How to Select, Equip and Maintain a Cruising Boat. The Series.

Chapter 1; Comparing Production Boats part 1, don't believe the hype

Over recent years the number of production yachts on offer in Australia and throughout the world has increased substantially despite the demise of all but a few domestic monohull builders. Beneteau, Catalina and Jeanneau have been around for donkeys years, Hunter, Bavaria and Dufour are perhaps a little more recent to these shores. Add the relative newcomers, Waquiez, Hanse and Delphia to the list and things start to sound busy. Of course we are not finished yet, Island Packet, Halberg Rassy, Grand Soliel, X Yachts, Najad, Sweden Yachts, Oyster, Moody and Swan are all available. To make the choice even more interesting some of these manufacturers offer both cruisers and racing versions of a similarly sized yacht. Then there are the cats, Perry, Lightwave, Lagoon, Tasman and Fontain Pajot to name a few. Any wonder people visit boat shows which is probably your only chance of comparing, at least superficially a variety of vessels in the flesh. Having sailed many dozens of different production boats (mostly by the higher volume, lower priced manufacturers) in charter work over the years it becomes apparent that all are not created equal. Each of the builders seem to be facing the same design and production challenges and it is interesting to note the way each address them. Some do a great job in some areas and poorly in another. The next builder will excel in many issues and then completely ignore an aspect which significantly detracts from the vessels suitability or hardiness. Others simply do the least possible to create an impressive looking and salable product for the lowest possible price.

Don’t believe the hype.

According to the ads each of these vessels will be everything to everyone and is the last word in luxury, safety, performance and construction; this is obviously crap when speaking of a new 38 to 40 footer in the mid 200k range but will be much closer to the truth if a similar size vessel is setting you (not me) back, upwards of 500 grand. So we want a boat, either new or secondhand as the issues are basically the same; can't afford a flash one which realistically will be of a much higher standard and have resigned ourself to choosing the best of the inexpensive (relative term of course) offerings. What do we look for and what do we wish to avoid? The first thing to consider is performance. Essentially this comes built in from the factory and no amount of gear is going to transform a house brick into a fast boat. New kevlar sails will help but the adage about pearls adorning the neck of swine, sounds about right. So if going reasonably fast is on the list, that list just got a lot shorter. Be very aware that performance varies hugely amongst production boats, between manufacturers with different design philosophies and even between models from the same manufacturer; and they have all built some duds, no matter what the ads say. The best way to ascertain if a boat goes to your satisfaction of course is to sail it. If it is a newer model then you may be able to charter one prior to purchase. If it is an older model your after, the charter option may not be available as most of the more venerable boats have already been retired. Older yachts will flaunt their bad points to some extent and often indicate the future for the new boat as many of the deficiencies will be similar. So what do we look for, specifically?

Water damage

Sooner or later your boat will get wet, without doubt. How often and to what extent will determine how she looks in a few years. Some makes have excellent timber work and nice solid, well varnished joinery. Others are rubbish, particle board type timber with a thin veneer stuck to the exposed face. This face is fair to the eye but over time the material will act like a sponge, absorb water and expand. The veneer may also peel quickly away and if you decide to varnish then sand lightly indeed. Look at concealed sections of timber for a clue as to what you can expect.

Unsealed timber

Pull up the bilge covers and have a look at the undersides. Most of the time this will be untreated and subject to water damage from the bilges. If your bilge is dry and you keep it this way then no harm done. But considering the bilge function is to catch and accumulate all water from inside the boat sooner or later it will and the timber will become vulnerable. Older boats may show wear in this area. Some vessels have the undersides varnished from the factory but the edges are untreated; same result but slower. I am aware of only one mainstream builder (sub national debt price remember,) that seal their cabin sole (floor) top, bottom and sides. This is a real feather in their cap and inclines me to think very kindly of them. This same manufacturer however uses stainless steel that marks, pits and corrodes far quicker than other yachts. For this I wish them the torments of the pit.

Points to compare and decisions to make

What is the furniture made of?

Is the standard of finish likely to endure?

Is timber sealed on the undersides and edges?

Does the sailing performance meet your requirements?

Whilst on the subject of bilges

As mentioned these things are designed to catch, isolate and dispose of (via our mate the bilge pump) water inside our boat. This is an admirable objective but many bilges are less than adept at this specialist task. Prime reason is capacity, second reason is isolation. Many modern boats pay only lip service to the bilge. There may be a small indentation in the middle of the yacht called a bilge but spill a cup of tea and the capacity is exceeded. Again this is no big deal if you frequently inspect, clean and dry the bilge but reality usually prevails and that water slops around unnoticed doing harm in places and ways that would appall Hannibal Lector. Isolation of the bilge from the rest of the yacht is another matter which might be fixed by the owner brave enough to drill holes in the boat. I have always lacked this courage but many have not. Most production techniques involve placing an internal moulding into the hollow shell of the fibreglass hull. The hull keeps the water out and the internal moulding or pan, largely supplies the strength or reinforcing to the boat in the form of cross members, stringers (longitudinal supports) and the like. Properly done and glassed to the hull this is impressively strong but sometimes this creates self contained compartments beneath the cabin sole which cannot drain to the bilge. Leave a hatch open in the vee berth for example and all the water that enters and percolates beneath the floor remains there; until you pull it up and sponge it out. Excellent design will allow the various compartments to drain to the central bilge but this may not be easy to ascertain; ask the broker or agent by all means but don't expect a surprising answer. Most engine compartments (modern anyway) are isolated from the bilge for environmental reasons so oil or fuel is not pumped overboard. Bilges of course are generally the home of keel bolts. Keel bolts are metal, (of one type or another) and metal does not care for water. Stainless steel is the best you can expect and nasty mild steel possibly the worse. If you suspect mild steel or the magnet pulls even a little then clean em up and paint them.with a rust proofing of some kind. Even varnish will help keep these important pieces intact. Look for big bolts, if you have a spanner that fits (and you should not), then be very, very sure your tightening. Some keels are quite dependent on the bolts, actually it is all that holds them on. This is really scary unless your paying the slipway to remove it, ten minutes and finish. Other brands in the same price range take a couple of days to get the keel off; your choice.

Points to compare and decisions to make

Are the keel bolts mild or stainless?

Are they large or small?

Are there backing pads or just washers?

What, apart from bolts holds the keel on?

How deep is the bilge?

Are the pumps (note the capacity) well situated and installed?

Core, blimey

Modern materials are increasingly being marketed in relation to new production boats and one of the current favourites seems to be a foam cored hull. Touted as lighter, stiffer, stronger (no one mentions cheaper) than fibreglass many of the manufacturers use this material above the waterline and some of the fancier performance models may use it throughout the entire hull and deck. One inherent drawback with core material is the possibility of delamination. If the adhesion between the glass on either side of the foam is inadequate for any reason then you could be left with three separate layers of hull rather than one united piece which doesn't sound so great. Water finding a way into the core and promoting delamination is another issue and most people would have heard a story or two about this. I met one guy who had his hull replaced under warranty (after legal proceedings begun; the engine, mast & interior etc were transferred from the old boat) because the fenders had caused corrugated dents in the foam cored topsides. Cored construction has been around a long time, balsa wood and ply have been glassed into boats for ages and each has a share of advocates and critics. Modern balsa core is interesting, picture domino sized blocks of timber on a fine mat like rectangular bathroom tiles. Each piece has a small gap between its fellow, this gap is to allow resin and glass to completely seal it from the next piece. In theory at least this will limit water ingress, rot and delamination to only the damaged area. There are a few builders still using only solid glass for their boats and others using balsa core that claim to apply the balsa only for added rigidity after the required layup schedule for a solid glass hull has been achieved. Fibreglass is without question a flexible product; consider the springy fibreglass boom kicker, (vang like device) that holds the boom up on some smaller boats and the potential stiffness benefits from core materials become clearer. Most decks are cored these days. Whether foam, balsa or ply, reinforcing at critical load points is generally required. Have a look at the undersides of hardware where accessible without doing damage to the vessel or yourself. If a substantial backing pad is visible (don't hold your breath) there is the answer, if not it may be worth asking the question. Most replace the foam or balsa core with solid glass or ply in high load areas and the resultant difference in flex is often the culprit for the ubiquitous spider web or hairline cracks in gelcoat. Hull and deck are built in two pieces and joined once all the big stuff like engines and furniture is fitted into the hull. This join is fairly critical to our peace of mind; I have no desire to cruise in an open boat. How this is achieved again varies between manufacturers but generally consists of an adhesive sealant and mechanical fasteners. The adhesive in many cases is something akin to 3M 5200 which is a never remove again, type. Others will use an epoxy or polyester bog to make the join and a small few glass over the lot. Mechanical fasteners range from self-tapping screws sized for doll house construction at 300mm centres to large through bolts with washers and nyloc nuts at 100mm centres securing an additional aluminium toe rail. These are becoming increasingly rare and a cap of some type, often teak, increasingly common. Caps can conceal a variety of fastening methods so see if you can get a look at the join from inside the vessel. Crawling into lockers and holes with a torch is good practice if you are interested. Leaking hull & deck joins are very difficult to trace and can be even harder to fix.

One major builder had a run of boats with virtually no sealant in the hull/deck join; leaked like a sieve of course.

Points to compare and decisions to make

Is the hull/deck join secured with through bolts or self tapping screws?

Is it glassed or bogged together?

What is the hull construction and are you happy with it?

Mast & rig

The only thing production yachts have in common here is each vessel will have one; what type and its characteristics will be dependent on the vessel selected. A big item to consider is the mast type, slender bendy fractional rig, conservative masthead type or vast roached and backstay less are just a few of the offerings. Both one and two piece masts are on the market. A number of big builders use a particular brand of mast that is supplied in two pieces and joined. This is sleeved (an insert is placed inside the two sections) and riveted in place. Seems apparent that this join would be a weak spot, the spar would flex more both above and below the join with the double wall thickness. Tie a knot in a line and this becomes the weakest point so the concept may be similar but I've never heard of one breaking.

Whatever type of rig you end up with, if considering any distance sailing it is important for the rig to allow three reefs in the mainsail. Few production boats will come with three reefs and many will have hardware designed for only two reefs. This means adding various external blocks to the boom, probably to the mast base and possibly replacing organiser blocks and adding an extra rope clutch. In nearly every instance the mainsail will need to be removed, taken to the sailmaker for the extra reef point, reinforced and installed with the appropriate line. All quite achievable but will set you back a few months cruising budget and may not be as neat or efficient as a factory installed system. Fair enough we can retro fit a third reef but is the sail worth it? Of course, the sail is brand new right?

Wrong; even new sails can be rubbish and frequently are not too far from it. Standard sail quality varies hugely between manufacturers, one big name supplies excellent sails, another has good, one more decent and the rest will mostly look good for the first passage and then revert to shapeless stretched sacks that provide lift equivalent to your laundry flapping on the lifelines. Check the weight of the sailcloth and if it is light protect this dubious investment by having some heavier sails made and use these whenever the wind gets up. Look for substantial cloth and webbing reinforcements at load points like the clew, tack, head and reef points. On mainsails see if there is a headboard or simply an eye pressed into the cloth. Some vessels will come standard with spinnaker halyards and some will not. A pole topping lift and spare main and jib halyards are also required. These are unlikely to be standard issue but it is important that the boat can accept these extras without too much modification. If you have to cut exit slots in the mast and the like it starts getting a bit hard and the temptation to do without increases. Even if you do not plan to use a spinnaker, a pole for the jib will be required and will probably be an extra. On larger vessels a solid vang (supports the boom when released and flattens the mainsail when on) is pretty important but not all will come standard with this so add another thousand or so to the upgrade list when making comparisons.

Points to compare and decisions to make

Is there a spinnaker pole or the gear for one?

Are there provisions for sufficient halyards without major work?

Is a solid vang installed?

Are the sails of good quality, heavy enough cloth and well made?

Chapter 2; Comparing Production Boats, engines and hardware and more.

Quality brand name equipment

Virtually every new boat review and ad says something like only quality brand name equipment is used, Lewmar, Harken, Schaeffer, Furlex and so on. Well guess what, who ever heard of the Lucky Dragon of Shanghai Manufacturing Company producing yacht gear? Additionally, each of these big companies make a range of equipment with different price points. Holden made a Statesmen and a Kingswood and one cost a great deal more than the other. The moral here is to investigate the particular item under question and not to blindly accept that quality brand name means the part is ideal for the purpose and properly fitted.

If this was the case then the hatches and ports on new boats wouldn’t leak, no one would collapse exhausted after struggling with a cotton reel sized winch and as a consequence the engine would get a lot less use. Speaking of winches have a good look at what you get. Small single speed numbers may be fine on the beach cat but unless you reckon Hercules had an easy task in his labours you will agree that no winch is too big. Winches are expensive and the tendency is for manufacturers to fit the cheapest (read smallest) possible. Some builders are decidedly meaner than others in this regard so look carefully at the various offerings.

Winches are sized according to a formula developed in the middle ages, protected by witchcraft and presumably lost forever in the Salem burnings. So now the number on the winch is meaningless (to me anyway) between brands. Seems one 44 is actually way smaller than anothers 28 so a reasonable test might be to see if the frailest of your crew are able to use the gear. Or cough up more dough, install powered winches and then get dropped in it if they break down.

Mainsheet travellers are another important control and a costly item. Different vessels have differing systems and some are decidedly superior to others. Look for a reasonable length. If the track is short the benefit is short, is the gearing adequate to adjust by hand or can the tail be easily led to a winch? Does the vessel even have a traveler? Jib car tracks are another important point. If these are short then the range of headsails you can use efficiently will be reduced substantially. For distance sailing a small jib will be a good friend but even with a high cut clew this will require a forward sheeting angle. Long leads provide the versatility (and good boats are versatile) to fly a variety of sails to suit more conditions.

The difference in this regard between brands is substantial, some have tracks less than a metre long, most will have two or three metre tracks and one