I'd love for you to keep making these survey videos and cover the entire sailboat. This is very good information that every sailor should know. I've not come across another channel doing this yet. I think you are on to something.
Jim did the survey on my 1985 Grady White Seafarer 22 a few years ago. He was very thorough and fun to talk with. I had already purchased the boat, but in order to get it insured, the insurance company needed a marine survey. I had done a lot of work on the boat after I purchased it, and before Jim surveyed it. He offered me some very good advice about wiring, and he pointed out some delamination of the front deck that I had not found on my own. I live in CT, not far from where Jim lives, and he is a legend in this part of the world.
Another very interesting look at the nuts and bolts (and valves) of sailboats. Fascinating stuff. I never gave a second thought about sailing until I got sucked into the Captain Q vortex. One thing to remember about any personal project involving a used anything...It is very important to actually use the thing for its intended purpose. In this case...don't wait until your boat is perfect before using it. The projects will never end and eventually, if all you do is work on it, your new love will become just another chore. I learned this the hard way from working on project vehicles. Also...try focus on one project at a time. Completing a small chore provides a lot more satisfaction than starting, and not finishing, a bunch of chores. Once it's safe and reliable, get some fun out of it. The smiles are the fuel that will keep you motivated.
Randy, this is a very good series. Jim is quite competent. I really appreciate your effort. I encourage you to continue this type of content. Include all systems eventually. Bravo
Great thing about getting a quality surveyor is that you are going to know everything that the boat is going to need right away and in the next few years. They've been doing it and have seen the progression of a issue. Starts out a small crack and ends up without proper care being a nightmare for someone
Thank you for this informative instructional video ... from what I have learned is for a boat to be fully inspected it would need to be lifted out of water ... only then can a proper survey be done ... so much to consider in order to fully get a clear picture on the condition of a boat ... so important ... but the right thing to do ... 😊😊😊
Surveyor saved me thousands on my boat. Had agreed to a sales price pending survey, post survey renegotiated over 15K less to fix issues with boat. Survey is worth every penny!
Knowledge is awesome! I would like to hear about screwed down teak decks and can damage can be foretold without ripping out the headliner? Leaking toe rails too! We see a lot of weepagae around bun holes on deck and if being teak is screwed down, does that mean your screwed. This series is bad ass Randy!
Jim, very well explained. All good to know for us looking for a boat. Gives us a guide to narrow down the search before we hire the surveyor for "the one".
You were right - this one is also a tour de force! Everyone who’s considering buying a boat needs to watch this. It’s too easy to fall in love with your dream boat, only to find out later that it’s rotting from the inside out. On the bright side, when a competent surveyor gives it the thumbs-up, you are on your way to all the the exciting times you hoped for, and hopefully none of the hidden nightmares. So my question is, Randy, did you get a surveyor to go through your boat like this before you wrote the check? Either way, I’m enjoying this series immensely. Many thanks!
Just love the channel!!!! Where is Captain Q? Learning so much I will probably get kicked out of the next boat yard I visit for pointing at stuff....LOL
This is good information for the new buyers. It's easy to get into a never ending project without this knowledge and if you are up for a "project" then this is a great way to start your tick list. Great stuff Randay...
I like this new evolution of your channel. Even more informative than before. Great work. Thanks for your effort. (I do still like the boat reviews- this new direction is just a bonus) I likely will be buying a great lakes sailor within the next couple of years.
As someone who would like to get a sailboat later on in life, I will definitely be referring to these videos when I begin the search!! Awesome series Editing to add because I almost forgot... Jim is a well of knowledge. Very knowledgeable and nice to see him on the channel
Fantastic series! A point about winged keels and grounding. I had a 30' Hunter with a winged keel. Sadly she broke her mooring during a hurricane and was beached. I live on the Bay of Fundy with its 29' tides and when she beached on he port side the port wing about 10 - 12" dug into the sand and gravel and wheat the tide came in and tried to lift her, the winged keel secured itself like an anchor and the lifting forces were so great that she broke her back. We only discovered the break when we lifted her with a transit lift and water was leaking out of the keel and when the yardman pushed on the keel, it swung big a pendulum. Had we craned her onto a trailer we would not have discovered the keel had failed. The boat was a total write-off.
I'm been out of the design engineering for decades. (Now a consultant @ a much higher level) HOWEVER, before I would design an idea, I would sit down with the maintenance person / department and just ask question. Best day or 2 always..... Every question I would have developed with out the interviews they answered with a reason(s) way. Just a word to the wise. If you or your company wants to develope a new design, sailboat, motorboat,ship, polymorane, airplane, jet, space etc... sit down with these guys and just listen for days .. weeks if possible .. it will save you or maybe the life of your company.
Couldn’t agree more. If you caught our visit with Walter Schulz, founder of Shannon yachts, he spent over a decade maintaining boats and then went on to design many of the details on his boats to be easily maintained (e.g. removing all tanks could be done with basic tools). I always feel wiser listening to the wisdom and expertise from these experts
@@YachtHunters lol it is not that common that things are functional and simple... it's hard work to find the correct solution. Keep up the great work. Some day soon I will put my wife in a dementia home but until then I will live and image the possibilities OF SAILING . THANK YOU.
Too bad this kind of video wasn't available when I bought my first sailboat in the 80's. It turned out okay but that was dumb luck.. A segment on how to pick a reputable, competent surveyor would be helpful. Thanks for the video.
Randall, you've hit the nail on the head with this topic. Please keep going. Jim is top notch. A perfect balance of science engineering and experience. 👍👏👏
Hi, thanks Randal for such a terrific video and also for introducing us to Jim! Very insightful and extremely helpful for someone such as myself, who is actively looking for a cruising vessel to live on but only has limited knowledge. I stumbled across this site and am so glad that I did - I am now a subscriber 🙂
Ha thirty years in the Marine industry and I know that almost every rudder older than 10 years is wet!! Fortunately I'm in the freshwater market were the fail rate goes way down.
Randy, Enjoying this series! It looks like you and Jim have been looking only at fiberglass boats. How different would the process be for a wooden-hulled boat? Does that require a different kind of surveyor?
Where you found that de-lamination with no water intrusion is it OK to fill that with resin after you let it dry for a while? Keep the good stuff coming Randall.
So informative and such important topics related to monies spent on ones recreational investment. Thank you Ran-Day for your efforts and keep up the action..
You’re such fun. Made me laugh a few times. Very smart too. I have learned a lot from your videos. Thank you. Generally boats mean $ signs LOL. In Australia we rarely see boats on the hard as we don’t have the good winters as such. So we have to dive to find out about Prop Rudder and Keel.
hahaha great to hear! What great fortune to be able to sail all year-round.... just make sure you don't forget to dive once i awhile otherwise you'll get a big sealife beard on your hull :)
@@YachtHunters we are certainly blessed to be able to sail all year round. The boats come out once a year for anti foul etc and have regular divers as we race all year. Wednesday afternoons. Friday Twilights. Saturdays in summer and Sundays in winter as well as a heap of annual regattas. Channels like yours certainly take my learning to the next level. So appreciative. Note to self - must buy a plastic mallet. 🔨
Thank You, Randall And Jim! The thing that I like about surveyors is that they are compelled to only tell the truth. Presented with no bias. I found Alan Vaitses book at a yard sale and you could tell that it hadn't even been read... maybe a little dry for most readers. But after going through it a few times, I realized that it had information that you couldn't find written down Anywhere else. That book was about the basics, without any complications like electronics, battery killers (inverters), or other modern gimmicks (tailgates come to mind). These surveyors have Forgotten more of their knowledge than the rest of us will ever know. But this is supposed to be the "find a sleeper channel". Part one had a comment about "ok, so we spent the whole video looking at shafts!". Let's move on, lets get to the meat and potatoes! Happily, this video expands beyond the mundane and into the fascinating world of Ballast. Maybe this is a little much after all. And I have noticed that some yacht brokers sweat bullets around surveyors. So let's move on already, if you could just do a video on rudder bearings and quadrants please first? Thank You
Thanks Marty! Now I want to find a copy of that book to see what else I can pick up to advance my position on the educational learning curve. We plan go over the rest of the boat step by step… seems like you have your own stash of good tips to share from your experience. Always great to have you pop in with some tips
@@YachtHunters This is part of Jim's Legacy. However many of these he can afford to do will definitely be appreciated. Personally, I often need to think about what I see before I know what to do about it. Walter touched on this briefly. I'm (We're?) super into learning because once we're off soundings we know that anything can go south at any time, and how we rig our own boats really could mean life or death. The more we learn, the more sense everything makes, and we realize the boat isn't a bunch of stuff thrown together a la carte. It's a machine that depends on everything working together. Sorry I don't have any tips today ok maybe one, Plastic thru hulls at the waterline or above (like a shower sump line) exposed to light can break off when you aren't looking, if they're more than a few years old. The outside flange comes off as a ring, the barb or threaded part falls off inside. You can guess the rest. Thank You Randall
Question for Jim... Will surveyors open floor boards and closed compartments? If not, how do we get around this for a proper inspection? Example mast step plates and chain plate coverings.
Can Jim address some concerns on aluminum hulls and keels? I know the market favors fiberglass, however I think Norwegian and Antarctic sailing is safer with aluminum even though it costs much more.
Actually my son in law just did the nwp in 47’ FG sloop ..with no issues relating to integrity the build. Apparently all the other passage makers they encountered were in aluminum or steel . He had no issues. His story will be published by National Geographic in book and film. Look for it this summer
Brand new subscriber and wannabe boat owner. These inspection videos are wonderful ...here's my stupid question: how are these inspections done if the boat is in the water?
Jim is really informative. I’m curious when it comes to new/newer boats, what does jim think in terms of how manufacturing has improved? Is there a company who has paid attention to the quality of their builds?
bottom line,a thorough survey on an older sailboat,say pre year 2000 is gonna take the better part of a day.There is no way to do it in a couple hrs,and the owner should pay for at least some of it.There's just too much to go over that can equate to huge amounts of money to repair or replace.A person interested in an older boat should not get discouraged as it boils down to how much time and energy your willing to put into it.Remember there are hidden jewels out there,it just takes time and a little luck to find them.
Wish Jim had been my surveyer. Three blue water boats, one bolt keel on C&C48 with the grounding separation issues he mentioned missed, a Masons 54, awesome boat and a good owner who followed thru on a major issue the surveyer "overlooked," and a Lagoon 47 with thru hull issues as shown by Jim missed . Had to use venders/contractors testimonies to override insurance company surveyers on two claims. Just know who the surveyer is truly representing. Not as impersonal as it should be. Note: 15 years of ocean sailing plus many more lake including power. Stand over, ask questions, don't let a broker take over!
Thank you again for this series Randay. While I am not in the market for a cruising yacht, this is still valuable for anyone buying any type of boat. Have a good weekend sir.
Great videos. Question for Jim, at 16:55 of the video there is red paint missing all around the hole. Is this a sign of bad maintenance of the hull paint and possible source of moisture damage to the hull. Thanks.
Is that a steel hull? Because if it is then why is the thru hull bronze? But that thru hull has no outside flange, unless it's a "countersunk" flush flange. But what about the visible seam, around the hole on the outside, that looks like the "spigot only" part of a modified thru hull, screwed into hull plating from the inside? That's probably not a flush flange. Translation: What is it? It just looks spooky. Thanks.
I always drilled holes in the bottom of my rudder at the end of every season. Some water would come out and the "on the hard" time allowed it to dry out. I just plug the holes every spring with thickened epoxy. I suspect water was coming in through the top of the rudder.
Good idea to invite surveyor expertise !.Could you include following topic : mast stability?! what to look for ,difference of fixed on deck , hull ,tabernacle ?
In my experience with balsa cored boats and centerboard trunks etc. is: eight coats of epoxy paint on the inside and outside are required to keep water out!!!! Water is a universal solvent and can turn a solid fiberglass hull into a flacid erectile dysfunctional trash heap! 8 COATS starting with barrier coat/primer, 4 coats, then 4 top coat layers! any questions?
I couldn't understand why it makes any difference which nut goes on first, so i Googled it. It makes sense! Look at the threads on a propeller shaft, grooves cut into the metal. Between the crests of each thread is a V-shape whose sides are called flanks in engineering speak. When you put a nut onto a shaft, notice as it turns its way up the shaft, the nut is doing so by pushing against the outer flanks of each thread as it winds its way up towards the propeller. When the nut bottoms out against the hub of the propeller, and you tighten the nut snug with a wrench, the nut is tight because its internal threads are firmly seated against the outer flanks for as many threads as the nut covers. Proper installation begins by installing the half nut first and tightening it just snug enough to “preload” the half nut onto the shaft against the prop hub. Tight but not with all your weight on it. Then the thick nut goes onto the shaft. When it reaches the half nut, this is where the engineering magic happens. With a second wrench on the half nut to keep it from turning, you continue to tighten the thick nut against the half nut. As one applies more torque to the larger nut, which has twice as many threads and is therefore more powerful, the thick nut begins lifting (or unloading) the half nut off the outer flanks of the shaft threads. As you fully tighten the thick nut, the half nut releases its pressure on the outer thread flanks and is pushed hard against the inner thread flanks and against the prop hub. The two nuts are effectively now pushing against each other, and they will stay that way forever. The greater number of threads of the larger nut means it will always win this contest, also because the half nut has nowhere to go. The two nuts will not come off due to vibration or engine use. Ding a blade and the nuts will stay tight. Have a cutless bearing back out and you will have other things to worry about in the vibrating chaos that follows, but not about losing the propeller. That happened to me once in the Caribbean…another story. The purpose of the prop nuts is to make sure the propeller stays seated snugly against the shaft taper. In normal operation, prop nuts don’t really take much load anyway, as thrust from the engine keeps the propeller pushing onto the shaft. In reverse there may be some load on the nuts but that is temporary and nothing to worry about. So why make a big deal about these two nuts, and the order of how they are installed? Because it is the proper way to do it, and that is reason enough.
That’s the nuttiest reply we have ever had !!! But I love the engineering behind it Give the man a giant seegar ! Thank you for taking the time to research and share Do you have a link to your google discovery?🤗
Happens all the time. All depends on how long the water has just been sitting there. Unfortunately there's no X-ray nor MRI way to look inside to know exact condition.
Ran-dayy, I have a question. When looking for a quality surveyor what license or qualification or schooling is the best and or what should we ask for when shopping for a quality surveyor? Im sure a boat sales company will have their own beloved surveyor which is perhaps as picky as needed
Buy a sailing dinghy. Go out and capsize it. Learn to right it and get back aboard. Get good at sailing a dinghy, before buying a keel boat. Don't try to learn sailing on boats where you cannot afford a mistake.
