Not I, a fiberglass sail boat of that size doesn't have much to survey/inspect anyway. Engine and generator would be the two main components and chances are that boat doesn't have a generator. Through hulls, hoses, pumps, stuffing box, electrical panel are easy to inspect yourself. The boat is in the water, if the pumps aren't going off every thirty minutes there aren't any significant leaks. Check to see if any major cracks around high stress points such as the fore and aft, stay attachment points, port and starboard chainplates, etc. Lift the cabin sole and look at the keel bolts, check for leaks and ooze. Walk the decks and cabin top feel for soft spots in the core. Look for brown ooze around stanchions, winches, hatches, every screw any place the fiberglass has been compromised. Look at the cabin overhead any water stains?

A wood, steel, aluminum boat? Different story.

Afterburn, If you read SCadadles post a few back the body of water this boat is on and presumably the body of water he will navigate is very limited in facilities. No yacht clubs with cranes or marinas with travel lifts. So he would need to hire a private crane to haul and splash the boat. So it seems this boat doesn't have the bottom inspected or painted on a regular basis due to cost and probably logistics. And of course being a lake he can't even ground it on an outgoing tide to inspect, paint, repair the bottom.

Yeah I don't think a ramp is much help for a boat that draws five feet. Remember every inch of height you need one foot of ramp to get the depth to float the boat. His vehicle would be underwater before he got anywhere near that thing floating.

On a 1974 fiberglass hull the chances of having osmotic blisters is high! Example. My 1985 Hunter 25.5 when pulled from Lake Allatoona to Lake Lanier showed over 300 blisters!! It took me many weeks to fix. When they pulled my Catalina 30 out for a survey over 30 blisters were identified. By then I was experienced at repairing them and still bought the boat. Do some research on the subject. Bottom paint on a fresh water fiberglass hull is nuts when you think about it unless you pay for a costly barrier coat. Your only getting algal matting not barnacles or boring worms. Blistering to me can be a deal killer, but that's my opinion. I would agree on other items you mention. I doubt your keel bolts are stainless on a 1974 model. The fairing material from the keel to the hull often crack from rust perforating from the keel bolts down. If the bolts are rusted chances are you have fairing concerns but you would not know this with a boat in the water unless inspected in the water by someone under the water! Thru hulls back then might be gate valves. Much to look at and much to think about.

my 2-cents

If you do not pull the boat then at least have a diver check the bottom or do it yourself with snorkel gear.

Sunroof- He stated several times the boat had a "bottom job". Not sure exactly what that means? But post 11 he states "It's a 1974 model C&C 30 that's had a $8-10,000 full bottom cleaning-coating-paint job up to the deck in the last 3 years."

Presumably the "coating" was the application of Interprotect or something similar.

The blisters would have showed up long ago, the later boats in 80's had more chance of them I was told the chemicals in the polyester resin were changed and ended up with air bubbles in the gelcoat, solid glass hull not much to go wrong there, the balsa in the deck is the weak point.

On the C&C 30 if the OP is still considering this boat, should check with local insurance co and they may require a recent survey to put a policy on the boat.

So at the club I was at, they had a large steel spreader frame to keep the slings wide when picking up the boats, without that there would be lots of squeezing at the deck, I doubt the crane co would have this, possibly uses really long slings?

If the topside's were painted that alone is close to $8k job.

Saw that but even with a bottom job (that price quoted could have been for blister removal and barrier coat because that is really high!). Bottom paint (good ablative paint preferred for fresh water averages $150 gallon @ 2 gallons for that size boat is $300. Where it got to 8-10K had to lead to repairs! I guess the current owner would have the details. Given all that, it is a bargain at that price. The C&C is an excellent blue water boat and the hulls back in the early 70's were built thick because glass was fairly new as boat building material. Today its a whole new ballgame!! During that period the Ericsons, Pearsons, O'Days. Morgans, Cal, C&C's to name a few came on the market. The early Hunters and Catalina's were the lower end; sort of the Chevy's of the fleet. Sorry to say, McGregor came in at the bottom on quality of materials.

Parts are still around for the Atomic Four, which was the workhorse of the day before diesels were installed. You just have to make sure the tank and ventilation system are up to standard and your fire extinguishers are working! Interiors can be revamped, especially if you avoid the costlier Marine Parts catalogs and shop at RV stores for pumps, hoses, lighting, etc and all things DC powered. Big savings their.

If I were in your shoes Daddle, I would certainly consider this C&C, but I personally would still dive the boat for a look see and get the hull/bottom repair details. In a fresh water environment the standing rigging and stanchions will not see corrosion but you do not want the mast falling on you either! Take a close look at the swag fittings and BTW the big thing now for re-bedding stanchions is butyl rubber. Looks like you have roller furling which is a nice touch if a storm comes up. You have been around boats as long as me so you know what to do. Like you said, the engine is key, but their is a ton of info on the Atomic 4 on the internet. Everything else is simply

.......................messing about in boats :)

fair winds

That C&C looks like it is pretty well set up, inboard jib tracks, self tailing winches, looks like an older Harken furling and set up for spinnaker, to pick up those items alone are over $5k new.

But the potential for wet balsa is high near the bolts for the tracks, if the deck was repainted possibly already done, it does say painted up to the deck, if that is fresh Awlgrip a gallon of that up here with hardener is $1k, by the time it is back in the water easy $6-8k.

Ah, a couple of containers of "GIT-ROT" to inject into those soft spots and your all set.

Never heard of Git Rot, quickly looked it up and it says wood must be dry, that will be the problem.

I had a fitting leak years ago and I could not believe how fast the balsa soaked up water and spread, I caught it early enough and does not seem to be a problem yet. I do have a moisture meter and keep an eye on the deck.

I had a soft spot on my Coronado 35 foredeck. I got great info in the yard from several folks and that was to drill very small holes in a pattern thru the gelcoat and into the balsa core. The several days of sunshine helped to wick out the moisture, but I did not use a meter nor assess just how much moisture remained in the core. I injected GIT-ROT in each drill hole until it filled the hole. It took several days before it cured but that soft spot was as hard as a steel plate after curing. A gel coat patch kit took care of the rest. Saved a bundle!

1973 OIL CRISIS was the first cost/chemistry switch but it took time to happen
as supplys were used up and makers shifted chemistry
before 73 boat pox was very rare
the 1979 next oil crisis made it much worse
and hulls got thinner do to costs and better stress understanding
iso resin is one way to prevent blisters
many like epoxy coatings but some re-blister
fresh water [lake] is worse the salt esp warm fresh water
trailer dry stored is immune to blisters

not air bubbles and not just water in the blisters they are chemical action
and so return even after a gel coat peal and extended drying and the epoxy multi coatings SOMETIMES


there are hydro lift trailers that are far cheaper then a crane to rent
like 150 vs 1500
they use rams to lift the boat on pads
if he has a decent ramp

NOT A LONG TERM SOLUTION

if balsa is soup replace the core

and resealing the hardware to keep water out

Bob I started visiting GCS in the late 80's....then sailing in/out on the Morgan 30 in the 90s....buddy lived there on it for a few months...divorce :). Other bud was a crane op there....salvaged a 50'er (virtually free :( ) from the Charleston mess...sat in the H2O and on the hill for a decade....$$$ pit. FUN times sailing the St. J :)

No I would not pay to inspect a $5K boat...but I'd not be shocked at another 5 either....it's a BOAT :).

I did watch an old 72' wooden 3 masted schooner being restored over 15 yrs up in Jax. too...it was trucked over to Jim's harbor....SD. Sailed into the Pacific a couple of times on it. A real head turner....like a porch :)

BOATs.....$500 for a gal of the good paint ;)

Eyes wide open...

GCS....the Tugboat restaurant :)? Yup....

Still wont work on a boat that draws five feet.

Are the tires on that trailer eleven feet tall? If not how do you propose getting the boat five feet below the frame of the trailer?

Did you haul a 72' wooden boat from Jax to San Diego...2 decades ago? Somebody did ....taxpayers paid the tab....does 25K sound reasonable ;)?

I think it had 30k or 30 tons of lead as ballast...es muy grande....

I think I posted a pic of it here years ago....http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1567551583.jpg

Well yes you did if the hydraulics raise five feet. Then the trailer can go down the ramp, float the boat on and pull it out. That would work.

my hole in the water but I love her, a 1988 Sabre 38 mk 2. The only thing that has not been replaced since new is the refrigerator and since I mentioned it, will probably go out, but that is boating.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1567553247.jpg