Help! should I buy this boat?

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Richo
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Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:10 pm

Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by Richo »

Hello everybody. First post! I'm looking at a 1978 Chrysler 22 for my first sailboat. Exciting! The interior and hull seem to be in great shape. New cushions, sliding galley, super clean, solid hall. My big question is with the deck and some soft spots. There are three by the stanchions. They seem small and I can't see any cracking. Giving my inexperience it may be better if I answered your questions about what I saw so you can better inform me. It seems like there may be something going on, slightly soft, at the narrow part of the deck where the deck starts at the front of the cockpit on the port and starboard sides where you step up on the seat to step on the deck. Not sure if I explained that well. Let me know if I need to clarify this. The seats starboard & port side next to the companionway have some give. This may be normal giving the fact that I'm 225 pounds. Haha. All that said. It's only $1,700 and includes a trailer and 9.9 Johnson motor. Is the deck repairable? Can I do it my self? If so how do I start? I noticed the boat doesn't have a wood core. Is it honeycomb? Am I crazy for thinking this! If its repairable, is it cost affective given the price of the boat. If it's not repairable, how long before this would ruin the boat. I'd love to restore her to her former glory or at least learn to sail her. I'll be sailing inland lakes in Michigan if that makes a differance. Thoughts please. I just want to make an informed decision. Any advice is welcome. Thanks

Cheers
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CaptainScott
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Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by CaptainScott »

Hi Richo,
Welcome to the forum!

The Chrysler 22 is a pretty stout boat. I've personally had 4 of them and all were pretty solid plus the many I've seen otherwise.
If you can, get a local sailor to look at the boat with you do it. Someone who is familiar with sailboats. In general I tend to stay away from boats with soft spots. However your definition of a soft spot may differ from mine! I was aboard a 32'er with a fried that was looking to buy. This particular boat was pretty, loaded, and cheap. However simply walking the deck going forward cause the stanchion to deflect several inches at the top! YIKES! However your descriptions do not make the spots sound bad. A honey comb coach top with soft spots is very fixable with some work. You can certainly do it yourself. Assuming the boat is in overall good condition one more thing to consider looking at is the keel pin and plates. This would require crawling under the boat and looking up into the keel pocket. There are several threads here on that issue including one of my own. If they look good and do not leak that is great!

If the Johnson runs well and is reliable, if the trailer is reasonably solid, and the boat has decent sails, standing and running rigging, etc the price seems very fair to a buyer. Well in the Seattle market anyway.

Take some pictures if you can and keep us posted on what you decide!

Scott
Richo
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Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:10 pm

Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by Richo »

Thanks Scott. I appreciate The advice! Nothing moves at the soft spots. I could just hear a slight tone difference. Ill keep everybody posted.

Rich
Skipper Dan
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Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by Skipper Dan »

Soft spots are not a big deal. I took my stanchions off completely. There is just not enough room to have them and I do not miss them. If you just take a hole saw and cut only the top layer of fiberglass say a 2" hole right over the stanchion you can dig out the rotten wood. Then fill it with epoxy. If you want to put the stanchion back in this is the way to do it anyway. Never install directly into wood always drill out more, fill with epoxy then install into that. Solves the problem. I also do not have any pulpits. All they are are problems. I have a 26.
Richo
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Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by Richo »

Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the info. Man you this forum and Bobs videos are is so much help! I did pull the trigger and bought the boat. Sure I’ll learn a ton working on her. Just hope I get to sail her more. Haha! After you dig out the hole and fill it with epoxy. Do you refiberglass and gel coat over it? Am I missing a step in between? Thanks again Dan.
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CaptainScott
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Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by CaptainScott »

Congratulations Dan!!!
Please share some photos!

Scott
Skipper Dan
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Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by Skipper Dan »

Yes, I drilled a hole using a hole saw about 2" then used a allen wrench on the drill to dig out farther under the fiberglass. Once you get as much as you can use a hair dryer and dry it out good. Mix up some epoxy and add sawdust to it. stop by a cabinet shop and ask for a garbage bag full. fill that in the hole pack it in good. Let it set up. Grind off a 6" or so circle around the repair. You have to get below the gelcoat. Cut out circles starting with 3" to 6" about 4 or so. Start with the 3" lay out the resin, patch, resin, patch ... feather it out to the gelcoat. It is really not that hard.
Richo
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Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:10 pm

Re: Help! should I buy this boat?

Post by Richo »

That sounds just like what I’ve seen on YouTube. Been watching a lot of boatworks videos. He seems to know what he’s doing. Thanks again! I’ll be sure to post some before and after photos.
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