Southcoast Seacraft

[tomwatt]

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with the SC 26A? I have a shot at one that appears to be in pretty good condition for a reasonable price.
For its size, it seems to be a lot of boat. I gather it's not too fast (most comments/reviews indicate its rig is underpowered), but has the advantage of being trailerable, with an odd drop-keel arrangement that will get it into 2 1/2' of water with the keel up.
At this point, unless I discover something that turns out to be a deal-breaker, I'm very likely to close on this boat within the next couple of weeks, but would appreciate any comments. I'm obviously not planning to go transoceanic with this boat, but it has some light-cruiser river-venturing abilities that I like.

[tomwatt]

Answering myself in my own post... but I'm not sure what else to do.
Spent considerable time doing a personal survey of this vessel (Southcoast Seacraft 26) and came away with mixed views.
The boat was finished out nicely, a nice layout, nicely furnished.
BUT...
1. there is a dent in the side of the mast just above the spreaders! Looks like a small one, but it runs fore&aft on the starboard side, and I worry that might fail under strain. Is that a deal-killer? Can I find a new mast?
2. the floor pan (hull liner) inside has a long crack running along the starboard outside at the foot of the quarter berth. And the floor pan underneath appears to be shimmed up with 2x4 lumber - like from the lumber yard. Again, is this a disaster, or just something to use as an excuse to bring the price down, and then replace the floor with a real floor (something I'd thought about doing anyway)?
3. there are minor problems, gelcoat is chalking, keel hoist support block will probably need replacing within a year or so, a few lifeline stanchions need rebedding.

Any thoughts? Advice? Comments? Requests that I go sink myself in the deepest part of the river?
Thanks, tom

[Captain Smollett]

Here's the key point from your earlier post:

not planning to go transoceanic with this boat, but it has some light-cruiser river-venturing abilities that I like.

The mast issue gives me great pause, but I would think there are ways to shore it up/strengthen it that do not require replacement of the entire mast.

*IF* you can determine what section it is and the extrusion is still available, you might consider cutting out that damaged section and inserting a sleeve.  Some may disagree with this, but done properly, a mast sleeve is at least as strong as the base extrusion.  The real question is on this type of repair is if you wish to undertake something of this magnitude.

As for the hull liner...is the crack structural or 'cosmetic'?  Some hull liners were installed to replace other hull strengthening members.  If this is structural and critical, you might want to really think about it.  Having said that, though, glass is pretty much 'infinitely' repairable, so again, if you are inclined to DO the repair, you can probably do it and have the result be strong enough.

Finally, as one who is currently on the last third of some major deck recoring work, if you do get this boat, I'd say give attention to those leaking stanchion bases sooner rather than later.  If the deck is sound now, don't let it get bad.   ;)

Being brutally honest about what you've seen after the first blush of excitement wears off is the hard part of buying a boat.  The only question is how YOU personally weigh the cost-benefits of these particular projects.

Sorry, that probably didn't help much....

[Captain Smollett]

Sorry...other rig questions:

Does the rig have lower shrouds?  If so, fore and aft lowers, or one each side?  Full rig or fractional?

Mast 'oversized' or 'barely adequate' for the sail area, displacement, etc?  Mast bendy or fairly rigid?  Adjustable tension on the backstay?

Not seeing the dent in question, these are all things I personally would consider in trying to assess the criticality of that dent. 

[tomwatt]

Trust me, brutal honesty I was hoping for. Actually, I've made 3 trips to this boat, sat in it for several hours going over every part of it until I'm fairly sure of it's plusses and minusses. After the first trip, they have all been about trying hard to find a deal-killer problem to avoid buying a lemon.
I suspect the current owner only found the things I've located after he bought it. He mentioned wishing he'd spent this much time "boat poking" as I did.
I'm comfortable dealing with almost anything related to paint/coatings and so-so competent at woodwork, fiberglass, etc.
The mast issue - it has lower shrouds, but only a single pair, not fore & aft pairs. It's a full rig, masthead sloop. I was considering upgrading the lower shrouds as an option. The rig is comparable to what is found on a Bristol 27... a mini-mainsail, oversized jib, and relatively lightweight shrouds (although this one has a split backstay). So upsizing some of that is a consideration anyway. It will depend on how things pan out of the next few years on whether or not I stay with whatever current boat I obtain, or move up to full-time live-aboard and cruising (I'm sure you all know & share the dreams).
Working the floor pan should be minor for me. It appears that this liner sits down into the hull and "hangs" above the hull space around the drop-keel well. Seat lockers lead directly to the hull. Chain plates appear solid. The only leaky spot seems to be the wiggly stanchion base. I'm pretty convinced the crack is cosmetic. Although I'd guess the lumber shoved in to shore it up means that the floor will sag under load without shoring. I haave no end of sourcing (this site, plastic classic, etc.) for inspiration to tackle a real floor. and tabbing. And lumber liquidators is handling some really nice solid hardwood flooring in exotic woods these days. All told, the cabin floor is only about 3' by 8' and its center is dominated by the drop keel well with drop leaf table attached.
The mast repair - honestly, the dent looks like it fell during a dismount and landed on the edge of something - is beyond my skills. I'd have to have it done. It's a fairly solid mast though. I'd pondered trying to obtain a mast off something else in order to replace it, as there are really no nearby repair folks that I know of.
I have every intention of tackling things like leaks, etc. immediately. No sense in letting this old gal deteriorate any more than has already happened  - one reason it's a deal, is her owner moved out of the country, and she has sat in the water for the past year... has a nice fuzzy bottom, but at least it's freshwater.
Although my notes mention several loose stanchions, I have a note scribbled in indicating only one stanchion base is loose, the rest are just loose in the socket.
I'm going to sit down and do my math, work out my offer - this thing comes with a dual-axle trailer, also rough, but nothing proper anti-rust treatment and paint can't cure. I know the guy wants to sell. So perhaps I can get this all worked out. The fact that it's so sizeable was a big plus. It's kind of out-of-place here. Wish me luck. And thanks for the inputs/insight.

[Oldrig]

The mast repair - honestly, the dent looks like it fell during a dismount and landed on the edge of something - is beyond my skills. I'd have to have it done. It's a fairly solid mast though.

Tom,

I think your diagnosis could be correct. I sailed for a number of years on a smaller boat (O'Day Mariner) with a dent in the mast that I caused by unhitching the forestay without having anybody to help me hold up the rig. It crashed and had a "ding" in it for the rest of the time I sailed the boat.

As for the other problems: Do you think it would be worth hiring a professional surveyor to go over this boat? I know that could be a lot of money, but it might help you avoid  some hidden defects.

Anyway, just my two cents' worth: It's easy to fall in love with a boat and convince yourself that it's the boat for you; another opinion can often prevent you from making a serious mistake.

Good luck!

--Joe

[tomwatt]

Tom,
I think your diagnosis could be correct. I sailed for a number of years on a smaller boat (O'Day Mariner) with a dent in the mast that I caused by unhitching the forestay without having anybody to help me hold up the rig. It crashed and had a "ding" in it for the rest of the time I sailed the boat.
As for the other problems: Do you think it would be worth hiring a professional surveyor to go over this boat? I know that could be a lot of money, but it might help you avoid  some hidden defects.
Anyway, just my two cents' worth: It's easy to fall in love with a boat and convince yourself that it's the boat for you; another opinion can often prevent you from making a serious mistake.
Good luck!
--Joe

I keep wondering about a professional survey. I'm far enough inland that a sailboat professional is almost nonexistent. And I've spent a combined time of about 5 hours going over the boat while it was at it's mooring. I've dug deeply into every locker, bin and cubbyhole. And I'm not even in love with the boat, not like I am when I see a nice Nimble or Southern Cross anyways. But the boat looks like it may fill the bill, although it's bigger than what I started out looking for. But will still trailer well enough to work. Most things on this boat are pretty straighforward. The biggest negative on it for me is the stinking liner inside, that makes getting to things a pain. But still there are ways around it.
Thanks for sharing your mast experience. I'd wondered if it might not be something that could be lived with, especially if I redo the chainplates and lower shrouds.
I'm submitting an offer with comments on my amateur survey this evening. We'll see if I geta  positive response, or a cold shoulder. If the latter, there are plenty of other boats around to play with!

[tomwatt]

As of this morning, the owner made a very reasonable counter-offer, which I accepted. As soon as the paperwork and money changes hands, I will become the owner of boat, trailer, and all its accoutrements and woes.
If I can just avoid sinking more than another $3k in the boat, all should be well. And the trailer really works out to be a freebee.
So with any luck, I may just get to pop down for the B.E.E.R. cruise after all. If not, I'll just continue to play in the area around here.
See y'all on the water!

[Oldrig]

As of this morning, the owner made a very reasonable counter-offer, which I accepted. ...
See y'all on the water!

Congratulations! Of course, I forgot that you're no longer near the coast, and marine surveyors with sailboat experience must be pretty scarce out there.

Obviously, you're getting into this adventure with your eyes open. (I agree about Nimbles or Southern Crosses, but they must be as scarce as surveyors.)

You'll enjoy your new boat, and be sure to keep us posted on her progress.

All the best,

--Joe

[tomwatt]

Yesterday, I closed the deal, rec'd the bill of sale and the keys.
Was sitting down below, fishing through the matched silverware in the galley, when I dropped a drawer making a big clatter.
From up on the dock, I heard the (former) owner's voice "that didn't sound good!"
Turns out, he was bringing me one more piece of goods that went with the boat, and was lingering over the teak toe rail, peeling at the flaking varnish. He seemed really sad to be saying goodbye to the boat. So I invited him aboard and asked him to take a moment and look through for any personal items he might want... thanks but no thanks.
But as he walked away, he was holding on to a large strip of peeled-off varnish. To me, it was very touching.
So now I am in possession of one of the biggest 26' boats I've ever seen.
On a bright note, bilges were pretty dry, unchanged since I'd pumped them out last week. So all is holding tight down below. And I have no below waterline through-hulls to fret about.
I have 5 sails, some very crisp, that came with the boat, plus a boom-vang, and 2 anchors plus a single rode.
So after a day of blissful first-day-of-ownership with the boat, I now have tons of less-than-blissful work to do.
Hurray!

[jotruk]

Congrats on the new to you boat. The first day is always the second greatest day of ownership the other day is the day you let it go.

[tomwatt]

Congrats on the new to you boat. The first day is always the second greatest day of ownership the other day is the day you let it go.

So much truth there.
Yes, I already am juggling numbers, prioritizing & scheduling repairs, etc. Loads of fun. This is supposed to be fun, right?

[excavman]

Congrats on your new boat. When I bought mine six months ago I had some second thoughts but after working on her all winter and getting most everything just the way I wanted I couldn't be happier. It has been a very rewarding experience.

Larry

[tomwatt]

Had the pleasure of dealing with BoatUS for boat insurance over the past few days... and when I called in to close the deal this morning, was met with "Oh you're the one with the Southcoast?!?"
Apparently they'd been ogling the photos I had sent in.
Kinda makes you feel good when that happens.

As of this morning, I have definitely found a "happy place"!

ps. I think I need a mod/admin to pm me on how to reset/redo my password. My old email address is dead, and I have no way of logging in (outside of the auto-login to the forum because of my cookie-enabled browser).

[Captain Smollett]

ps. I think I need a mod/admin to pm me on how to reset/redo my password. My old email address is dead, and I have no way of logging in (outside of the auto-login to the forum because of my cookie-enabled browser).

Check your PM's.  And, well, I just sent an email to the email account currently listed for your account.

If you cannot log in to check PM's or that email is the one that is not longer valid, please send an email from your new, valid email address to the email address listed in Step 2 on the registration page:

http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php?action=register

[tomwatt]

Thank you! I'm back and functioning again.
Whew, I really stressed out on the tack cringle question.
I don't think my tiller reaches that far under normal circumstances.
:o
Here's a pic of my new (to me) boat...

One really nice trait about this line is there are no below-waterline through-hulls. All my drains are above the line (creating opportunities for scuzzy-looking trails, but you can't have everything).

[Captain Smollett]

Congrats on the new boat, Tom!

Now that we know you know how to post pictures, hehe, you'll have no excuse to not show some cruising pics.   ;)

[tomwatt]

Congrats on the new boat, Tom!

Now that we know you know how to post pictures, hehe, you'll have no excuse to not show some cruising pics.   ;)

Surely you guys know me well enough to know that I'll always have excuses of some kind!
Thanks for the well-wishes.
Picked up the trailer today, got new tires for it, and brought the trailer down to work on it... it's rusty, but I have latched onto a couple of industrial paint products (I'm currently clerking at a Sherwin-Williams, and made it my mission to find all the possible industrial substitutes for high-cost marine paint) that will provide a good, long lasting finish. Once the trailer is all squared away, I'll haul the boat out, clean the fuzzy stuff off the hull and start the process of cleaning, buffing and possible repainting. Pictures to follow. But cruising will also happen. Along with a BBQ grill off the rail. I know that sounds trivial, but it's just kind of a dream of mine.
I''m thinking by May I'll have this thing launched out on the Arkansas River, to be able to spend a few nights a week anchored in the lee of a sandbar.

[CharlieJ]

Tom- I've used Sherwin Williams products quite a few times and was really happy

BUT-

I used to use a primer called "Anchor Bond" They quit making it, or renamed it.

I used to use a paint called "Incredi-Coat" Semi Gloss Acrylic latex-LOVED it. Tehani is painted with it inside.

They've apparently quit making it or renamed it, plus even when available, wasn't sold nation wide. Only in a few southern states

What's up with that???

Would you do something for me (and others)? When you find a replacement for some industrial coating, tel us what it is. Please.

[Captain Smollett]

cruising will also happen. Along with a BBQ grill off the rail. I know that sounds trivial, but it's just kind of a dream of mine.

We just added this grill this week!

Magma 9 x 18



My wife asked for one last year. We have a 'landlubber' Weber charcoal grill, which we LOVED and used a LOT, but it's just not conducive to cooking on the boat (and we cannot store it on the dock between uses).

The summers here are so hot, even with AC on the boat we don't want to cook inside.  A grill seemed a good solution, and should pay for itself quickly enough in $$ saved vs eating out to avoid heating up the boat.

I really like the quick release rail mounts that allows it to be quite easily set up or taken off the rail for storage.  I resisted getting a grill for a while because I don't want it there underway.  As soon as I realized these quick mounts were available, I was sold.

I installed the grill Sunday; that night, we Christened it with ribeyes and zucchini, and have done two other meals this week alone on it.

Yep.  A little "reduction of misery" is WELL worth the $$.