Saltwater n bilge II-Surveyor's Responsibility?

[sailingdolphin]

I want to thank you all for your help.

The guy who runs the shipyard said "Your lucky this boat didn't sink".

MAKE SURE YOUR ENGINE IS ALIGNED PROPERLY!

Somebody put on a new engine mount a while back the engine was too high and the shaft was rubbing on the fiberglass tube until it created an actual hole.  That explains why, when I tightened the hose clamps on the pedro hose the leak got worse not better.

He is saying I need a new shaft, fiberglass tube, stuffing  Box, and I might as well put in a new cutlass bearing. It looks like around $2500.00

I bought this boat about 4 weeks ago. How can the surveyor miss this? The only thing on the survey he mentioned was to replace the hose clamps on the pedro hose. That's it.

You could see how where the shaft goes into the pedro hose that the pedro hose looked crooked.

Also when the boat was hauled out the fiberglass on the bottom where the shaft goes into the boat was cracked and thin. Also, the shaft was shiny, about an inch of it, so it was definetely rubbing.

The guy at the yard just looked at it and new what was wronge and after taking everything apart he was right.

I called the surveyor he can't look at it until saturday. He is in Hawaii helping out with the Transpac. He has been doing this along time and he said "That is one of the main things we look for." He was surprised and has already agreed to throw in $500.00 although he doesn't know how much it will cost yet.

What is the surveyors responsibilty?

For those of you in the Long Beach area who want to take a peak its at the Marina Shipyard.
Also quick side note. The article in The Log about the guy with the Catalina 42, who had it on autopilot and ran into the oil rig has his boat there.  I saw the mast and it look like a piece of pop-metal you twisted until it broke.

[Stu Jackson]

OUTSOURCING and Your Repsonsibility

Doug,

Sometimes it works and sometimes you have to know more than the surveyors.

The used boat market, as in the used-anything market, always has its drawbacks.

One of the most important things that I've learned from sailing is to avoid the "on the street lawyer" types, who are looking for someone to "blame," and then spend the time on your own, learning how to do almost everything, on your own.

Easier to say, but harder to do. But you're still the very best friend you've got.

When we were looking for a C34 in 1996-7, we took a YEAR to find the right one.  Some folks' timelines might be shorter, for various reasons.

We found what we thought was the "right one," but subsequently learned, ONLY by being present through the ENTIRE survey (five hours) that there were serious misgivings on this particular boat.  

And this was after seeing over 20 boats before, in detail, and finding one that we would even consider (cleanliness, systems, condition, etc.).  All ONLY C34s.

When we first saw what we've named our "Aquavite," we employed what we had learned from our survey experience.  The PO, after the first half hour of us "ripping the boat apart", said, "I thought you said you weren't professonals."

"What makes you say that?", I asked.

"You guys really seem to know what you're looking at," he replied.

"If I plan to spend $X on something this important to me," I said, "we sure better be able to know what we're getting."

"And this boat is GREAT," I added.

We were able to do the deal, our surveyor was very surprised and pleased that we'd found an even better (although older) boat than the one we'd previously rejected (he'd done the survey and we'd been with him), and we've spent the last five years upgrading and modifying, putting off and doing, cleaning and using, and all the fine things that go along with C34 ownership.

We used the C34 website as a great guideline before and during our searches, and we asked questions as we went along, after we did our own homework.

It's not only the $$ or the $500 "back," it's the learning experience of it all.

You have some "problems."  They're specific and FIXABLE.

At the risk of sounding like a teacher (duh...) you may want to consider this as a learning experience.

It may be fine to find someone to offset the cost of the "failure to find," but if you read Steve Lyle's WEblog, you'll find you're not alone.

And, we're all here to help.


PS  what's a PEDRO hose?

[This message was edited by Stu Jackson #224 1986 "Aquavite" on August 03, 2003 at 07:22 PM.]

[Stu Jackson]

Steve's weblog is:

http://c34.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=329609511&f=829605811&m=972602911

[sailingdolphin]

The surveyor offered the $500.00 to us unsolicited. I thought that was awfully nice of him.

He is also making sure the yard doesn't over charge and said he would check in during the week.

I am grateful. It all could of been a lot worse and I agree it was a great learning experience.