Talk me out of a Tayana 52

[Stevew]

Won't try to talk you out of a T52, having owned a 1988 CC model since 2009. We have tens of thousands of miles under her keel and she has always taken better care of us than we could of her at times. We left from the east coast in the Caribbean 1500 in 2009 and have sailed her to Fiji so far and almost everywhere in between. We love her. Don't know what your cruising plans are, but that will have a large impact on how well you and your vessel will get along. We have lived aboard almost full time, since 2009, until Covid separated us for a over a year now and probably won't get back to her till next May it seems. But, she is in a cyclone pit with some good folks tending to her in Fiji.

The previous owner had North Star painted Flag Blue with teak decks and very well maintained and equipped. We decided to spend a year aboard in the Caribbean before making any major changes which was an excellent idea it turned out. After a year we were in Cartagena, CO and had some major work done there and were very happy with the outcome. We removed the teak decks which were starting to get a little thin in some areas. We were surprised to find molded in non-skid fiberglass decks below the teak. Anyway, we filled the 10,000 screw holes in the decks and had 2 spots on the side decks of wet coring where we had to remove the fiberglass top deck, remove the wet core and refiberglass the areas. A large area around the windless also was repaired as well. We then put three layers of glass and then gelcoated the entire top deck with non-skid. We also had a hardtop fabricated and replaced the dodger bimini canvas top with a new full cockpit enclosure attached to the hardtop. We then had the entire hull awlgripped Cloud White and also the usual bottom job.

This is an example of what I meant above about how you do you intend to use the boat. The previous owner was perfectly happy with our boat Flag Blue, and she was beautiful, but he wasn't in the tropics during the summer. During the summer his sailing grounds tended to be Maine and similar locations. One summer near the equator living aboard full time convinced us that was a bad idea. One day I shot my transom exterior and it was 130F and the teak deck was about the same on a 90F day with full sun. Now, my deck temp is whatever the air temp is in full sun. It dropped the temps inside by 20F. It actually meant that after the paint change you had to squeeze the toothpaste out of the tube again instead of having to be careful not to have it just run out on the counter from the heat. Sleeping was improved 150%. We had 2 weeks in August in Bonaire where we thought we would drown in our sweat at night, zero wind. The hardtop also gave us much cooler and needed shelter from the sun, but also added a lot of safety to our vessel. When we had the SS fabricated we put a 1"SS safety rail up both sides of the hard top which has proven much safer for getting in and out of the cockpit in a gale and huge seas, providing lots of strong handholds and clipping locations.

I can safely handle her singlehanded with out concern although it is usually the wife and I. We do have all roller furling sails that can be handled from the cockpit. The main is in-boom roller furling. The boat came with the Hood in-mast system but was replaced with the in-boom system before we got her. We only have one electric winch for raising, lowering and reefing the main which is a full batten main.

Finally, she sails like a dream, is fast and seakindly and takes good care of her crew. Our previous boat was a Hunter 42. A good boat, but not nearly as good as the Tayana in big rough weather. We spent 2 days hove to in 40-50 knot winds with 5+ meter seas on a 1600m passage from New Zealand to Fiji and had relatively good comfort and the boat pretty much tended herself. Something I would not have wanted to do in the Hunter for sure. Although, the Hunter was a perfectly good boat for us sailing around Florida and the Bahamas for 10 years prior buying North Star.

Gone on long enough, but you get the idea. I'm also on the Tayana users group which is great, but not a lot for the T52. There is now also a T-52 FB owners group if you are interested. BTW, in almost every anchorage someone will stop by just tell you have a beautiful boat, which is alway nice.

Any specific questions ask away. I'm just here in Florida wasting good cruising time while Covid eats up our cruising years.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Capdave360

That Nordic 46 looks like a way nicer boat than the T52.....if photos can be believed....

I just looked at the Nordic 46 listing. To my knowledge only one Nordic 46 was built. It was built by a guy named Graham-Smith that bought up the bones of Nordic yachts when it went out of business.

Very nice looking boat. The hull is a stretched '44.

Wow, a lot of boat for the money. If I was looking I would look at this one very seriously.

[gscriba]

My wife and I live aboard our Tayana 52 with two young boys in the SF Bay. We purchased about 5 years ago and absolutely love our vessel.

A few thoughts...
Re: size, about a year before we purchased, we walked beside a Tayana 52 on an end tie at our marina and thought, "no way; way to big for us". About a year later, the boat didn't seem too big at all; we found and purchased one. Now, another 5 feet would be nice with the two growing boys and the toys we would love to have aboard (dive compressor/gear, kite boards, etc). Without ALL the extra toys, the Tayana 52 has plenty of space. We still manage to have a lot of toys.
We do not have a bow thruster and maneuver the boat just fine. We have been in and out of marinas; takes some practice, but our skill and confidence has increased over time. Maneuvering any vessel this size requires more planning and preparation.
Thruster would be nice, but we have decided it is not a necessity. Add one if you like.

Black iron tanks are a problem on any 30 year old boat. Ours were replaced prior to our purchase. If I had to do it, I would have it done in Mexico. We know of people with a Tayana 48 that were quoted $70K in the bay area for their tank removal and replacement (8 years ago). They sailed to Ensenada and had the job done (which included removing a significant portion of the interior) for a third of the cost. The owners were thrilled with the craftmanship; interior reassembled beautifully.

Teak decks; definitely can be a problem. Though our 52 does not have them, we do have some side deck delamination, which will be repaired (most likely) in Mexico.

The Tayana 52's are all semi-custom so interior lay outs for both the CC and AC vary. We have an AC and prefer that layout for our living/cruising lifestyle. Personal taste to a huge degree.

Re: weight...Tayana 52's weigh in around 48K, loaded. Both our old (135% Dacron) and new (130% Doyle Statis) genoas weigh 98 lbs each. As mentioned previously, once your boat is over 44 feet, mechanical advantage is required for many tasks.

As to costs, if you are not a DYI person, the costs to "refit" a 30 year old 50 footer vessel will be very high. Unless the boat is in very good condition (read, someone else has put the time/effort/$ into a refit), spending another $150K on a 50 foot vessel (post-purchase) is VERY easy. As an eager DIY individual, I have cut that cost in half and our vessel is on the verge of "ready to go".

To sum up...we LOVE our Tayana 52. She is beautiful, comfortable and fast for a blue water cruising boat. I anticipate another 30 years of fun and adventure aboard.
Unfortunately, some have been neglected and will require a significant amount of work/$. If you have the time and/or money, best bang for the buck by far, IMHO.

Happy hunting!

[BBill]

I don't have info on the Tayana but teak decks are a deal killer to me...no ifs ands or buts. They are high maintenance and way too hot in the tropics. i'm speaking from experience.

[limte]

Just a brief comment about teak decks. If properly installed and maintained they can last a very long time. We have an '83 Baba with teak decks which we have recaulked once. We have also replaced most of the screws and bungs, and have had no problems with leaks, delamination, etc. There is still a lot of teak thickness remaining, and I expect the decks could very well last another several decades.


It's true that teak gets quite hot in bright sunshine and hot temperatures, but they provide very secure footing. If someone is considering one of the Taiwan built boats with a lot of exterior teak, teak decks are not necessarily a "deal killer", they are part of the esthetic, and while requiring some dedication to maintain, they do have considerable redeeming qualities.



Regards,


Bob S

[sailingharry]

Two things we found when we were looking, that are hard to realize until, well, until you realize it:


* Forepeak and centerline aft bunks often are hard to read in bed. The Tayana appears to be a sort of diagonal thing that may solve the problem, but can't tell for sure. The key design feature is a bulkhead at your head that you can lean against. Many don't have one.


* Bigger boats, especially older ones, have deep cabins. We are short (5'8 and 5'4), and struggle to see anything but sky through portlights on many boats.



Our final choice, another Bob Perry design, is a Saga 43. The pullman bunk allows reading in bed, and we can see the water through the ports (she has so stand on tiptoes to see water, but she can see passing boats fine).


Not Tayana specific comments, but two data points we realized.


And +5 for the comment on a sugar scoop. Just about non-negotiable for us! We love swimming.

[Katapult Mike]

I appreciate all the many helpful comments on here. SteveW and GScriba, your comments as owners are particularly welcome. PM's incoming to both of you. GScriba, you very kindly, and patiently, gave me an extensive tour of your boat last year pre-Covid, which I am still grateful for.

On swim platform / step point, I think only the newest T52's had them from new. I was assuming I could add a stainless steel / teak swim platform that would serve the purpose adequately, if not as well.

[Martin Sea]

check out Atticus channel ,they were in the process of buying a new boat.Accirding to one of their advisors,a boat betwwen 10 and 20 years old is fine.
Make a list what you want to have as option,what you really need what you can fix yourself etc.
Go for the smallest size you really need !
Bigger doesnt necessarily nean more comfortable,cosy If rolling is an issue,catamaran can be an option,but you said you want performance,there is a clinch there.

[nuku34]

Since its your wife who wants the “condo“ boat and she doesn’t want to sail anywhere, but just meet you after the voyage, why not forget the condo boat, get a good sailing boat of a smaller size, rent a condo (or airB&B) for the wife when you get to where you’re going. The $ you save on a smaller boat will more than cover the condo/airB&B costs....

[Carl-T705]

Don't buy a Tayana 52 kid, you could put your eye out with that thing!!!!

[raahell]

Have you considered the Pacific Seacraft 44? Many long voyages and circumnavigations with this proven cruiser. Similar lines under the waterline as the Tayanas. Very nice traditional interiors but far less long term maintenance issues as the Tayanas. I just did a comparison of the T52 and PS44 on sailboatdata.com and the PS44 come out the winner in my opinion in terms of sail performance and seakindliness. The PS44, for example, has a higher Comfort Rating than the T52 despite the much larger size of the Tayana.

Mind you, they're not cheap, but by the time you invest in the likely repairs on a T52, you're probably not paying much more for a PS44.

[lifeofreilly57]

Mechanically applied teak decks are just royal pain in the ass, I removed mine and added a layer of glass with vinylester resing to my decks, then paint and nonskid. Its a labor intensive job but well worth the work, probably the best decision I made. One nice side effect is that to redo the deck you have to remove all the deck hardware, yes its a lot of work, but now three years after launching and 5000 miles I don't have any deck leaks, yup, reinstalling the hardware properly has given me a dry boat. Also it gives you a chance to pull the chainplates.
Standing rigging and chainplates are all a concern on a boat of that vintage, they would have to be inspected and replaced as needed, figure that into the price. I'm not as familiar with Tayanas in this respect, but many of the boats built in Hong Kong/ Taiwan in that vintage had questionable stainless, this includes chainplates. Have them inspected, from what I've experienced its a hit or miss thing, I removed mine and they were dye tested and found to be fine, but that hasn't been the case with several other owners I've met with.
One thing also, my wife and I cruise short handed with our two boys, the main sail on our boat is huge and requires a bit of muscle to handle, in one squall at 3am during a passage it took a section of my toerail off where the preventer was latched. I've since installed hard point on the deck with backing plates to latch the preventer, but i'm thinking of installing a boom brake to slow the boom during an unplanned jibe.
My point?
If I were looking for a boat for short handed sailing in the 47+ foot range I'd most likely get a ketch rig. Smaller sails, more options and easier handling of sails.
If your looking to go cruising, go solar, after a year of running the generator or motor to charge batteries I added an arch and solar, it will pay itself back in 2 years when you figure fuel and maintenance on generator, not to mention the hassle and noise of running the genset. It was the bane of my existence.
Now we run it once a week to run the watermaker.
Silence is golden.

[Cayuse51]

Prior to switching to a Outremer 51 to circumnavigate, I owned Tayana 52, Hull No. 62 for 10 years and did a couple of family trips to the Caribbean on it. It is a great sailing boat in big waves in the ocean with a very nice motion and served us well. The encapsulated keel is a good design. But, like many boats, it does have build issues. The black iron in the fuel tanks and the seams in the stainless water tanks will rust. The chain plates (which requires removing teak) will need to be replaced. Other metal parts, water mufflers, hose fittings, etc., will rust and break. All of the plastic and rubber hoses on a 30 year old boat will be suspect. As a later hull number, the wiring was pretty good on my boat. I would look for one where the owner has upgraded or fixed most of these problem areas. Doing the work yourself could end up being an expensive, never ending job. Also, one thing many forget is the sailing loads on the sheets and lines on a boat this large are huge. Mine weighed about 52,000 lbs in the sling. It takes a lot of force to drive a heavy boat. Good luck!

[Katapult Mike]

Originally Posted by Cayuse51

Prior to switching to a Outremer 51 to circumnavigate, I owned Tayana 52, Hull No. 62 for 10 years and did a couple of family trips to the Caribbean on it. It is a great sailing boat in big waves in the ocean with a very nice motion and served us well. The encapsulated keel is a good design. But, like many boats, it does have build issues. The black iron in the fuel tanks and the seams in the stainless water tanks will rust. The chain plates (which requires removing teak) will need to be replaced. Other metal parts, water mufflers, hose fittings, etc., will rust and break. All of the plastic and rubber hoses on a 30 year old boat will be suspect. As a later hull number, the wiring was pretty good on my boat. I would look for one where the owner has upgraded or fixed most of these problem areas. Doing the work yourself could end up being an expensive, never ending job. Also, one thing many forget is the sailing loads on the sheets and lines on a boat this large are huge. Mine weighed about 52,000 lbs in the sling. It takes a lot of force to drive a heavy boat. Good luck!

Cayuse51, thanks for the input on the T52. I checked out the Outremer 51 online. Wow! Now THAT's a condo on the water. I have very little experience with cats bigger than a Hobie cat, but maybe someday.....

[contrail]

" I feel this is plenty of room - you shouldn't need two heads for a couple. All of the '44s were semi custom built and the interiors are often a little different. Each customer had their own ideas."


I used to agree that one head should suffice for one couple. But I have come to believe that two are vastly better: you still use only one, and use head #2 as a closet, but if head #1 has a problem, you just swap over to head #2 until you can fix #1 at your leisure and convenience. Particularly on passage, it makes what could be a crisis a non-issue. I am currently downsizing from a four (!) head boat to a one head boat, and I am seriously considering buying a porta potti to keep in the storage room, for just this reason.