[jimgo]

I'm crushed. The 1980 Allmand 31 we just purchased may be about to be parted out. The damping plate exploded in the engine when the boat was moved from VA to the Northern Chesepeake. The marina was just out to look at it, and they say that the motor mounts were shot, most of the hoses in the engine should have been replaced, the prop shaft was misaligned and cutting through the hull, and the transmission is likely shot. The cost to repair everything will likely exceed the value of the boat.

I had the boat surveyed by someone who was recommended by two different marinas in that area. I can't believe he missed some of these issues.

 

[chuck53]

I'd go back to your surveyor with a written report from your marina. I had an issue with a boat I had bought and the surveyor missed problems. He gave me back his fee plus $500. Didn't begin to cover my repair bill, but better than nothing.

 

[Alex W]

I'm sorry Jim, that's terrible.

Do you have an idea of how long it would take you to do those repairs yourself? Replacing hoses and motor mounts might be things that you can do yourself, while replacing the damping plate is more likely to be something that should be done by a mechanic.

Was the boat hauled during the survey? That level of prop shaft mis-alignment is probably easier to see out of the water than in.

 

[Capt.aaron]

Don't give up. The engine isn't the boat, it's a removeable peice of gear. I just spent $3500 on a piece of equipment for my $3000 boat. There is nothing on a glass boat hull that can't reglassed and beefed up.

 

[ABH3 Boyer]

you could always rip out the old inboard motor and patch the holes. Then install a good outboard motor.

 

[TQA]

OK life is not good just now but before you start up the chain saw lets inventory what you NEED to get things working again.

You need a damper plate, yup they break, you don't say what the engine and gearbox are but lets say its a Yanmar 2gm plate is about $160.

Most often you need to take the engine and gearbox out to work on it. It can be done afloat with a block and tackle off the boom but spread the load.

It has made it through 30 + years so it should be possible to put it back the way it was and get a few more. So think hard before making major and expensive changes.

REMEMBER IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT.

If the engine mounts have seperated they DO need to be replaced. A failed mount may also have caused the misalignment.

4 mounts are going to be around $600.

So parts less than $1k sweat and knuckle blood come free if you do the job. Capn Fatty managed it so can you.

 

[PCP]

Yes an outboard engine seems to be the best solution in what regards the use of the boat and boat value. After all it is a sailing boat isn't it?

 

[rockDAWG]

Sorry to hear that Jim.

Don't panic and just walk away for a few day to recompose. Get a couple second opinions and asses the damages. I am sure there are lot that your can DIY with some help. You are not that far from me so I can help too, just let me know.

Good luck.

 

[ccriders]

I have to disagree with the outboard option. It may not be the least expensive and certainly is not the best operational option. Remember, you have the motor mount, the control lines and the fuel lines and tank. If you settle for hand cranked, then you are going to be hanging over the stern trying to get a %%^^&* outboard started. But most importantly the time you will most depend on the engine is in foul weather and an outboard mounted on the stern of a sailboat is not a good situation as the propeller comes out of the water when bouncing over chop. And then the engine dies, and how do you restart it? By hanging over the stern in heavy chop. Do you single hand? If so this is a non-starter.
Take the above advice and determine what it takes to fix the inboard and make it dependable for the next ten years.
And don't assume you are not meant to sail. That's crazy talk. Go read Smackdaddy's ode to sailing on his BFS site and steele your nerves for the engine overhaul.

 

[chuck53]

Yes an outboard engine seems to be the best solution in what regards the use of the boat and boat value. After all it is a sailing boat isn't it?

outboard on a 31' sailboat....not a good idea.

 

[jimgo]

Thanks guys. The engine is a Universal 5416. Yes, I can DIY some of this, and that would be MUCH easier if I was at my home slip. Unfortunately, the boat is "en route" at ChucklesR's slip (bet he's sorry now! ). I can try to get her moved to a marina not far from there and (hopefully) be able to do the work there, but it's not exactly a convenient location for DIY (it's about 2.5 hours, each way, from home).

 

[Faster]

We have a Davidson 40 racer on our dock with a 20 HP outboard on the back... not ideal, but they really only need it to enter/leave the marina for the most part.

Not ideal..... but doable....

Jimgo, was the survey and out-of-water one? Were you present? Tough go but don't write everything off yet, including some kind of recompense from the "Surveyor".

 

[chucklesR]

I'm only sorry for your troubles.
If it had gotten towed to a marina in the first place you'd be out an additional 45 a day charge for storage, wouldn't have helped a bit.
Since towing is 'free', why not look for a slip/haul up towards you (north chesapeake area) and have it towed there?

 

[smurphny]

Lots of good advice above (except going with an outboard). Calmly assess exactly what is wrong and do it yourself. Look at it as an opportunity to get to know the boat. In the long run, if you have to depend on marinas and $80/hr help, it will make owning a boat too expensive. Part of owning a boat for us who cannot afford servants is learning how to fix it.

 

[jimgo]

Yes, survey was in water and out of water. I was there, but I have (or had) no idea what I'm looking at when it comes to an inboard. The surveyor didn't think the hoses were too bad; the marina thinks they are horrible. No mention was made about the motor moutns, nor was there any discussion of the shaft misalignment or the related damage. I would have thought that he would have picked up on those.

I don't think an outboard is in the cards. It will either be a fixed inboard, transmission, etc., or probably scrapping the boat.

I still haven't ruled out that something happened (crab pot/line/etc.) that caused the shaft to seize and, thus, the damping plate to explode, but I'll need to pull her before we can make a determination there.

 

[bristol299bob]

I agree with most of the posters here, "dont give up the ship"!

If this is the boat for you, the repairs might not be so bad. I just replaced the transmission (with used ~$500) all 4 motor mounts (~500 new) and damper plate (~$160 new). All that with the engine in the boat. if you have decent access, and depending on the engine, this is a 2 day job (for an amateur like me).

My engine is a Yanmar 2QM20. Here are pictures

mounts

transmission

So if the boat is otherwise the right boat for you go for it. And be glad that this happened now and not on your maiden sail with the missus!

 

[Sal Paradise]

Just fix it, don't restore it. Time to download a manual, load up your tool box and sleep in the boat for a few days while you replace the damper plate. Leave everything else until later, handle it as an emergency repair until you can get her home and look it over at your leisure. A long weekend and you have to boat running and operational again..

 

[sony2000]

I suggest get it to your home pier and work on it for the summer. Yes fix the dampening plate, and the rest of it can wait till later. Change the transmission oil.
Get back to the PO with what happened. Most reasonable people would rebate you a portion of the purchase price.

 

[Faster]

We have, in the past, fabricated a temporary outboard mount in order to get a boat home where it could be more easily worked on. This might be an option for you even if only to get the boat home... for that matter a couple of hundred bucks for a good mount, 4 holes and a backing plate and you're on your way. It can be removed and the holes filled and faired post repairs.

It could also be something as simple as a couple of 2x6s clamped to a swim ladder...

 

[Capt.aaron]

Can't sail it home huh? I deliver broken sail boats all the time, it's a niche I've found in the delivery game, I bring a little out board and dinghy along to hip tow in and out of tight spots and sail it when I have the sea room. If there is wind I can sail, if not I hip tow. I hip towed a 32 foot Cal with a 2.5 nissan 10 miles in to an anchorage last year. Might be the way to go if you have a dock at home and the boat is 2 and half hours away, sounds like a 2 day sail and a short hip tow up a channel or something like that.