Question about Dehler 36 cws

[tchierici]

I have seen this Dehler 36 1991 which could be a real bargain….but there are a few things to consider.
- The owner has left her unused on dry dock for 6 or 7 years.
- I haven’t started the engine yet…
- The insides look in good order but it’s obviously been taking in some water from the decks in one of the cabins by the look of it.

- the rudder is down and I can see a tiny bit of corrosion around the stock just at the top of get blade. It’s obvious that the bearings need doing but the stock shouldn’t be corroded like that.
- the boat looks a bit tired on the outside.
- When I walk around the decks i noticed a slight creaking noise on a couple of spots around the shrouds. Also noticed a very slight bounciness and flexing of the bow section just above the fore peak cabin.

The last point worries me as on my existing boat (from 1979) there is absolutely no a hint of noise or flexing anywhere on the boat either while walking or sailing.

I could potentially buy it for around £25k as the owner doesn’t know what to do with her. All things considered with some time and money I could potentially upgrade from my 33 footer which I had for 15 years to a Dehler 36
that I can use to venture further. I love the Dehlers but can’t afford to spend 50k on one yet.

What’s people’s opinions on this particular boat? Ia worth the hassle or should I steer away from it.
Thanks

 

[doug748]

Fast, handy boats but almost certainly worked hard in it's career. So, unless it has a new engine and stack of new gear you have not mentioned, plus you are well experienced in invasive GRP work and have good workshop facilities; I would leave it. Even then it would be too expensive, in short I think you would probably regret it.

Bye the bye, I was glancing at a similar one only yesterday in the boatyard, the only moves it has made in 10 years is around the compound.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

The real worry will be the deck and the almost certain water penetration and just how much and where the core replacement will be ( I am assuming that it is a cored deck). After that will be the engine and you won't know until you get it running, don't try to start it until you have turned it over preferably by hand decompressed with some lubrication in the cylinders. Replacing rudder bearings will not be much of a problem but depending on the rudder shaft corrosion you could be in for a rebuild or new rudder. Then the water ingress into the interior at best is going to give a few cosmetic problems at worst some structural ones and perhaps requirement for new soft furnishings. Cosmetically the outside should clean up easily enough with a bit of time and elbow grease. It's instrumentation will be dated but if working can be left. Similarly for sails and canvas.
As a reasonable early one can be had at £50K I would want to buy at at the most £20K and expect to spend at least the £30K balance to bring it up to scratch.

 

[RivalRedwing]

sounds like a money pit.... walk away

 

[dgadee]

I have the 37cws. Happy with it.

Sounds as though the deck is the only major problem. Get a surveyor to look at it. They seem to have a steel ring around the mast location, though I have never found any sign of it.

Rudder bearings do seem to need replaced, but not mine. The deck covering can be replaced (£2k for the precut deck material) but ones I have seen have stripped and painted with some kind of thick paint instead which looks good.

Built to Lloyds 100 A4 standard. If that means anything to you.

Ps: the inner lining could cause problems if there is a soft deck.

 

[Tomahawk]

I may be wrong, but I begin to think there is a consensus

 

[dgadee]

I may be wrong, but I begin to think there is a consensus

Is there?

On mine the stanchions were letting in some water at purchase. Just needed rebedded and tightened up (bolts are underneath). That may be a source of leaking.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Is there?

On mine the stanchions were letting in some water at purchase. Just needed rebedded and tightened up (bolts are underneath). That may be a source of leaking.

He mentions a springynesss in the deck and squeaking around the shrouds, that alone needs to be evaluated to see if there is penetration into the core which is quite different than leaks around the stanchions. I really would need that professionally checking.

 

[dgadee]

He mentions a springynesss in the deck and squeaking around the shrouds, that alone needs to be evaluated to see if there is penetration into the core which is quite different than leaks around the stanchions. I really would need that professionally checking.

Yes, the consensus I would agree with is get a surveyor. I wouldn't change mine for anything else. Fast and sporty, just like me ...

 

[tchierici]

Yes a survey is definitely needed. I still think I shouldn’t part with more than £20k given that there are a number of things to be done which are not a huge problem except the boat is in Greece exactly in the same yard as my current boat. Hard to find good workmanship around those parts.

By the way, the idea is to possibly take her on a circumnavigation, hopefully at speed! Haha

 

[Tomahawk]

But a cheap moisture meeter and check the decks..
Also a hammer and light tap and listen to how it sounds. Any delamination will have a dull sound compared to sound parts…. Just don’t knock holes in it. Otherwise you may be forced to buy what you know is not good news.

It doesn’t matter if the meter is not that accurate, it will give an indication as to whether the entire deck area reads roughly similar. If the spongy bits read the same as the rest take it another step.

 

[Tranona]

Yes a survey is definitely needed. I still think I shouldn’t part with more than £20k given that there are a number of things to be done which are not a huge problem except the boat is in Greece exactly in the same yard as my current boat. Hard to find good workmanship around those parts.

By the way, the idea is to possibly take her on a circumnavigation, hopefully at speed! Haha

When fixing an abandoned boat in Greece you need to remember that the "boat" exchange rate is £2 for one Euro and a year is only 150 days long, a working day is only 4 hours and productivity 50%

 

[dgadee]

I've just had a walk around my deck and no movement or squeaking at all. I am not sure how much cored deck there actually is - never put any holes in it - since the inner lining and the rope underdeck runs seem to add a lot of stiffening.

I f you do get a survey done, I'd like to hear what the surveyor says of the structure.

 

[michael_w]

The rudder is what would worry me. With my 35 CWS I had to buy a new one from Jefa as the original one had bad crevice corrosion on the ss stock. This couldn't be seen at survey. Cost was £5,000 for one of Jefa's stock designs suitably modified.

 

[tchierici]

When fixing an abandoned boat in Greece you need to remember that the "boat" exchange rate is £2 for one Euro and a year is only 150 days long, a working day is only 4 hours and productivity 50%

Yes absolutely right, I know full well. I have gone through a restauration project with my current boat (also in Greece), a 1979 cruise/racer, it took me a number of years to get to where I am now: new engine, new anchor windlass, full respray, electrics etc. If on this Dehler the only problem is some delamination, an exterior buffering, some plumbing and a minor engine recommissioning then that's fine. From what I can see the electronics, running rigging and plumbing are all quite dated. Not sure the electrical system will need redoing.

How does the original wiring on the Dehlers of that age hold up over time?

 

[tchierici]

The rudder is what would worry me. With my 35 CWS I had to buy a new one from Jefa as the original one had bad crevice corrosion on the ss stock. This couldn't be seen at survey. Cost was £5,000 for one of Jefa's stock designs suitably modified.
View attachment 165467

Unfortunately I can't see the extent of the stock corrosion since the bottom bearing (which seems seized into the stock) covers the bit that enters the blade as shown in your picture.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Unfortunately I can't see the extent of the stock corrosion since the bottom bearing (which seems seized into the stock) covers the bit that enters the blade as shown in your picture.

Time to walk away

 

[tchierici]

Time to walk away

Thank you. Plenty of fish in the sea

 

[dgadee]

On electrics, the systems seem fine. But the nav system onboard had a centralised box. When it went everything went and I dumped it. I only have depth now - I am not an instrument kind of man. I think any nav systems over 7 years old are probably past it.

That rudder stock is very interesting. Hard to believe it could happen like that. The firm in Germany who handle dehler spares does rudders but no price on their website.

Sad to see such a fine design of boat being passed over, but there's always another fish.

But what would we spend money on if we didn't have boats?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

On electrics, the systems seem fine. But the nav system onboard had a centralised box. When it went everything went and I dumped it. I only have depth now - I am not an instrument kind of man. I think any nav systems over 7 years old are probably past it.

That rudder stock is very interesting. Hard to believe it could happen like that. The firm in Germany who handle dehler spares does rudders but no price on their website.

Sad to see such a fine design of boat being passed over, but there's always another fish.

But what would we spend money on if we didn't have boats?

I am sure the boat could be made into a very good serviceable boat but at a cost especially if there are deck and engine issues. One of the problems seems to be location and Tranona's post #12 indicates the reason. The boat assuming the worst needs to be bought very cheaply and I somehow doubt that the owner of a CWS 36 is going to let it go for £20K or less. If the OP still fancies it then the only answer is a comprehensive survey by a good recommended surveyor and then cost out what needs to be done and what can wait and see if there is a deal to be done but that means spending upwards of £500 with no guarantee that you will be able to buy the boat within budget.