After a long winter of leisurely scouring both the internet and most of the marinas from Tacoma to Vancouver, it was time to finally pick a boat. I found a very pretty 1985 E32-3 on Flathead Lake in Montana and worked a deal for the seller to help a little with shipment to Seattle. The problem now isn’t that the survey went poorly, but that it went well. The PO (a second owner) did a great job of operating this vessel for the last 20 years without burning up the engine, cracking the decks, scratching the hull, or letting the ports & windows get leaky.
It has only been during the past week that I’ve realized what I’m really buying here, and how the responsibility will be on me to maintain a “quality” boat. Spending $30+K on a sailboat is, it seems, like shelling out $15K for a diesel engine at ($715 per hP) and $15K+ for everything else. The “everything else” pile (hull/deck/rigging/sails/instruments and cabin appointments) seems pretty manageable, in that most of it can be worked on piecemeal in 1-2 day projects (oh, if only that were true). I can still daysail without instruments, or a working head, or sleeping arrangements for 5. But, take away the thing that makes the prop go round-and-round, and the whole idea of sailing a 32 footer, or at least the idea of returning home after afterward, seems a bit more complicated.
And it was with this realization that I had to admit it: I don’t know the first thing about diesels, marine or otherwise. Sure, some parts look familiar; the fan belt (minus the fan), the alternator, the radiator cap. But, wait, that’s not a radiator. And, if I’ve read the sailing blogs correctly, my factory-issue Universal M25 alternator bracket is waiting to free itself from the restrictive confines of its gear case mounting bolt any day now, just so it can poke a few holes in my oil filter; or worse. And, until it does so, I still have to sweat the 50A of current coursing through those nasty orange-and-red wires and “trailer connectors” running to my engine-panel-mounted ammeter. And this is all occurring on the nicest boat I could find after months of searching. And it’s not even mine yet.
HELP!
Frankly, I was a bit more at ease when I could just fantasize about buying a turn-key boat and sailing off into the sunset, beer-in-hand, a couple of days a week. So, while I greatly appreciate all the insight and advice I’ve read online, I’m hoping I can ask for a little help getting my upkeep and repair priorities in order. Elsewise, I fear I’m going to be the guy who unravels the last 31 years of care and attention the POs gave this boat by destroying the motor or burning the hull to the waterline within the first 6 months under my watch.
So, what should the priority list be here?
1. Remast and re-rig the boat and enjoy the rest of the summer? (The M-25 and electrical system have been fine for thirty-one years…….what’s the worst that could happen?)
2. Replace the alternator bracket; inspect the trailer connectors and ammeter wires; see #1 above? (What might it cost to have the alternator bracket replaced?)
3. Bight the bullet and opt for the long haul…. re-wire, re-bracket, then keep going: Replace & re-zinc the heat exchanger, replace pumps, hoses, clamps and the next five or six items most sensible items on the list (I don’t have a list…..what should be on it????). What might this scope of repairs cost? The engine has 2100 hours on it now. Surveyor said it should get to 5000 if properly cared for. It started right up from winterization; no oil, no vibrations. Surveyor noted only a slight “steaming” of the exhaust after 20 min under power (though, the hot water tank was empty at the time).
Comments greatly appreciated…..
It has only been during the past week that I’ve realized what I’m really buying here, and how the responsibility will be on me to maintain a “quality” boat. Spending $30+K on a sailboat is, it seems, like shelling out $15K for a diesel engine at ($715 per hP) and $15K+ for everything else. The “everything else” pile (hull/deck/rigging/sails/instruments and cabin appointments) seems pretty manageable, in that most of it can be worked on piecemeal in 1-2 day projects (oh, if only that were true). I can still daysail without instruments, or a working head, or sleeping arrangements for 5. But, take away the thing that makes the prop go round-and-round, and the whole idea of sailing a 32 footer, or at least the idea of returning home after afterward, seems a bit more complicated.
And it was with this realization that I had to admit it: I don’t know the first thing about diesels, marine or otherwise. Sure, some parts look familiar; the fan belt (minus the fan), the alternator, the radiator cap. But, wait, that’s not a radiator. And, if I’ve read the sailing blogs correctly, my factory-issue Universal M25 alternator bracket is waiting to free itself from the restrictive confines of its gear case mounting bolt any day now, just so it can poke a few holes in my oil filter; or worse. And, until it does so, I still have to sweat the 50A of current coursing through those nasty orange-and-red wires and “trailer connectors” running to my engine-panel-mounted ammeter. And this is all occurring on the nicest boat I could find after months of searching. And it’s not even mine yet.
HELP!
Frankly, I was a bit more at ease when I could just fantasize about buying a turn-key boat and sailing off into the sunset, beer-in-hand, a couple of days a week. So, while I greatly appreciate all the insight and advice I’ve read online, I’m hoping I can ask for a little help getting my upkeep and repair priorities in order. Elsewise, I fear I’m going to be the guy who unravels the last 31 years of care and attention the POs gave this boat by destroying the motor or burning the hull to the waterline within the first 6 months under my watch.
So, what should the priority list be here?
1. Remast and re-rig the boat and enjoy the rest of the summer? (The M-25 and electrical system have been fine for thirty-one years…….what’s the worst that could happen?)
2. Replace the alternator bracket; inspect the trailer connectors and ammeter wires; see #1 above? (What might it cost to have the alternator bracket replaced?)
3. Bight the bullet and opt for the long haul…. re-wire, re-bracket, then keep going: Replace & re-zinc the heat exchanger, replace pumps, hoses, clamps and the next five or six items most sensible items on the list (I don’t have a list…..what should be on it????). What might this scope of repairs cost? The engine has 2100 hours on it now. Surveyor said it should get to 5000 if properly cared for. It started right up from winterization; no oil, no vibrations. Surveyor noted only a slight “steaming” of the exhaust after 20 min under power (though, the hot water tank was empty at the time).
Comments greatly appreciated…..
Last edited:
) The fact that yours starts right up and doesn't consume oil is an excellent sign. Just do your oil and filter changes and change the zinc and impeller on schedule and it should be very happy for years to come. 
