to suit.
I'll search under various terms and see what comes up and post if I find what is needed.
Probably VicS will come on shortly!
If the job has already been done its a more or less permanent fix!
Mrnotming
Well-Known Member
Sea Trials
Gladriel posted this in the past:Many of you will be familiar with the problem of splines wearing on the Volvo MS2 gearbox input shaft. The easiest to find repair offering via Google is one that cost well over £500 plus VAT. However, a little digging around and you will find this company:
http://www.versatilemarine.co.uk/aca...ne_Repair.html
I have just received back my input shaft, new drive plate, screws and a full set of instructions and the whole lot cost £350 plus vat, a huge saving. The company was easy to deal with, provided a quick turn around and as far as I can see the engineering quality is first class.
This weekend it all goes back together and the engine back into place.
__________________
"You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you"
Roger Waters 1972
Gladriel posted this in the past:Many of you will be familiar with the problem of splines wearing on the Volvo MS2 gearbox input shaft. The easiest to find repair offering via Google is one that cost well over £500 plus VAT. However, a little digging around and you will find this company:
http://www.versatilemarine.co.uk/aca...ne_Repair.html
I have just received back my input shaft, new drive plate, screws and a full set of instructions and the whole lot cost £350 plus vat, a huge saving. The company was easy to deal with, provided a quick turn around and as far as I can see the engineering quality is first class.
This weekend it all goes back together and the engine back into place.
__________________
"You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you"
Roger Waters 1972
stownsend
Well-Known Member
I'm currently in negociations on the purchase of hopefully my new boat. Its the 3rd boat we have offered on and do our research throughly before putting in offers - ie always ask what costs am I liable for for the survey / sea trail, if on dry land the cranage in / out (unless I'm happy and funds can be transfered that day no crane out charge) and if shes on the water the cost of lift /hold for the survey. A new one this time was the cost of de-winterising the engine for the trial.
Cheers
Stu
Cheers
Stu
Spyro
Well-Known Member
Rig tuning and all this talk about pointing better on one tack. That's not a show stopper and something you would tweek yourself anyway once you have purchased. Sails might hang like sacks but that's only a problem if described differently. You're paying for what you see and hopefully it will be priced accordingly
Things to worry about would be engine problems. Running bad or overheating, excessive smoke white or blue, black could just be a dirty prop or hull overloading the engine. Check for diesel leaks and coolant leaks, exhaust condition and leaks from the exhaust system. Look for leaks around decks/stanchions/hatches/windows/keel bolts/seacocks would be a worry. Don't be frightened to go looking and take a torch.
Does she heel more that you would have thought or liked some boats do some don't SWMBOs usually don't like ones that are "tender" and heel a lot.
Do all the things work that are supposed to?
Things to worry about would be engine problems. Running bad or overheating, excessive smoke white or blue, black could just be a dirty prop or hull overloading the engine. Check for diesel leaks and coolant leaks, exhaust condition and leaks from the exhaust system. Look for leaks around decks/stanchions/hatches/windows/keel bolts/seacocks would be a worry. Don't be frightened to go looking and take a torch.
Does she heel more that you would have thought or liked some boats do some don't SWMBOs usually don't like ones that are "tender" and heel a lot.
Do all the things work that are supposed to?
