Hi folks. In my endeavours to find a decent second-hand boat to buy I have come across a couple with what look like skeg repairs or bracing. Can anyone explain what might be depicted in these pictures? The glassed on/in piece of 2 by 3 is a short distance in front of the rudder post.
Glory. What is the yacht model? Looks like an attempt to support the rudder stock tube but more info needed. Is the rudder stock tube cracking at the hull joint? The blue member seems like a slab of plastic presumably screwed to the timber? How is it attached to the tube? The arrangement seems like it is intended to provide more fore and aft support to the tube whereas extra lateral support would be more expected if there are problems. The timber joint to the hull is no good - the stress concentrations it creates on the hull will lead to cracking. If the tube to hull joint needs stiffening suitable triangular gussets in both planes (say 4 gussets) , blended at their ends so they don't make a hotspot of their own, are easily fitted given suitable design and workmanship.
Judging from the pics it indicates a runaway as fast as you politely can situation. 
Select to expand quoter13 said..
Glory. What is the yacht model? Looks like an attempt to support the rudder stock tube but more info needed. Is the rudder stock tube cracking at the hull joint? The blue member seems like a slab of plastic presumably screwed to the timber? How is it attached to the tube? The arrangement seems like it is intended to provide more fore and aft support to the tube whereas extra lateral support would be more expected if there are problems. The timber joint to the hull is no good - the stress concentrations it creates on the hull will lead to cracking. If the tube to hull joint needs stiffening suitable triangular gussets in both planes (say 4 gussets) , blended at their ends so they don't make a hotspot of their own, are easily fitted given suitable design and workmanship.
So the blue thing is a plastic box which is intended to contain things placed in the cockpit Locker because the cockpit locker has no sides. It is possible that the only purpose of the 2 by 3 timber is to hold the plastic box from slipping down to the centerline and being inaccessible from the cockpit locker . It is worrying however that the glassing in job extends right back to the PVC tube which is the rudder post tube and also that it seems to have been wet because it has gone all black in places. The boat is an Adams 31 but nowhere near as bad as an Mottle 33 , (not the one at Greenwell Point), that I recently inspected which had a piece of 2 by 2 timber glassed in -again in front of the Rudder post- but directly above a p bracket which supports the prop shaft. It was saturated from the end grain due to a leak presumably around the Quadrant so would be completely structurally compromised -see additional picture
Select to expand quoteUncleBob said..
Judging from the pics it indicates a runaway as fast as you politely can situation.
I did run away but if you run away from all issues there is pretty much nothing left on the market and I have been searching for nearly 3 months. It is of course possible that this is just some silly alteration done by an owner who should have avoided the centre line if it is simply intended to be a brace for the plastic box
Select to expand quoter13 said..
Glory. What is the yacht model? Looks like an attempt to support the rudder stock tube but more info needed. Is the rudder stock tube cracking at the hull joint? The blue member seems like a slab of plastic presumably screwed to the timber? How is it attached to the tube? The arrangement seems like it is intended to provide more fore and aft support to the tube whereas extra lateral support would be more expected if there are problems. The timber joint to the hull is no good - the stress concentrations it creates on the hull will lead to cracking. If the tube to hull joint needs stiffening suitable triangular gussets in both planes (say 4 gussets) , blended at their ends so they don't make a hotspot of their own, are easily fitted given suitable design and workmanship.
The rudder is skeg hung on that model, no internal bracing required. Looks like timber is there to keep the plastic boxes from moving near to the quadrant.
That being the case this bit of timber and plastic box do not appear to be reasonable grounds to walk away from the yacht, if it is otherwise in realistic expected condition and what you want. Surely it would be a low cost 1/2hr fix to carefully remove the timber and replace the box with something fit for purpose.
Skeg reinforcement - or the need for it - seems to be a common factor in Adams yachts. I had a Traditional 36 for a few years and we ended up wrapping the skeg in a few more layers of cloth and fitting an internal floor to stiffen the area. It isn't a big deal if done properly.
Select to expand quotesydchris said..
Skeg reinforcement - or the need for it - seems to be a common factor in Adams yachts. I had a Traditional 36 for a few years and we ended up wrapping the skeg in a few more layers of cloth and fitting an internal floor to stiffen the area. It isn't a big deal if done properly.
Common factor ?....so you are saying Joe Adams did not design the skeg area properly ? Did not do a proper laminating schedule ..or..the laminators did not adhere the schedule ? ....sounds like you had a vessel that was laid up by a home builder who leased moulds.
Some bloke also said chain plates were incorrectly designed, fair dink.
My A28 which l bought after 2 years of search looking at the yachts, mostly mooring minders, between Adelaide and Mid-North Qld twelve years ago was well worth the effort and time spent. So you got a fair way to go, yet.
If one is a handyman in the know one might consider a yacht like this, however, l would not touch it with a sixty foot barge pole.
If sailing is the reason to spend one's hard earned dosh one might as well buy something usable as l would not buy a yacht which l could not sail before any money changes hands.
When l was selling l took out every interested party for a good day sail. I refused to take out families or 'tyre kickers' of course. I did not ask for any undertaking on the buyers behalf as l knew the yacht is going to sell itself, and it did, splendidly.
When buying a yacht, sailing it is detrimental to the deal, in my opinion. Any anality on behalf of the vendor must raise one's awareness and suspicion.
"Caveat emptor!"
