I'm assuming you were reading this post;

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/cal/58317-cal-29-beam-rot.html

I looked at a Cal 29 and there was a spot (can't recall exactly) either in the shower sump or a sole hatch where you could find a stream of rust that signified the rusty beam problem. I found the rust and bought a different boat. There is a guy who is, or was, making up stainless beam replacements in the PNW. The above thread has a link to a guy who fixes the beam.

It's too bad Cal dropped the ball on this one, the 29 is a great boat otherwise, might be worth the hassle if you can whittle the price down to correspond to the work required.

Good luck either way,

goat

 

It seems that given the material they used it is not if, but when they go bad. As long as you know it ahead of time it does not have to be a deal killer. Kind of like buying a Honda Odyssey with a V6, you know you will be replacing the transmission at some point or a Subaru head gasket. Sure it is a big pain in the neck but if the boat meets your needs otherwise and if you can do it yourself then go ahead. Now if you are not a DIY it might not be a good idea, but all boats have there issues and this is just one of them and likely not the most expensive.

 

"Beam of Destiny" sounds much sexier: Beam of Destiny & Jockstraps

 

Thank you very much for your responses. What a great community this is. Ihave contacted the owner and found out that he forgot to mention the beam has been replaced with a stainless steel one. My god what a relief, I really like the boat and would hate to have lost it over this problem. Thank you all for your help

 

Here's a great cal 29 link
Wilkie's Sailboat Page

 

I've owned a Cal 2-29 for eight years, and sailed in 30kt - 4ft chop conditions with no cracking, leaks, etc. I did replace the beam with stainless, though, because I plan on coastal cruising along the Oregon-Washington coast. I wanted to save as much of the pan as possible, so I used a different approach: I cut a hole in the forward side of the mast step/pan, inserted the pieces of a stainless steel assembly, and bolted them together. Details at "savingshearwater.blogspot.com"

 

1

 

My apologies. Pix on "savingshearwater.wordpress.com"...