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andreshs1 · 02-07-2017, 08:06

Dear all

I am back in the market and I found 3 boats I could consider, a Maple Leaf 48, a Formosa 46 and a Cape North 43

What would be the advice? Any owner of any the above mentioned ?

Cheers

boatpoker · 02-07-2017, 08:17

Have not surveyed a Maple Leaf but have surveyed many other Cooper built boats. They are several steps ahead of any of the chopped mat boats built in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

andreshs1 · 02-07-2017, 08:52

Hi boatpoker

Thanks for the reply

Are these boats fully insulated ?
My previous wasn't and we would freeze in winter and boil during the summer!

What should I pay extra attention when inspecting the boat?

Regards
Andres

boatpoker · 02-07-2017, 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreshs1

Hi boatpoker

Thanks for the reply

Are these boats fully insulated ?
My previous wasn't and we would freeze in winter and boil during the summer!

What should I pay extra attention when inspecting the boat?

Regards
Andres

None came insulated. Be very, very careful of chainplate condition and the steel fuel tanks on all three models. Take a look at Marine Survey 101

nhschneider · 02-07-2017, 09:09

I don't own any of those boats nor do I know anything about them either. However, my boat was once hauled out in a yard where a new owner of a Maple Leaf 48 had his boat hauled out and he was spending thousands of dollars trying to dry out the wet Divinycell coring.

Fair winds and calm seas.

andreshs1 · 02-07-2017, 09:21

Yes, I did learn the lesson on surveys with the 1st one, what a lemon I got.....with the second one I did better though as I got a professional surveyor, and now I will get one too, but rather see the signs prior expending the money on a surveyor

Wet core? That is bad news, I read that the maple are solid to the waterline and then core, this is something that worries me. At least the Formosa or Cape North are solid. But the interior of the Mapple is brilliant though

Cheers

Cheechako · 02-07-2017, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Have not surveyed a Maple Leaf but have surveyed many other Cooper built boats. They are several steps ahead of any of the chopped mat boats built in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

I don't know the third boat mentioned but I think boatpoker is right on re: the Maple Leaf.... a step up. The Formosa is a great design based on the Kelly Peterson 44, but the ones I've seen were all teak decks and a lot of wood elsewhere, screwed down and wet deck core etc. as a result. It's likely you will have a big project with one of those.
But if the Maple leaf is cored "above " the waterline... that would concern me a bit also.

andreshs1 · 02-07-2017, 22:54

Hi Cheechako

Yes, that is my concern, the balsa core, as there are reports of delamination on some boats as the core was not properly seal on the through hulls. Not that this will be the case, but the concern is there

Shame that there isn't any Formosa or Maple Leaf owners to coomment

Cheers

Cheechako · 03-07-2017, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by andreshs1

Hi Cheechako

Yes, that is my concern, the balsa core, as there are reports of delamination on some boats as the core was not properly seal on the through hulls. Not that this will be the case, but the concern is there

Shame that there isn't any Formosa or Maple Leaf owners to coomment

Cheers

Yeah, if the thru hulls were not isolated, that can be bad.. although there may not be many thru hulls above the waterline. I bought a boat once with that issue (cored only to the waterline. a 10 ft long area maybe a foot wide was saturated. By the time it was done it was very expensive including painting the boat.
I have looked closely at a bargain Formosa 46. It was not great construction regarding details, the hull was very thick though, but I'm confident the entire deck was saturated on that boat due to all the teak screwed down. The teak had been let go for a long time and some of the strips were "cupping" up, the sealant bond broken etc. And it had teak everywhere, not just the decks.
Still, you never know, you might find one someone has done all the work on. I don't think the Formosa's had cored hull anyway.

Djarraluda · 03-07-2017, 14:51

Back in late 70's early 80's, we had quite a few Cape Norths in HK. Great boats, sailed brilliantly and good stowage. Did a couple of ocean passages on one and very impressed.
Better sailing boat than the Formosa, we had a few of those there as well. The Formosa was popular as a live-abord due to the spaciousness.
Can not recall issues of damp core on the Cape North, do not think there was any. Formosa's had screwed down teak decks with all those associated issues.
Roger

hamburking · 03-07-2017, 16:13

When I wore a younger man's shoes, I was charter captain of a Maple Leaf 48 owned by a has-bin local celebrity. I found it to be an excellent boat, built extremely solid, and well thought out. Great for entertaining. In particular, the walk in engine room and the aft cockpit (in addition to the fully enclosed centre cockpit with wheel) where excellent. My one complaint would be the stacking bunks in the vee...my upper bunk was like sliding a CD into a CD player....just too cramped for an adult human. Of course all the other bunks were awesome, my favorite being the forward stateroom double. We did hit a rock and split open the keel fuel tank, and the fuel filler hose parted from the tank one time causing quite a spill below resulting in the loss of all the 70's shag carpets. It was easy to sail, particularly with the self tacking jib, and it was so heavy we never needed to reef. If I recall, the boat rarely heeled at all. When we hit a dock, the dock got a nasty scrape, but the boat was totally unscathed.

andreshs1 · 04-07-2017, 22:13

Hi Roger
Thanks for the info
Yes the Formosa and the Cape North are both HK boats as a matter of fact, I am just concern on the space available as we are 2 adults + 2 children and the idea is long passages

Hamburking

Great information on the Maple Leaf
Can you confirm how is the hull constructed? I read different accounts:
1. balsa core, which to me is a risk of delapidation

2. Solid GRP up to the waterline and balsa core the rest of the boat

Any information on this respect would be highly appreciated, we like the Maple Leaf the most due to interior space and distribution; but I could not afford major work on the boat if there was to be any problem with the hull...

andreshs1 · 04-07-2017, 22:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, if the thru hulls were not isolated, that can be bad...

Hi Cheechako

Yes, the Formosa dont have the fine finish of other boats but it seems that the hulls are rock solid. But indeed there is a big concern on the ols teak decks screwed down, as this could be a really costly repair and my budget is not that big to start with

Cheers

Dougtiff · 05-07-2017, 14:36

So the Formosa is a TAIWAN built boat, not hong kong, the Cape North is a Herreshoff designed boat, built by David Cheng David commissioned Hershoff to design this boat and he was the only one to build this design, i know all this because i had my boat hauled out at Davids yard on Ching Lee island at the time the first Cape north was launched, what a beautiful boat she was, David was a absolute gentleman to deal with, prior to establishing his own yard, he was the head master shipwright at Cheoy Lees yard, he built in wood also.