1975 Fuji 35 Ketch

[Ardi]

Let me start by saying that I have very limited experience sailing or maintaining a sailboat. I have an opportunity of buying a 1975 35 foot Fuji ketch very cheap, its in a questionable condition, which is ok!, but I need some advice as far as what would it cost me to fix it up till next spring...what i know so far is that teak topsides need work, interior has a foot of water to bottom of motor!, no sails..

I am very well aware that this is incomplete info, nontheless constructive advice would be appreciated

[Cheechako]

The Fuji's were well constructed boats. If you have not worked a project boat before, then you need to read some of the recent threads. Boats are hard to work on, it can take years to restore a boat that has been full of water. It costs a lot of money too.... even if you do the work yourself. You need to asess the condition of the boat, motor, sails etc... I'll try to find a link or two for you....
Here's one: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...oat-92198.html

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha,
I'm saying this to summarize the responses to all the recent inquiries of the same subject.
#1 It will cost you more in time and repair than to buy a ready to sail boat during this economy.
#2 Always get a surveyor to assess unseen damage.
#3 There are two different types of sailboat owners and they are the owner who likes to build and repair and the one who likes to sail. If you like to sail and go places on your boat a project boat is not such a good idea unless it just needs cleaning and the addition of new electronics.
Good luck in your choice of what to do.
I've owned a Mariner 35 (same as the Fuji 35) except mine was all wood. The design is very good and it sailed well for its waterline length.
Things that need to be checked out are soft spots in the cabin top and sides and deck leaks. Soft spots indicate rotted plywood under the fiberglass.
kind regards,

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Aloha,
I'm saying this to summarize the responses to all the recent inquiries of the same subject.
#1 It will cost you more in time and repair than to buy a ready to sail boat during this economy.
#2 Always get a surveyor to assess unseen damage.
#3 There are two different types of sailboat owners and they are the owner who likes to build and repair and the one who likes to sail. If you like to sail and go places on your boat a project boat is not such a good idea unless it just needs cleaning and the addition of new electronics.
Good luck in your choice of what to do.
I've owned a Mariner 35 (same as the Fuji 35) except mine was all wood. The design is very good and it sailed well for its waterline length.
Things that need to be checked out are soft spots in the cabin top and sides and deck leaks. Soft spots indicate rotted plywood under the fiberglass.
kind regards,

Great synopsis!
I think the Fuji is all glass cabin etc....

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Great synopsis!
I think the Fuji is all glass cabin etc....

You might be right and it could be all glass but the Mariner 32 by Fuji has some rot isssues too and I believe its a Fuji. Charlie Cobra has one that had rot and he's worked on.
kind regards,

[GaryMayo]

Run, don't walk, run to sailboats that need cleaning, and not repairing to be sailed. Cleaning is a reasonable exchange for not paying top dollar for a complete turn key sailboat needing nothing. A boat that everything works, but needs cleaning, can be quite rewarding, as you can save some money, and be sailing in weeks, not years (or never) like a sailboat needing repairs would be. By cleaning the boat, you learn about her, without becoming overwhelmed or put in the poorhouse like sailboats needing vast repairs.

Again, run, don't walk, run away from a sailboat such as you have described. If you want to SAVE something to somehow rescue the planet, and make the Earth a better place, rescue a puppy, and take the little tike sailing on your sailboat that everything works on.

Would you buy a junker car to drive to work, or find something dependable? Your sailboat options are no different.

My ketch 32 dropped ten grand in price, because it sat on the hard, in storage and got dirty. Dirty is easy to rectify.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

The Fuji's were well constructed boats. If you have not worked a project boat before, then you need to read some of the recent threads. Boats are hard to work on, it can take years to restore a boat that has been full of water. It costs a lot of money too.... even if you do the work yourself. You need to asess the condition of the boat, motor, sails etc... I'll try to find a link or two for you....
Here's one: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...oat-92198.html

I've actually run into some very interesting problems with a Fuji 35. I wouldn't describe them as "well constructed".

[casual]

Buying a dirty boat can cost thousands,I,know from Psl experience.Just redoing systems can be a major task.Any boat that is ready to go need's something.I,made a ridiculos offer and it was accepted,someday's I,wish it had been turned down.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by minaret

I've actually run into some very interesting problems with a Fuji 35. I wouldn't describe them as "well constructed".

Just curious, What was it? maybe I should have said "well constructed for early Orient built.....". Heck of a lot better than a Cheoy Lee... etc...

"You might be right and it could be all glass but the Mariner 32 by Fuji has some rot isssues too and I believe its a Fuji. Charlie Cobra has one that had rot and he's worked on.
kind regards,"

I thought the Mariner's were China built and the Fuji's one of Japan's few builds.....? Ya, Mariners, Cheoy Lee etc... alot of cheap plywood in those boats....

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Just curious, What was it? maybe I should have said "well constructed for early Orient built.....". Heck of a lot better than a Cheoy Lee... etc...

"You might be right and it could be all glass but the Mariner 32 by Fuji has some rot isssues too and I believe its a Fuji. Charlie Cobra has one that had rot and he's worked on.
kind regards,"

I thought the Mariner's were China built and the Fuji's one of Japan's few builds.....? Ya, Mariners, Cheoy Lee etc... alot of cheap plywood in those boats....

Yes, definitely Japanese boats. The experiences I have had included plywood decking substrate that was rotten in both examples I've worked on, plywood superstructure rot, fairly low laminate quality that lead to osmosis and blistering, and the then there was the interesting part. One of the boats I worked on had a problem with saturation of the internal ballast, which was fully encapsulated. There was damage to the keel forefoot from a grounding (stress fractures) which had clearly led to the saturation problem. We ground out the damaged area both to repair it and drain the ballast cavity for drying. When I ground through the bad glass over the keel cavity a cascade of rusty water and thousands of Pachinko balls came pouring out. Apparently when these boats were built the cheapest source of ballast material in Japan was old Pachinko balls, which they poured into cement in the keel stub for ballast (in theory). In this case it was clear the construction crew had done it backwards and poured in the Pachinko balls (think pinballs) first, and then just dumped the cement on top with no effort at mixing or pencil vibrating the two. This led to both a large void in the keel cavity and a whole lot of loose Pachinko balls. It was a real PITA to collect all the balls, clean them up, reblock the boat at an angle, and stuff them back into the (dried) keel cavity in fiberfiller so we could glass it back up. I was not impressed with fiberglass laminate quality throughout. This boat would have been from about the same era I believe. It was, however, a fairly nice design IIRC. A pretty boat that looked like she might be good sailor. Also had a nice teak interior. I believe this is a Bob Perry design. He is of course a member here, maybe we'll get lucky and he'll chime in on this thread at some point.


fuji-6

[GaryMayo]

Originally Posted by casual

Buying a dirty boat can cost thousands,I,know from Psl experience.Just redoing systems can be a major task.Any boat that is ready to go need's something.I,made a ridiculos offer and it was accepted,someday's I,wish it had been turned down.

I got two bids to remove oxidation between the deck and the waterline. First one was $3,500.00. Plus he wanted more to wax it. Second bid was $400.00 including waxing.

Even cleaning and general maintaince can get expensive unless you use your head and look for affordable solutions.

A sailboat with no sails, questionable rigging, and water currently up to the engine (may have been over the engine till the long hot dry spell) is a run away, not walk away.

Too many great deals in this depression recession to get the bad deal.

[SkiprJohn]

My Mariner 35 was built in Japan in 1967 and designed by William Garden. Then someone else a few years later named Claire Oberly reversed the design and called it theirs. Very nice design but originally was Garden. The early all glass ones were good. If mine was a glass boat I'd still have it today.
I don't believe any of the Mariners were built in Hong Kong.
kind regards,

[Cheechako]

Hmmm..... Pachinko Balls! I wonder if that was an optional upgrade from the usual steel punchings...? haha
The only one I looked at close was many years ago and was a later one (aluminum mast) Cutter.

[minaret]

Nope, I was wrong, it's a John Alden design.



FUJI 35 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

[Curmudgeon]

I wouldn't take a boat with a foot of water in it for free. There will be alot more than cleaning up involved, starting with the electrical system. Walk away.