Would you consider buy a boat that sank?

[dmksails]

Hi! I'm somewhat new to the boating world and am looking for my first boat. There is one that has caught my eye, but I'm leary as it sank once while at dock. It was raised within 24 hours.

Ignoring the engine and anything electrical - how much of an issue is this? Would the deck core likely be affected? What about wiring? The stove would probably be shot. The head?

[Tayana42]

No.


S/V B'Shert

[PDScott]

I woud advise against it. Not only is the electrical and engine comprimized you stand the risk of mould and bulkhead delamination from the water egress. Most bulkheads as well as other interior furniture and trim are vaneer over ply and will eventually swell and delaminate . The cabin sole will also be suspect. Just not worth it. Another sticking point may be your ability to purchase hull insurance unless you have a very detailed survey done. Hope this helps you with your search. So many great boats out there. Peter

[Stu Jackson]

everything

will

be

toast

[DefinitelyMe]

It depends so much on construction. What PDScott has said is correct. It also depends on your level of expertise and how much work you're willing to put into it. I did a lot of work helping a friend with his boat. It had sunk once in Germany, was restored and sailed around the Atlantic a bit. At some point later on the rig came down and it was abandoned in the mid-Atlantic and drifted for several months. It took on water and was about half full Eventually it drifted to Bermuda and my friend salvaged it. He now has a beautiful boat, but the first thing he did was rip absolutely everything out and start from scratch, including bulkheads. He's a professional boat builder and it took him 2 years to complete the project. Having helped him with that project i would potentially buy a boat like the one you describe.

[denverd0n]

This is a case where, I'm not even sure if I would take it for FREE!

Of course, any problem can be fixed with enough time and money, but the question is whether or not it will cost more to fix the boat than it could ever be worth. And the answer is, it very well could.

If it really was raised within 24 hours then it just MIGHT be worth something. It just MIGHT be possible to fix the boat without spending far more than another boat, without the issues, would cost. That's really something that only a careful examination is going to reveal, though.

For me, personally, I probably wouldn't waste any time on it. But then, I live in Florida, where there are a lot of boats available for sale at very reasonable prices. So I have no doubt I could find another boat that wouldn't require so much work. For you... Well, that's something that you are going to have to decide.

Good luck.

[artic warrior]

YES I would but be prepared for plenty of

[Jolly Roger]

I’m inclined to agree with Tayana42.
On the other hand, it depends...
Where did it sink, seawater or freshwater?
What is the construction, glassfibre or wood or other?
What is the machinery, equipment, etc.?
Do you have the time, expertise and tools to do multiple repairs?
Lastly, and most important—how much?
Even if all these replies were positive, I would still be inclined to agree with Tayana42.
Caveat emptor.

[dmksails]

Thanks for the great replies. Sounds like more than I would want to tackle at this time - want to spend the time learning to sail, not learning how to fix woodwork.

[barnakiel]

Wiring and most electrics will be kaput but the engine may be fine (if it got cleaned and restarted after the mishap).

Cushions will be dead too. Maybe the stove as well.

The core (e.g. deck sandwich may be saturated but this depends if there were breathing holes in it and where they are located. An easy check, just find the holes.

We met people sailing a Contessa 32 raised from the dead. She sank in Tromso Norway and we met them in Noumea New Caledonia. They still had the same old Yanmar.

So it all depends. If there is not too much damage and if the price is a steal then the boat may be a good deal.

b.

[verkerkbr]

Originally Posted by dmksails

Hi! I'm somewhat new to the boating world and am looking for my first boat. There is one that has caught my eye, but I'm leary as it sank once while at dock. It was raised within 24 hours.

Ignoring the engine and anything electrical - how much of an issue is this? Would the deck core likely be affected? What about wiring? The stove would probably be shot. The head?

For the insurance the boat is a total loss. Professional repair is too expensive and with costs higher then the actual value. But if you are a handyman with a lot time and patience it can certainly be a good deal.

I lot of items get no damage from water. Take the hull, deck and rig. If the woodwork ply is sealed at the outer end, there is great change that the interior can be saved.. And if the veneers are damaged, you always can paint the surfaces.

It is certainly a lot of work, but if you take quick action I'am sure a lot of parts can be saved.

Also look at the isolation. If it is made of foam you have to replace this complete.

As a Yacht surveyor we declared such a damaged boat a total loss and tried to find someone to buy the remains.

Also the engine and gearbox can be repaired after a quick action with fresh water and oil in in the engine and gearbox. It needs an overhaul but not every part is damaged.

But all the electrics, cables, instruments etc etc are no longer repairable,

If you have plenty of time and skills it can be done.

Regards,


Bram

[Capt Phil]

If it is a submarine, could be a good deal! Phil

[Blue_marble]

Depends on how much additional $$ you want to put into it vs. what how much $$ will be needed to restore/save the systems. We made a deposit on a CSY 44 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and flew out there to complete the purchase. When we were viewing the boat for the first time, we learned that she had been salvaged off a beach, about 8 years ago. Since then, two owners had put $$ into her to "restore" her. New bulkheads, sole, wiring, engine. Still needed basic hull work though. By our surveyor's estimate, she still needed about 20K worth of work.

We walked away.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

It depends so much on construction. What PDScott has said is correct. It also depends on your level of expertise and how much work you're willing to put into it. I did a lot of work helping a friend with his boat. It had sunk once in Germany, was restored and sailed around the Atlantic a bit. At some point later on the rig came down and it was abandoned in the mid-Atlantic and drifted for several months. It took on water and was about half full Eventually it drifted to Bermuda and my friend salvaged it. He now has a beautiful boat, but the first thing he did was rip absolutely everything out and start from scratch, including bulkheads. He's a professional boat builder and it took him 2 years to complete the project. Having helped him with that project i would potentially buy a boat like the one you describe.

Price that out at his hourly rate and he probably could have bought a nice turn-key boat for what he put into the boat. Fine if you boat repair is a hobby but not a good way to save money on a boat boat.

If it was an aluminum row boat, I would consider it. For a cruising boat, I would likely not and I would be very leary of one that someone else rebuilt as it could easily have been a 1/2 a$$ rebuild.

[carlheintz]

The answer to your question depends upon these issues:
1. Was it completely submerged, or only partially?
Many great boats take a little dip... but once the water meets the wood,
bad things happen exponentially
2. How long was it in the submarine condition?
Troubles expand at the square of the time submerged
3. Where did it take it's dive -- warm water or icy cold water?
The colder the water the better.
4. What was done for immediate CPR when it was rescued? If nothing,
you will probably be fighting mold for years to come.
5. How did the water get in there?
If it was clean rainwater, that's one thing. Seawater, oh, bad. Muddy
river water, yikes.

I own a Cal 28-II that took on water when the prior owner left a port open for a few weeks and it rained, and he failed to maintain caulk around the deck fittings. The devastation was pretty amazing. It's taken two years of off and on work to restore her. For some strange reason, boat builders fail to seal their plywood when constructing bulkheads. They fail to seal the flooring material on the underside (duh!), and they ignore the fact that balsa absorbs water like a sponge. Had they spent $ 5 on liquid sealant for all the balsa around the deck fittings, and another $ 5 on sealing the edges of all the plywood parts, it would have been a no-biggie. As it was, I learned the art of drying things, locating and removing rot, sealing things, and how to replace/restore delaminated ply. Now the boat is stronger than it was new, sealed tight, reinforced and ready for a typhoon, maybe.

Do not attempt this sort of project if you plan on sailing her in a season or two. Plan on getting to know every square inch of the boat, probing every fitting, deconstructing and reconstructing bulkheads, cabinets and winches, replacing wiring and electronics, etc, etc. It's completely uneconomic. You've got to like projects, be incredibly attentive to detail, have the patience of Job, and realize that once you are done, you will have a boat that you know so well that you will probably keep her forever. Oh, did I mention that you will dump money like crazy? BOAT - break out another thousand.