I Want to Buy a Flying Scot

[jimrunsalot]

I am looking at a 1973 Flying Scot. The hull was refinished last year. It looks great. Should I be concerned about buying a boat this old? How do I tell if there is water in the hull? How do I tell if the hull is "soft". Any advice would be appreciated.

[paulk]

Many Flying Scots are quite old. (Are they still making them?) They are therefore likely to have soft spots from repeated flexing and/or water infiltration. A new coat of paint can cover a multitude of sins. Push it in in various places and see if it gives a lot - or not too much. (It's a bit like buying skiis - you have to bend them.) If you plan to race, soft areas are not a wonderful thing. I don't think the hull is cored on these boats. If that is the case, water "in the hull" shouldn't be a problem unless osmosis has caused delamination in freezing/thawing cycles. This would show as blisters - possibly painted over. Listen for "crackling" sounds when you push, everywhere. These are the sounds of the broken fiberglass strands rubbing against each other. Broken strands are not helping to hold thiings together the way they used to. If you're just planning to daysail, soft spots and crackly sounds aren't overly important, except as they might lead to eventual failure. Probably not on your watch though -- if it's lasted this long, it will probably last a bit longer. On the other hand, if you want a pretty boat, get a Thistle or Lightning.

[primerate84]

I owned a 1974 Flying Scot for 15 years. (Sold it two years ago and now have a Catalina 30.) I never had any hull or deck problems. I always stored the boat in a garage over the winter except for the last two years when I used canvas covers outdoors. The Flying Scot is a great daysailor and I taught both of my sons how to sail on her. The boat is stable and well-made and the cockpit room makes it great for just cruising around the lake with a cooler of beer and a couple of friends.

P.S. They are still being made (parts are readily available) and there is a very active owners group.

[Valdare]

Go to fssa.com flying Scott sailing association
they have a forum and lots of good advise. Odds are someone will be familiar with the boat your looking at. If the boat was redone by the mfg. all hull and deck issues would have been taken care of.
They are a great bunch of sailors willing to give advise and they all love their Scott's.

John
We have a 99 that we sail up nort and love it.

[C27Shockwave]

Flying Scott's do not have a cored hull. There will be no "soft spots" that you would associate with a bad core. You should expect spider cracks but, they can be repaired. They still make Scott's and they have a very large and active fleet. They are stable and forgiving. They are well made and I wouldn't hesitate at taking on a 1973 boat to make her like new. There will be some problems for sure but, there shouldn't be any hidden problems. You're biggest problem would be a seller trying to get big bucks for an old boat.

Good luck.