Jim Dias, I hope this will be the impetus for your own YT channel. It would be immensely popular, not a doubt about it, and of benefit to all of us. (Viewers, please 'thumbs up' this comment if you agree!!)
That’s very kind of both of you. Jim is coming back! He’s a busy guy and just did after some time away he just did a delivery to FL with his main squeeze (a first time sailor) and he’s back in and we’re hoping to continue the series this spring. Thanks so much!
I really like the tip about checking to see how organized and orderly the boat is. I have done a lot of buying of used cars and one of the first things I look at is the condition of the interior because if they couldn't be bothered to vacuum the car then it is unlikely they did regular maintenance like oil changes.
I bought one of those moisture meters after watching your video when Jim was using it on a hull. Not cheap but a great detective for helping me solve leaks into the cabin from deck hardware. Thanks, guys! Dean
I love this series so much. Never owned a boat, but would love to eventually and when I do I'll be on a tight budget. These videos are educating me so well on boats to walk away from, or at least be aware of how much work is needed to get it truly seaworthy.
Hello Randy I hate to tell you that the moisture meters are VERY innacurate on fiberglass boats, especially on bottom painted hulls. As a classic boat restorer, the meters work on wooden hulls. Trumpy, Stevens, Huckins etc. I have opended up many fiberglass hulls that have failed moisture tests to find that there were NO issues with the lamination. Unless you have visible blistering at gelcoat level or below, I don't trust the meters. I blasted the hull of a Hinckley Bermuda 40 to find no blistering at gelcoat level or below. The blisters were in the bottom paint layers!!!
The deck measurements as well. The meters are prone to FALSE positive readings. They work very well on wooden boats, but not on fiberglass. There are some infrared meters that I am not familiar with that report to have accurate readings on fiberglass moisture content. I am surprised that you were the only person responding to my comment. I have clients that have spent tens of thousand dollars to remedy a surveyors report to find out that there was no problem. The best way for checking for moisture is to take a core sample " biopsy" and check for moisture. I have been doing classic boat restorations for only 45 years. So what do I know? My two cents.
Between the spongy decks this week and the surprisingly (to me) expensive sails last week, I decided that van life makes more sense for me. Thanks, Randay! 😎
#vanlife is great too...as a former Sprinter owner. Lots of fun to be had out on the roads. If you get the itch to drive where there are no stop lights, sails can last 20 years if cared for well... so hopefully I can amortize that so that it ends up being a rather inexpensive investment over the long haul... cheers, Sax
How frequently should one rebed their deck fittings (mast, chainplates, hinges, windlass, stanchions, ....) so that one's boat doesn't end up like the one in the video ?
Thank you Randay and Jim. When it’s time for me to start looking I’ll be rewatching this series. This is invaluable and well presented information. The details really help those with little experience to understand not just what to look for but what caused the problems and why it’s important. Thank you, Hope to see the captain soon.
As a guy who has been around boats most of my life and as a trucker who moved hundreds of them ,sail and power new and used ,I find this series of videos most interesting .and this episode especially .Thank you Ran-Day and Mr Dias for such a comprehensive and easily understood explanation of what you are doing and why .
I’m missing captain Q terribly but Ran-day this is great content for us arm chair dreamers who might just turn that dream into a reality. That’s me. I haven’t given up my dream so this is critical info to understand. If I can spot these deal breakers before and save my surveyor for a more detailed look. Well done Ran-day.
I overpaid for a 1968 Hughes a couple years ago because it was the hull I have always wanted. Became severely handicapped 6 months ago and am now quite worried. This series of episodes are a great help for me. Thanks
thank you for all this great info. ive lived in Albq, New Mexico all my life, (52 yrs young now) and met my wife 2 yrs ago while she was working there temperalily (shes a travel nurse). when she had to take a job in cocoa beach (and shes from florida and all her family is here) i decided to retire from my job of 20yrs and follow. i am in love with the ocean and my wife and i both want to live in a boat full time. so ive been searching and was just about to blindly buy when i stumbled across your channel, needless to say, you just saved me thousands, and i see i have alot to learn still. but we are absoulutly going to get that boat eventualy, but thanks to you we will make an informed desicion. thx again. keep up the great work. steve.
Great Video, keep the series going..so, so informative, . everyone who watches is learning from Jim... and I'll bet he gets a lot of calls from people that are getting ready to "jump" into a new to them boat. I needa moisture meter..Ha
Hi guys, thank you so much for your videos. I discovered your channel two days ago and I am binge watching since then. We are a family of four from France just starting a project of travelling the world on a sailboat and the level of information your share here is unvaluable for us. Merci beaucoup. Bon vent.
Cannot appreciate this video enough. I am new to this and would not have thought to do the type of inspection Jim did, obviously since I am not a surveyor, but even when looking to buy a boat. The deck inspection parts were eye opening, and learning how these component on the deck and rigging interact with the deck itself, great information. I will make sure to incorporate this as well as all of the other pieces of inspections and what to look for for sure. Awesome video series. I am sure some sellers are wishing this series was not out now
These are such great videos. This is great information and a learning experience for anyone interested in purchasing a boat. Thank you for sharing. It would be interesting to know for maintenance, what things to check for overtime to prevent these issues.
This is great. I love your format and the down to earth explanations. After my first 2000nm I am hooked. So your videos are great for helping me out find my sailboat. Here's an idea...why not tell us about your buying experience. I"d love to know how it went. Thanks...keep up the good work.
Such great, informative videos. As a future (day dreaming) sailor, these videos are so valuable. Thank you both for sharing! Am looking forward to the trailer sailboat future episodes as that type of sailboat likely will be our first boat.
A note on different chainplate designs: the style with a removable bedding plate are much safer than a one-piece where the deck flange is welded onto the chain plate. My boat had one-piece plates and the metal was rotting from the inside out from moisture that entered between the deck and the plate. Nearly lost my rig thanks to what appeared to be bright, shiny metal but was completely dead inside.
@@YachtHunters rig was tensioned. I noticed rust forming on the plate about 15mm below the pin for my cap shroud turnbuckle. Since it wasn’t coming from that connection point it raised some alarms. The rust seemed to be sweating out of the metal itself. Upon closer inspection with penetrating dye, there were tiny cracks forming. Once I removed the plate entirely and checked the underside of the flange I was absolutely terrified at the level of corrosion.
Same here,had a chainplate just snap,luckily it was only a lower shroud but I renewed them all after that,it was a 40ft boat in 20 knots of wind and one reef in so wasn't being pressed hard. I've got another boat now and the chainplates were the first job I did on her,the old ones look fine but they are nearly 50 years old so it's a small cost for my peace of mind to just renew them
Its been about a year since I've watched the channel... I do miss Captain Q but I'm glad Rand-ay is till doin his thing and bringing us such incredibly helpful and informative videos. Thanks man, it is appreciate!! Also, Jim seems like a cool guy lol that "Lets give it a shot man!!!" was so infectiously excited, THAT is a guy I wanna go on an adventure with haha
Thanks, Evan!! Great to have you stop back in. Jim is exactly that... cool, calm, excited to get out on the water and no problem is enough to rattle his positive vibes. We are getting together soon to continue the series too... cheers!
Randay, do you think, in retrospect, that you were more entranced by the lines and design of your new boat (the aft private cockpit off of the aft cabin, e.g.) than the actual condition of the boat? I guess I thinking, first, of the condition of the wiring, but you've had your share of engine problems, too.
This is a great series Ran-day. Thank you for putting the time and effort in to create these. They're so informative. Keep up the good work, and hope everything is good with the Captain!
Wood and steel are always stronger then plastic but age and maintanance history is a key. Rusty steel and rotten wood can cost a lot of time and money to repair. Now welding steel can be done anywhere almost for a quick fix when needed and steel is stronger when hitting an object at sea.
Have learned a lot. I'm currently in the process to find a steel-boat so would be wonderful to get some hints on what to look at on those. Keep up the good work!
Good stuff guys. Much like RVs that I'm more familiar with water through the roof or deck in this case is the most common cause of death of boats. Keep the good stuff coming Randall and hopefully the Captain will be back with us soon.
Hi Randall, I know I am late to the party, just catching up on your channel and excited to see the next chapter. Quick question, does Jim have an advice for us "want to be" Marine Surveyors? The field itself is not very transparent but highly interesting. If you see him again Sir, I sure would appreciate anything he might have to say on the topic. Thanks for all the great shows!
Nice job with this video. I can see this saving a lot of people a lot of money with nothing more than a plastic mallet. (and costing lemon boat sellers a lot of money)
I love Jim and you for making this. It really put in light why so many beautiful vessels are abandoned. Or scrapped. It may look gorgeous outside but the core is trash. It's a shame they were designed in such a way that makes them this prone to ruin. Not the smartest idea eh?
How often should the running and standing rigging be replaced. Also what are the surveyors thoughts on freestanding Masts such as found on a Nonsuch or Freedom yachts?
This is so great, first-time buyer here looking to a buy a boat and this is such a valuable information. Can't wait to see the next one! When is it coming out?
I definitely learned alot from this series and know some things to look for that I never would of thought of. One thing I definitely learned is before making a major purchase , hire a professional . 👍
This is really useful buyer beware info. As anyone who's been out looking for that mythical best boat knows, there are an awful lot of boats available for every price point you can imagine. Many of those who haven't sold for a long while probably failed a survey or two, and are languishing until the owners can't afford to keep them anymore... or until some poor schmuck comes along and buys one without a survey. Sometimes it's tempting to be that schmuck. Take a deep breath. The feeling will pass. Just know, once you buy the boat, you own all the problems. *** On the other hand, if you have the skills and are motivated, you can take a deck apart from the top, and scrape out the dead core and replace it with fresh core and generous polyester resin, etc. There are numerous videos showing how to do this. And there are worse ways to spend your time and money.
As a long time marine trade guy I'm constantly amazed that people think that hardware once down is good to go for 30 years. On some of the boats ive raced we had a 4 year rotation of gear that was pulled up and repedded. Like expecting a house roof to last a hundred years. Maintenance is a pain but just has to be done.
Thank you Randay and Mr. Dias for the excellent video. These videos are like a college night class in how to buy a boat and when you and the Captain go through a boat it is like a class in evaluating the living and sailing qualities of a boat. Have a great weekend gentlemen.
• I alive on a 1973 Alberg 30 and a rotten deck core and chainplates is my worst nightmare. I don't have the nerve to check my chainplates and balsa core. I always suspect when sailing that someday my rig will come down and that after I die my boat will have basically no value and will be a disposal liability. But then I cheer-up because I think so what. If the mast comes crashing down (assuming it doesn't land on my head) I will be left with a perfectly comfortable (for me) and live-aboard-able trawler. Without the mast I can go under bridges and further up some bayous. I wouldn't mind the slow speed. I might spend some money on engine sound insulation and a cockpit Bimini. I will have excessive draft (4ft) but not so much that I couldn't live with it. I like the look of my hull (long, low, narrow with nice overhangs) and I think it would be more beautiful than any but a Biloxi Lugger trawler. So if I were looking for a boat to live on or even to sail in local, protected waters (vs ocean crossings) a boat like the one surveyed above with the rotten core or one needing major standing and running rigging and sail repairs/replacement might be a perfect find for me. No way it is worth the effort of re-coring the deck but it might last another 20 years cruising coastal waters or just buy it as a live aboard coastal trawler.
This may be a bit much but could you address the limitations on changing the mast on older boats. What are issues with attempting to put high end hands free gear on older boats? Not so much cost but if one finds the perfect older boat and think it can be made as easy to single hand just by geting new self tailing/ furling everything. What boats are too old for this????? Love your videos. Great work.
