Ta Chiao 42 Mermaid

[Jim Cate]

I have no knowledge to add to the thread, but a comment on the blurb in post #2: the hull shape is described as :fin keel and skeg rudder. Not sure what the proper nomenclature for that profile might be, but it ain't what comes to mind when someone says fin and skeg design!

Possibly an improvement on the original shape of the Garden design in turns of wetted area and maneuverability... any comments?

Jim

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I have no knowledge to add to the thread, but a comment on the blurb in post #2: the hull shape is described as :fin keel and skeg rudder. Not sure what the proper nomenclature for that profile might be, but it ain't what comes to mind when someone says fin and skeg design!

Possibly an improvement on the original shape of the Garden design in turns of wetted area and maneuverability... any comments?

Jim

Yeah even a Peterson 44's keel isn't quite what I'd call "fin" but it's way more fin that this one. A new nomenclature is required... perhaps "trimmed long keel."

[geoffpd]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I have no knowledge to add to the thread, but a comment on the blurb in post #2: the hull shape is described as :fin keel and skeg rudder. Not sure what the proper nomenclature for that profile might be, but it ain't what comes to mind when someone says fin and skeg design!

Possibly an improvement on the original shape of the Garden design in turns of wetted area and maneuverability... any comments?

Jim

I don’t know Jim, but all I can say is, whenever I think of a fin keel, it brings to mind some sporty ‘blade’ which obviously this definitely does NOT have. But I’ll leave exact descriptions up to the experts.

[gabilo]

If you decide to get her, move her to Carmen drydock (near Cebu) and do all work there. Very cheap, good workers but you must be prepared to spend your time there whilst repair progress is ongoing. For spare parts or sails, fly to Hong Kong and get all there... importing things to the Philippines is a pain. If you need someone to judge the amount of work you can PM me directly. Incidentally the guy I have in mind is also a fantastic mechanic and has rebuild many engines.

[undercutter]

Ta Chiao was still nailing decks in the 90's long after other yards went to adhesives. My very first boat was a CT 42 mermaid and although she was a good sailor and was beautiful to look at she was in dire need of some TLC.

One thing to look at closely is the mast step. You will probably find that it is rotted out as they were steel plates mounted directly on the encapsulated keel.
The core will be balsa and likely rotten due to all the nail holes. Don't be fooled into thinking they were glued.

The decks will cost you $70,000.00 and the rigging another $20,000.00 if it hasn't been done already. Another option is to strip the teak off completely and just recore and fibreglass as I have seen many CT's this way.

I sold mine for $5,000.00 USD and thanked the guy that took it off my hands.

Best of luck.

[GordMay]

Full Keel with Cutaway Forefoot ("Brewer Bite")?

[geoffpd]

Originally Posted by gabilo

If you decide to get her, move her to Carmen drydock (near Cebu) and do all work there. Very cheap, good workers but you must be prepared to spend your time there whilst repair progress is ongoing. For spare parts or sails, fly to Hong Kong and get all there... importing things to the Philippines is a pain. If you need someone to judge the amount of work you can PM me directly. Incidentally the guy I have in mind is also a fantastic mechanic and has rebuild many engines.

Thanks for the input.
I know all about trying to import things into Philippines. It’s a system specifically designed to permit the MAXIMUM possible opportunities for corruption!
Actually I work in China so could probably source certain things here .... stainless steel rigging fittings for example.

[geoffpd]

Originally Posted by undercutter

Ta Chiao was still nailing decks in the 90's long after other yards went to adhesives. My very first boat was a CT 42 mermaid and although she was a good sailor and was beautiful to look at she was in dire need of some TLC.



One thing to look at closely is the mast step. You will probably find that it is rotted out as they were steel plates mounted directly on the encapsulated keel.

The core will be balsa and likely rotten due to all the nail holes. Don't be fooled into thinking they were glued.



The decks will cost you $70,000.00 and the rigging another $20,000.00 if it hasn't been done already. Another option is to strip the teak off completely and just recore and fibreglass as I have seen many CT's this way.



I sold mine for $5,000.00 USD and thanked the guy that took it off my hands.



Best of luck.

$90k repairs for a boat which even fully repaired and sailing is only worth 1/2 if that?
You’ve succeeded in frightening me to death.
That’s the cost of TWO nice shiny new boats for my sailing desires!
I’ve forgotten about the CT42 already.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by undercutter

Ta Chiao was still nailing decks in the 90's long after other yards went to adhesives. My very first boat was a CT 42 mermaid and although she was a good sailor and was beautiful to look at she was in dire need of some TLC.

One thing to look at closely is the mast step. You will probably find that it is rotted out as they were steel plates mounted directly on the encapsulated keel.
The core will be balsa and likely rotten due to all the nail holes. Don't be fooled into thinking they were glued.

The decks will cost you $70,000.00 and the rigging another $20,000.00 if it hasn't been done already. Another option is to strip the teak off completely and just recore and fibreglass as I have seen many CT's this way.

I sold mine for $5,000.00 USD and thanked the guy that took it off my hands.

Best of luck.

Good post with a heavy dose of bitter reality.

Thanks for sharing it here on CF!

[gabilo]

Originally Posted by geoffpd

Thanks for the input.
I know all about trying to import things into Philippines. It’s a system specifically designed to permit the MAXIMUM possible opportunities for corruption!
Actually I work in China so could probably source certain things here .... stainless steel rigging fittings for example.

SS Steel better to source from Taiwan, in China you will get a lot of SS 314 steel sold as 316. if from China, as you will not need huge quantities of the same SS steel item is around reclamation street in Mong Kok, Kowloon

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by undercutter

Ta Chiao was still nailing decks in the 90's long after other yards went to adhesives. My very first boat was a CT 42 mermaid and although she was a good sailor and was beautiful to look at she was in dire need of some TLC.

One thing to look at closely is the mast step. You will probably find that it is rotted out as they were steel plates mounted directly on the encapsulated keel.
The core will be balsa and likely rotten due to all the nail holes. Don't be fooled into thinking they were glued.

The decks will cost you $70,000.00 and the rigging another $20,000.00 if it hasn't been done already. Another option is to strip the teak off completely and just recore and fibreglass as I have seen many CT's this way.

I sold mine for $5,000.00 USD and thanked the guy that took it off my hands.

Best of luck.

I'm not sure what you mean by "nailing".? You mean screwing the teak down? The boat in my avatar is an '85 CT44. It had no teak decks. There were good things and bad things about it for sure.
Never a blister, very stout hull, heavy bronze tapered seacocks, all fiberglass/no plywood in the deck and cabin.
Rough prickly tabbing in some cabinets, poor bedding on deck fittings and one tank in the bilge that didn't last long.

[geoffpd]

Originally Posted by undercutter

Ta Chiao was still nailing decks in the 90's long after other yards went to adhesives. My very first boat was a CT 42 mermaid and although she was a good sailor and was beautiful to look at she was in dire need of some TLC.



One thing to look at closely is the mast step. You will probably find that it is rotted out as they were steel plates mounted directly on the encapsulated keel.

The core will be balsa and likely rotten due to all the nail holes. Don't be fooled into thinking they were glued.



The decks will cost you $70,000.00 and the rigging another $20,000.00 if it hasn't been done already. Another option is to strip the teak off completely and just recore and fibreglass as I have seen many CT's this way.



I sold mine for $5,000.00 USD and thanked the guy that took it off my hands.



Best of luck.

One of the items listed on the spec sheet was ‘New steel strip installed on the keel’.
I had originally thought that this was a strip which protected the bottom against impacts.
However in light of your comments about the mast step, I’m wondering if maybe it was replaced when they did the masts in 2005.

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I'm not sure what you mean by "nailing".? You mean screwing the teak down? The boat in my avatar is an '85 CT44. It had no teak decks. There were good things and bad things about it for sure.
Never a blister, very stout hull, heavy bronze tapered seacocks, all fiberglass/no plywood in the deck and cabin.
Rough prickly tabbing in some cabinets, poor bedding on deck fittings and one tank in the bilge that didn't last long.

No nailing as in the same way a hardwood floor is nailen on the subfloor of a house. Hard to believe but the current boat we own is a CT 56 built in 1999 and yes the decks were nailed. This was the same as the Mermaid that was built in 1984. Screwing decks came after nailing and was an improvement I guess????

As a result of this method of fastening the teak, thousands of holes are punched into the top layer of fibreglass over the balsa. The only thing keeping the water out is the deck caulking and well the rest is history.
We were flabbergasted to see a nailed deck on a 1999 build but the guy who commissioned the boat said that when they were doing the work he thought that it was better than screws as there were no plugs and the nails are not visible.

And as far as the steel strip on the keel there is a 1" wide strip of SS approximately 1/2 inch fastened to the bottom of the keel. I will say that these boats are near indestructible and will safely take you anywhere in the world. You just have to make her watertight which can be an expensive undertaking.