Purchase question

[Mommasails]

Greetings! Hubby and I are buying an IP - 1997 350 or a 2000 320. The 350
completed a circumnavigation so lots of wear and tear. Much less use
on the 320. The costs after equalization for equipment are comparable, not counting age and wear and tear. Any guidance would be appreciated. Our use would be day sails with
Three or four cruises a year to Bahamas etc.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Momma.

[deluxe68]

Get a good survey. If they have aluminum tanks expect to have to replace them. Not cheap. Some owners treated the water tanks with bleach, bad for the aluminum. Check out the Island Packet owners forum for pros/cons for those specific models. Good Luck.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Mommasails

Greetings! Hubby and I are buying an IP - 1997 350 or a 2000 320. The 350
completed a circumnavigation so lots of wear and tear. Much less use
on the 320. The costs after equalization for equipment are comparable, not counting age and wear and tear. Any guidance would be appreciated. Our use would be day sails with
Three or four cruises a year to Bahamas etc.

I think it's tough for us to give you any real useful advice without knowing a lot more about the condition of each boat.

"Wear and tear", if largely cosmetic, is less of an issue than maintenance and serviceability of the boat's systems...electrical, mechanical, refrigeration, domestic water, etc. Boats that have completed a circumnavigation usually have pretty knowledgeable owners who have taken care of their systems and upgraded the boat for long term cruising.

Put another way, a new engine is a lot more expensive than a set of new cushions and some brightwork refurbishment.

One significant upside to the newer boat is that during the "equalization" process you can choose equipment and installation strategies that meet your specific needs.

[barnakiel]

There is use from use and use from non-use. It is all your choice of which set of challenges you prefer.

I would make an extensive list of things to renew/replace on each boat and compare the cost required. Then make a decision based on raw numbers. Unless you want the bigger / smaller boat badly.

b.

[Mommasails]

Thanks for all the feedback. We have quantified specs to the best of our ability. Any idea of the cost for new standing rigging- materials and labor? So far, the overall costs plus for the two boats are fairly similar, hence the dilemma. Rigging might be the tiebreaker.

[Stumble]

On an IP in this age range you need to assume until proven differently that the chainplates will need to be replaced. Because of the way they are built in this is a major job (~$8,000), and is absolutly critical. If you are looking at two of them the one that can show replacement would easily jump to the top of the list.

The rest of the standing rigging... figure $2-3,000 depending on exactly what needs to be done.

[Time2Go]

I believe IP have embedded chain plates
worth a good look see
IP are not known for speed in the best of circumstances. I've sailed on a 27 with
not so pristine sails and it was Slow
and didn't point well
So they should get a good look at.
Baggy jib and you aren't going anywhere
Cheers
Neil

[barnakiel]

You can calculate this from your wire specs and the length of the mast. There is only very little amount in workmanship - if you replace the rigging yourself. It will be somewhat more, if you employ a rigger to come to the boat remove the old stuff then come again and fit the replacement.

I strongly believe full standing rigging replacement on this size of boat is less than 5k. Wires, turnbuckles, backing plates, chainplates and toggles. Much less if you replace only some elements.

b.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

You can calculate this from your wire specs and the length of the mast. There is only very little amount in workmanship - if you replace the rigging yourself. It will be somewhat more, if you employ a rigger to come to the boat remove the old stuff then come again and fit the replacement.

I strongly believe full standing rigging replacement on this size of boat is less than 5k. Wires, turnbuckles, backing plates, chainplates and toggles. Much less if you replace only some elements.

b.

On most boats I wouldn't agree, the IP chainplates however a a monolithic welded lattice that is then encapsulated in the hull. To remove them involves pulling all the furniture off the bulkheads, and then cutting multiple layers of fiberglass away just to inspect them fully.

Replacing them at this point due to the cost of access only makes sense. If I remember correctly (and it has been years) a set of welded up then electropolished chainplates in 316L runs about $2,000 or around $3,000 in G5 titanium.

A full replacement job runs $8,000-$10,000 is stainless versus $8-11,000 in titanium. Which is why so many IP's are moving to titanium. Because unlikely stainless they will never need to be done again.

[Mommasails]

How do I find someone skilled to do the work?

[barnakiel]

Yep. I was talking non-US prices.

We had 6 new SS chainplates done in Auckland at USD 60 each. That was 2005 but I do not think id adds up to more than USD 400 for six today.

On our 10m mast the whole new wire set with works (swages) costs USD 800 (prices 2012). Wire is 6 and 5 mm, two tops, a forestay, two backs and four lowers. I have also replaced 3 turnbuckes in the process (another USD 150).

So my calculation was USD 1500 in a 10m mast. Hence my less that 5k in a 32-35 boat. IPs have notoriously short sticks.

I was not aware materials and workforce are that much more pricey in the US.

barnakiel

[CaptJamesCook]

Thanks for asking this question I have been looking at IP's
I have learned a great deal on this thread.

barnakiel
No disrespect I am glad you posted.
It reminded me of how time flies. 2005 was a decade ago. Prices for labour and parts have increased.
But it is great insite of 2005 prices.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Mommasails

How do I find someone skilled to do the work?

Any competent boat yard should be able to handle it. But IPY has a great service yard in St. Petersburg. If you call them and give them the model they can probably quote a chainplate replacement on the phone. It's a very common refit on all the IP models.

[Suijin]

In case some here have not seen IP chainplates. They are different on every model but many follow this approach. Expensive to fabricate, and even more expensive to dig out since they are glassed in and to rebed in glass.

Whoever came up with this idea should be shot.