# Fresh new Victim :-)



## nerys (May 2, 2010)

My name is Chris from Levittown 19057.

last year end of summer I got really lucky. I got a 27foot sail boat with trailer for $150 off Craigslist.

Just today I secured a 9.9hp LS motor for it (she suggested I come here 

I am hoping I can put it in the water and learn how to sail this summer. the inside is trashed (vandals from PO) but the hull is good and all sails and rigging is intact. Even some extra sails.

I am clueless about what to do but am a sponge for learning 

Here is a picture. She suggested maybe you guys might be able to help me identify what she is. She has no name so I am going to have to come up with one 

Hmmm tried to remove the cell phone pic and upload a nicer one but it won't le tme see later post.


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## ereiss (Nov 25, 2002)

*Start with the hull number*

On the stern, exterior, probably in the upper right you should see some numbers imbedded into the fiberglas. Check out this posting for more information on what these numbers mean. You can always post what you find and folks might be able to help.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying-boat-articles/19461-reading-hull-numbers.html

welcome aboard, Sailor.


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

Welcome aboard Chris. Get some lessons and have fun.

Shall we have a "Name Chris's Boat" contest? Considering the purchase price (I'm envious) I suggest "Cheap Thrills".


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

I see it has a state license - you may be able to trace the type through that, if you can't find an HIN on the transom.

If you don't find any major flaws that's quite a 'deal'...


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

yeah the interior is non existent but to me thats very minor. Function over Beauty gets me on the water 

The keel is also "stuck" its an external swing keel. Metal on Metal. Seized up good. many cans of PB have had no effect. I am afraid to apply to much force for fear of damaging the hull its attached to.

The person I am getting the motor from (don't want to mention name without permission) suggested maybe I could REMOVE the whole thing from the boat. Duh! Head Smack never though of that  next time I am down their I am going to see if its bolts holding it on the hull and if i can remove them.

if I can separate it from the boat I can get aggressive with it 

while it will work fine as it is my fear is if the keel COMES DOWN while I am out I won't be able to get it back OUT of the water again if the keel won't come back up  hehe

My first task is to greatly reinforce the supports on the trailer. While its clearly plenty strong. It survived the highway drive home over 60 miles and its survived winter it just SEEMS lacking to me. So I am going to greatly strengthen it.

Then I will feel safe climbing into the boat while on land and "having at it"

Is it safe and suggested that I practice "stepping" (correct term?) the mast and sails on land first so I know somewhat how to do it before getting on the water? will I harm the hull walking around on it while on the trailer?

There seems to be some "pressure" spots where the trailer pushes harder than other spots. Do I need to redesign the trailer a little to spread this load better or am I thinking too much into this? I have no idea how strong these things are or the forces involved.

I had a ton of nice pictures for the life of me I can not find them. when i find them or take some more I will post them!


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## FSMike (Jan 15, 2010)

Chris -
If you decide to step the mast on shore be aware of power lines. VERY AWARE!

I personally wouldn't feel too comfortable doing that. If you further decide to raise the sails with the boat on the trailer, make sure it's calm.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Ayup it's ok to name me Chris! GET MORE PICS! 

I use photo bucket then put them on here. 

the keel taken off the boat completely seems like the way to persue the problem. Iron betwix iron had to really RIP (rust in place) Yes, long hacksaw blades may work. 

Now for the pervs... Chris has a longshaft! lol (Chris, on another posting, I was aptly mortified when I realized what I was saying without thinking)


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Chris, how you doing with getting those pictures? I want to bring a friend over to look over your boat with you too don't forget!


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

HI Denise! Folks Denise is the truly awesome person letting me make payments so I can power my sail boat!!

As for meet you are aware its currently in 08215. I have no problem providing transport but its in my metro which is not the most comfy car in the world (worth it to me at 56+mpg  hehe

I am working for the Census and having a ton of fun. At my current rate I will be UNABLE to work this weekend because I will have hit 40 hours by then 

maybe this weekend?

I am wondering if I may have discovered the MAKER of the boat. I am thinking HUNTER. I found a scary similar boat on craigslist (granted its much much much nicer than mine and has an inboard desel I lack and have no provision for so its was never their) but man the design is scary similar

27 Foot Hunter Cruiser Sailboat

are all of this class like that or would this maybe indicate it is a hunter? I did take a couple more pictures I will get them online tonight.

I have to pull the boat out as the rear in not accessible at the moment (serious TICK and Thorn Central down their!). Next time I am down their I will tug it out a few feet so I can look for those numbers for you.

THEIR IS BOLTS holding the keel on! Yeah! 8 bolts 4 each side.

I can not do anyhing right now as I dare not climb into the boat on the trailer. I fear I am too heavy and do not want to break anything.

When my brother is home from his current work we are going to climb in their and confirm they are bolts and not studs. If bolts IE heads on both side that keel WILL come off even if I have to cut the bolts since it would be silly easy to replace them which is what I will do no matter how it comes out.

More to come!

No power lines within 400 feet of the boat so not an issue. I would NOT attempt to MOVE the boat with the mast up. I would just put it up take it down a few times for "practice" to make sure we have a clue what we are doing before getting wet.

As for sails I am surrounded by tree line so not too much threat and would not raise all the way. Just again to practice so we know how to do it.

My big concern is IS IT SAFE (for the boat) to do this while on the trailer? am I going to stress the hull to much walking around on deck while on the trailer?

I still have to do the title work (money) fix the van to tow it (money) pay off the motor (money) probable get a new transom mount thingy (that swivel thing you had on the boat Denise to raise and lower it as I do not think Mine has one (money) just to put it in the water (money)

SO if I can safely do it on the trailer I can at least learn hot to step the mast and raise the sails so I am READY once I get all the money together to pay for it all  hehe


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Hey Chris! Was wondering when you would be back on the forum. 
that wasn't my boat We had the motor on, it's a friends that let me hang it there til it was ready to run. It's stored away safe now. 

If the iron swing keel is that bad yes it's best removed 

The trailer looks like it has some kind or rigged up wood supports there Chris. You may want to get some advice before you transport her. let me know when you get her home. 

Get more pictures!


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

Well Never. That is where the boat stays when on land. I have no place to put something that big at home  hehehe

SO when its not in the water that is where it will be.

Yes its your basic twin axle trailer frame with a wooden super structure to hold the boat (I will get pics online tonight after work)

IT DID survive the entire winter and 60 miles on the highway at 50mph to get it home but I REALLY do not trust it. I am going to greatly strengthen it and lower it about 6-7 inches.

The launching trouble we have is that the trailer obviously must be SUBMERGED under the boat in order to load it or unload it.

alas the first 2 ramps we tried the ramp ENDED before the trailer was deep enough (IE disconnecting the trailer and feeding a line out would not have worked because we reached the END of the ramp IE drop of or mudd after that) the third ramp at high tide was enough  There is at least an 8" gap between the keel and the frame all the way back so lowering it will greatly increase the ramp availability for me 

basically am going to reinforce the wood with a sandwich but make the new wood supports 6-7 inches SHORTER so they won't go all the way up to the longerons.

Once I put the boat in the water right on the spot we will pop off the longerons cut off the tops of the old wood supports to be even with the newly added supports and then reinstall the longerons. Done.

Right now there are 2 6-8 inch wide 2" planks of wood for the super structure verticals. They sit on top of the metal trailer frame and are held on by some wimpy to me angle iron and brackets. I added some more before loading the boat because i just did not trust them.

I am going to add TWO MORE layers of wood but extend them down BELOW the trailer frame and sandwich the frame in an enclosure of wood structure. This will be far far more rigid and supportive.

I will only extend them to the desired cut off distance.

Once we unload the boat pop off the lognerons lop off the excess from the original wood so all 4 layers are level and then reattach longerons.

I also do not like the links between verticals. Just does not seem well thought out to me. I will probably switch to stainless cable of beefy grade with turn buckles to tighten and tension it or figure out a better way to attach the wood.

Here is a quickie drawing of what it is and what I will do to it.

suggestions? good or is there a even stronger method?

I am thinking of strapping some WOOD to the bottom of the sail boat with some ratchet straps and LEAVING them on the boat when I launch it and leave them submerged for a few days.

Take the boat out let them dry again still attached to the hull Then seal them and VICE THEM till dry. Now I will have "formed" runners to the right shape of the hull. Should distribute the load forces much better.


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

Alrighty. Pictures are simmering will be online in 30 seconds or so.

My Sailboat


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

Hmmm seems you can not edit remove or add images to an existing post. Must make a brand new post. Here is a higher rest image of the boat.

check the link in previous post for some higher res and more numerous images.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Hey Chris! is that a big pivot bolt going through the keel? I'd say that's the key to getting it loose. drill it out! 

You may want to move your discussion over to one of the other topic forums here Chris you may get more response. 

So where is the boat actually? Oh.. i don't think it's a hunter. but I don't really know.


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

yeah I will start a new thread about the keel. I only thought hunter because it was sooo similar to that other boat that is a hunter on craigslist. it had 4 windows mine 3 but they looks like the same shape. Then again maybe thousands of boats have those shape windows 

I feared taking the pivot bolt out because then I would LOSE my pivot. ie the pivot would allow me to crank it one way then the other in a circle to loosen it. IF I remove the pivot now instead of moving in a circle the ENTIRE keel would want to move in the same direction together Up Down Forward Back ie would require far more force to move.

but now that I know I can remove the entire assembly its worth a shot to try removing the pivot bolt (I think it will unbolt without much fuss so drilling should not be needed THAT bolt of all things actually looks to be in pretty good shape.

Some torchwork and a big wrench should handle that.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Interior pics next! (remove the dead critters first)


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

What interior? (I mean it there is none) thats going to be tougher. I am not yet ready to try climbing inside yet while on the trailer and I don't let my brother touch my camera's (the last one he dropped into the only damned puddle of water inside of 100ft of us) 

If I remember monday I am going down and I will pull it out to try and get some hull numbers etc.. and some rear pictures. I will see if I can get some interior shots at that time as well.

Don't mind my late replies I tend to be dependent on notifications and they do not seem to work reliably here IE I got no notice of your reply  so don't think I am ignoring you or anything 

Census work comes first since thats going to pay for all of this  hehe


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Chris, make a post on Boat purchase and Review maybe you will get more input. I can't determine what mfg it was I was wondering if it's a macgregor even.


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## SoulVoyage (May 9, 2010)

For some reason the first thing I thought of when I saw that boat was Capri...just a name that popped into my head. I think Capris were made by Catalina in the 70s...and that sure looks like a 70s boat. 

Many many, different boats had that same hull shape...hard to tell apart,,,but my intuition is telling me capri 27...catalina 27??? mid-seventies vintage??

You'll have some work cut-out for you...but at $150 w/ good sails, that's a good deal. 

Reminds me of my friend who bought a 1966 Plymouth Valiant for $150 and drove it across the country TWICE.

Check the shape of your throughhulls BEFORE you splash her!

Wear the best 2-canister organic vapor mask you can get when you start grinding and sanding that swing keel! You don't want to be breathing that caustic iron oxide dust.

Fix ,grind and paint the swing keel, check the throughhulls, redo some simple electrics for running lioghts and a coupla cabin lights, give it a nice cleaning, wouldn't worry about painting her yet, lash an anchor onto the pulpit....and splash her. Keep it simple. A simple cheap boat like that is great for learning on. You can redo the interior later as time permits. Just use the summer for sailiong and learning and have fun! good luck! Edit: check the rudder-stock too.


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## nerys (May 2, 2010)

Throughull? ( btw is there a terminology faq around here?)

I know its water tight as I took it out of the water the end of spring last year. No leaks.

Yes I have a good dual filter mask I will be wearing. IN fact I am less worried about my lungs so much as worried about my eyes. I only have 1 so I protect it aggressively. I am going to design and build a "sealed" set of goggles to protect my eyes when I do this. Drr now that I think about it some nice large swimming goggles should fit the bill quite nicely. I have some old eye glasses that work "good enough" I will remove the arms and hot glue them into the swim goggles so I can be "airtight" so none of the debris gets to my eyes. Just hose down before I remove them.

Electric will be no problem. First thing I will do is ditch anything their and re run fresh new wire and LED everything. I don't do incans 

Just scored an awesome set of lifejackets in a nice "case" for on the boat for $25 on CL  also scored a Marine hand held radio for $30 a few months ago.

its definitely 70's era, PO said as much.

If Time permits I am down here today in EHC I plan to try and pull it out and get some pics of the rear of the boat.

the Tiller rudder is something I need to work on. I piloted the sailboat as the PO "towed" me with his power boat and there were a few times where we "stressed" the rudder and I heard cracking sounds. So I definitely want to take a look at that. Its removable so not too much of an issue I would think.

I have a tall ladder here. If the light is cooperative I hope to try to use the zoom to get a shot of the internal portion of the keep so I can see if there are bolt heads or if I am dealing with studs. I don't dare climb into it yet.

I want to get that keel off as soon as I can. the next month will be very slow. With the census work I want to put in as many hours as possible since its paying for all of this 

Denise I got another payment for you! maybe we can meet up tomorrow evening sometime?


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