Do the cockpit locker lids seal when
closed and the hinges lock smoothly?
Try the helm. Is it smooth and easy to
turn, without unreasonable play? For
wheel steering you will need to look below
at the quadrant and steering ram or wires.
Does it have provision for an emergency
tiller? If the rudder post comes up through
a tube in the hull, what would happen if
the rudder hits something and breaks the
seal between hull and tube? Some boats
have a bulkhead here to prevent major
f looding, on others, a rudder tube break
could sink the boat.
TEAK DECKS
Lovely to look at and walk on, but a major
headache as they age. Can also be a deal
breaker as the cost of repair can be high.
Older teak decks are screw-fastened to
a fibreglass or plywood sub-deck. Literally
thousands of screws are each a potential
leak point. Look for lifting or missing
bungs as an indication of how much the
teak has worn.
More recently, teak decks are simply
glued on, which eliminates the leak
problem. However, you still need to assess
the condition of the teak. If the timber
is worn into valleys between the lines of
sealant, you will need to ascertain how
much thickness remains.
Removing a worn teak deck is both time-
consuming and expensive, as John Tylor
explained in CH June 2016.
PORT LIGHTS/WINDOWS
AND HATCHES
To test the integrity of hatches and
port lights, hose the boat down
enthusiastically and check inside.
If the owner or broker will not allow
this, you can bet it leaks somewhere.
The actual leaks are not the major
issue here, as they can usually be
repaired fairly simply. You are looking
for damage caused by long-term leaks:
rotten cabin sides; rot where the cabin
sides meet the deck; rotted framing
beneath the leaking area; rotted
bulkheads and ruined soft furnishings
can all be expensive to put right.
Have a look round the windows and
hatches from inside for dark areas or
delaminated lining material.
29
http://www.mysailing.com.auTOP TO BOTTOM: Someone
has done a professional-looking
job of fitting new windows and
painting the deck.
Cockpit shows similar care, with
non-original self tailing winches
also fitted.
Rust stain coming from the
anchor locker. Most likely
because the anchor chain has
rusted, and the more you pull
out on deck, the rustier it will be.