hi, I am looking at a 1979 Carlcraft  and so far it is looking OK. The boat does have some cracks in the keel , pictures of which I have attached. Is this repairable or is this a show stopper. I am going to have the boat surveyed, but If this is really bad I might not even bother with the survey




Edited: 01/04/2009 at 07:12:16 AM by AgentJ

Everything is repairable but that one looks expen$ive, and no-one will really know HOW expen$ive until they start repairs.

If it's a solid fiberglass keel it may be possible to dry/clean out the crack, fill it with epoxy, pull it together with big bolts then glass over the repair. If it's cored, the core is going to be watersoaked and repairs could be a lot more involved (expen$ive).

Not knowing which is the case, unless the boat is REALLY nice or REALLY cheap (or both) I think I'd give it a pass.

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Willie
She's a tired old barge but she's paid for! http://s71.photobucket.com/alb...p;current=ef324993.pbw

I would have to agree with "Willie" on this. Once you may have bought the boat and gotten into the repairs, you are pretty well stuck. Could coust a bundle. Lots of other boats out there in much better shape for maybe a similar cost. Half the fun is searching. Good luck.

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Ken Paulson
1996 44' Gibson Std.
twin 350 crusaders
Upper Mississippi

I agree with Willie and Sailer on this one. I'd forget the survey and look for another candidate. There are lot's of boats out there.... Save yourself a headache.

Carl Craft is a good vessel, but this one looks like the keel took a huge impact. With your location on the upper Mississippi you should be able to find a magnitude of boats in your price range that are worth looking at. However, it maybe after winter, since many are covered with snow and wrapped up waiting for a warmer time.

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Banana Tom

An example of what can happen when you beach and then get a sideways pull or wake wash on the rear of the boat. Note the wear pattern on the bottom paint.

The damage is repairable, get a surveyors opinion and a quote. REMEMBER you will want to sell the boat someday. Keel repairs are a turn off for many buyers no matter how expertly done. Be aware.

If this is a 57 I would be interested in giving a VERY close inspection to the condition of the hull immediately aft of the cabin as this is a known area of concern.

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OLD HOUSEBOATER

Edited: 01/04/2009 at 02:13:45 PM by OLD HOUSEBOATER

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really appreciate the feedback.

If you really like the boat then it might be worth getting a survey. At least with this boat it is already out of the water (why is it out of the water?) so you won't have to pay for a haulout to get the survey.

I would recommend getting a survey on any boat you buy. If the boat is in the water then you won't have any idea what the bottom looks like until you have it hauled out, so you might not be any better off than you are with this boat.

However you approach it, I would start by making a tentative offer on the boat contingent upon an acceptable survey. If the survey comes back and indicates that the keel needs work, then renegotiate with the seller. The safest approach would be to have the seller fix the problem so that if there is more work than was apparent it the burden is on the seller, not you.

Rod

Hey Rod, It looks like work has already occurred to the keel in the past. And why is the boat out of water? Maybe it can not float. There are allot of concerns with the keel and the prior attempts at repairing and then the disclosure of same regarding future ownership transfers. This one scares me, how ever, I have not seen it up close and personal. Photos do not always reveal the best.

It is apparent, this vessel took a huge impact to the keel, front bow area, and we all know how well Carl built these boats.

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Banana Tom

Edited: 01/06/2009 at 05:27:02 AM by BananaTom

Run Forrest, run!!! Looks very expensive to me. Listen to these guys.

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Riverliver

I am not seeing signs of a "hugh impact". I am seeing indications of some fiberglass work, which is very common. Blisters, stress cracks, minor collision (hit a log) are all reasons that the hull could be getting some work done.

Any boat you buy has the potential of having some major issues that may not be evident during the purchase process and may not even be evident for quite a while afterwards. Even buying a brand new boat is no assurance that you won't have hull issues, although with a new boat you should get a guarantee. I strongly recommend getting a surveyor to inspect any boat you are considering purchasing.

The last boat I sold I thought was in great shape. It was a 36' Carver Mariner. It always had issues with blisters but they were manageable and I had the boat hauled out and the bottom fixed/painted every two years. When I went to sell it, however, the surveyor discovered that the topside deck had "soft spots" which turned out to be that the wood core had rotted. I was totally unaware of this condition. They had to pretty much tear the cabin apart to get to the underside of the deck, cut the underside glass out, peel out the rotten wood, fit new wood and reglass the "ceiling". It was expensive, but I paid it so I could complete the sale. The new owner ended up with a boat that really was in great shape.

The keel is at least outside where it can be worked on. I just can't imagine it being too difficult to fix whatever could be wrong with it.

On the other hand, I know a guy who bought a houseboat that looked to be in great condition. No survey. Not long after he has it the engine mounts are coming loose. Turns out the stringers are rotten. Once a trained eye looks at it they discover that the transom is also rotted out. Yes, this was a "fiberglass" boat. There is wood in the stringers and in the transom. The engines had to be removed, then the transom and stringers cut out and replaced/reglassed. It was a great boat afterwards, but it cost a lot of $$$ that he could have made the seller pay if he had found it before the title changed hands.

Choose your boat based on the features. Make an offer contingent on an acceptable survey. If there is a risk of "hidden damage" that won't be discovered until they are well into the repair process make the seller fix the problem rather than reduce the price.

If the seller won't fix it, then run.

Rod

I have the same Carlcraft and when we were doing the refurbish one area was the keel that had worn through. There was a hole in the keel at the bow area. I guess you would call it cored since it is foamed filled. This happened over thirty years of beaching. We repaired that area and beefed up the area that gets beached with another 1/2 of glass. If you can get hold of a moister meter to check. Also what HB said the deck at the four corners of the cabin and upper aft deck. Also check around the back door slider. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

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• 1978 57' Carlcraft w/twin 454 350hp Crusaders V-drives
  
  
• 1984 26' Sleekcraft, 502 BBC, 525hp
  
  
• Realtime Weather Aboard The Bama Breeze