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C27 (1973) hole above keel

3K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Faster 
#1 ·
I just joined because I'm looking at purchasing a sailboat and have a question about one I just looked at. The boat is in not so good condition but there's one major concern that I have with it. Both the cockpit and the bilge (under the cover at the bottom of the cabin) are full of water and while I was aboard looking around, water started coming out from a hole above the keel on the starboard side. The hole is about 3/8" in diameter and looks like it may have been perfectly round at one point, almost as tho it belongs there.

My question/concern is whether or not the hole is supposed to be there and if so, what it's for.

Due to it's condition and the fact that there's no trailer with it, my plan would be to make an extremely low offer and use my powerboat to tow it to a location where I can clean it up / work on it but I'm concerned that due to this hole, she may not float. If I was trailering her, I wouldn't be so concerned, but I don't want to start hauling her away only to have her sink behind me.

Any advice / suggestions are greatly appreciated. This would be my first sailboat and I'm quite familiar with boat rehab just never on a sailboat. She appears to be fully rigged with one sail that has two tears that I could see. My intended use would be as a "shore house" until she's in a condition to sail and while I learn how to sail her.

Thanks.
 
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#2 ·
Is the boat on the hard? Was the water leaking OUT of the hull?

Honestly, 'cheap' boats like this one are often not worth the effort and can end up costing more than buying a better example from the get-go. - plus you get to go sailing sooner.

The water in the bilge, torn sails, generally bad condition all together don't really add up to a good start.

As for advice on this 'hole', pictures will really help so get a few more posts and you can link to photos on a hosting site like Photobucket (easiest way to do so)

Oh.. and welcome to Sailnet - we're happy to have converts from power here!
 
#3 ·
Yes, she is on the hard and has been for at least two years. I'm told that it came to the marina under it's own power but the condition of the diesel inboard is unknown.

The water was leaking out and down the keel but didn't start until I accidentally stepped in the accumulated water inside so I must have moved whatever covered the hole and kept it from draining.

I didn't take any pictures because they're asking $2000 for the boat and as soon as I saw the standing water, I knew it wasn't worth that. It wasn't until I was back home (an hour away) that I thought to offer $200 just to see if they'd let it go that cheap.

Honestly, I'm not in a rush to go sailing as much as to be able to use it as a place to stay on weekends. Considering that it took 3 hours to get my 18' powerboat cleaned up after it had been properly put away for the winter, I imagine I've got at least a month of weekends until I'm ready to think about sleeping on this thing.

My longer term goal is for my fiance and I to spend extended periods aboard sailing the coast until we're ready to upgrade to something we can live aboard full time. That's the retirement plan tho, and I've got more than 20yrs until that plan goes into action...
 
#4 ·
I'ts pretty common for marina's to drill holes in boats to let the water out, instead of using yard workers take care of abandoned boats. Be very sure of what your getting into. even though a hole is easy to fix.
 
#5 ·
Seriously? I can see the practical side of this but I'd sure want to be sure they knew the boat was abandoned!!
 
#7 ·
Not to try to dissuade you, I think you've made the right call, but the C27s won't have wood or any other coring in the hull itself.

Plenty of other better candidates out there and it is a buyer's market.
 
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