C&C 27 Association Forum

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what to look for in buying a 27?

I have been looking at 27's for a few weeks. This site has already helped me see some of the differences in the different MK#. I looked at a MKI today that had a beautiful hull smoothe shiny and solid sounding to a novice. it has been up on stands for the entire season and in spite of the new bottom paint there seemed to be a crack between the metal keel and the fiberglass that meets it. i saw this on another boat and was told that it was normal. Is this a problem? there was also a little water around the Keel Bolts...I mean the keel NUTS! I 'm guessing that this is due to a little water leaking in from somewhere. It didn't seem to be a big thing. this boat has no roller furling but there is a new furling mechanism in a box on board. how hard is it to install the furler? I'm a handy kind of guy, can i do it myself?  I plan on having the boat surveyed and the engine checked out. what else should i look out for?
Thanks for your help/
BruceyP

[A compilation of ideas drawn from several threads on this topic is now included in Black Arts. - Admin]

Last edited by (2005-09-27 06:57:19)

foroadmin

Administrator

Re: what to look for in buying a 27?

Hi,
Dave W. has replied to various versions of this question elsewhere in this forum.  Do a search of the forum using the forum's own search button for "What to look for?" and "Buying Mk III"  for answers to a number of questions. 
The crack that you see between the keel and the hull is known as the C&C smile and is found on many C&C's, 27's in particular.  It is the result of flexing between the two materials (lead/fibreglass) and will reappear with a year (in most cases) of being repaired/filled/faired with epoxy, etc.  I have heard the it can be 'fixed' for around 5 years using a fibreglass "bandage" approach but have no direct expeience here.  I tend to fill it as part of the spring prep routine if it grows beyond the crack stage.  Otherwise it's not a problem.
A survey is definitely a good idea.  Also, as a preliminary step, if you can get your hands on a moisture meter (most marine yards have one though they may not be willing to lend it) you may want to hold on to your $$ and see if there are any major problems obvious off the bat.  Take readings around the fittings on the deck (shrouds, handrails, winches, cleats, anything that bolts through the deck).  A reading of 7% is pretty normal with 15% being the highest you want to see.  Keep in mind that steel plates can affect the readings though backing plates shouldn't be a problem.  It is best to read the meter's manual before using it.  Anything over 15% spells real trouble.  If you find a number of spots you might want to save the $$ a surveyor will cost you (unless the boat is free, you are really handy and a masochist, to boot).  If it looks ok to your basic testing then you will probably want to move on to a qualified surveyor.
As to the leak issue, yes, water in the bilge suggests a probable leak if the boat has been on the hard all season.  Some people luck out and find and fix a leak first time out but the majority of us spend anywhere from a couple of days to the rest of our boating lives trying to find them all.  If you buy the boat and end up looking for a leak post a new thread question here as to the best way to approach it and you will undoubtedly get lots of replies.
The furler may require a new forestay to fit it (thus maybe answering why it is not currently utilized) so it's hard to answer that question without further info.  If it's set up to utilize the current forestay setup (IE: the furler was only taken off for reason of personal preference), a handy guy should have little difficulty setting it up with a little fiddling around.  That said, absolutely nothing in boat repair or maintainance is without unexpected difficulties.  It's like Murphy's Law on a specialized marine basis which should be modified from "If anything can go wrong it will" to include "if you need it, it will fall overboard".
Hope this helps.
Gord.