Yachting and Boating World forums: advice requested

Rule number 1 if you do not 'know' wooden boats - get a surveyor who does before parting with hard earned cash.

Rule number 2: remember that rule number 1 may well produce a long list of defects - which may or may not be serious!

You can always as a preliminary ask a surveyor to take a look an express an opinion on whether a boat is worth a second more detailed look: this can save a lot of money and tears if you are unsure about what you are viewing. Talk to your surveyor about the boat you are viewing, first.

When you first go aboard, be there when the cabin is opened up for the first time: take a deep breath and note how she smells: if there is a damp musty smell with overtones of rot, then shiut the door again and forget it. If however there is a nice fresh smell of wood, paint and varnish, with maybe an overtone of engine, then you are probably on a good one. That 'first smell' is one pof the best indicatoirs there is of a wooden boat.

Maintenance: a good wooden boat is reasonably easy to look after. An old one which has been allowed to deteriorate is just a large hole in the water which is only matched by the hole she will make in your bank account as you try to get her back to good nick. There is no such thing as a 'little bit of rot'. If it is visible, it will already have got a good hold.

However a good sound wooden boat needs regular attention. Unlike plastic it will not tolerate being neglected for long. You do have to keep on top of regulafr maintenance tasks, as once things start to go downhill they will get worse very rapidly. The inevitable dings and knocks of cruising not only look unsightly, but needs to be kept up with: the paint is not just there to look good, it is actually protecting the timber. A hole in the paint skin allows moisture to penetrate the timber. If you are good with your hands, enjoy the work of maintaining the boat as well as sailing it, and are reasonable handy with woodworking tools, then all this will enhance the fun of owning your boat. If not, stick to plastic.

Now the boat you are looking at: Maurice Griffiths is one of the oldest and best of the post war generation of yacht designers. His boats were heavy, workmanlike and emninently seaworthy. Not the fastest things afloat, but true crusing/ sailing boats which are a delight to sail (I know, I had one of his Eventides). The construction sounds first class too. What you need to know now is whether it has been looked after properly. It is too easy to cover up faults with a good coat of paint!

Damp - any boat can become damp inside in the recent cold weather! My Eventide on a cold night would stream with condensation. If you are used to lined plastic boats, then this can be a bit offputting to start with. Sources of dry heat, such as the charcoal 'Pansy' heater, or a little pot bellied wood or coal stove is much prized by wooden boat owners in colder climes, as they tend to dry things out again! So does an Eberspacher!

Good luck!

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If you cant fix it, get a bigger hammer...