About to take the plunge...

[Guilhem]

Hello,

So here we are, I found the GB 42 I was after for such a long time. Made a verbal offer, looks good, about to put this in writing. I will get her surveyed. Boat has the layout I was after, the right engines (FL 135), proper electronics, recent maintenance, nothing that really requires worrying about. No visible leaks at the windows, fuel tanks look perfect - from what I could tell. Teak in good condition. Of course, proper survey will be scheduled.
What else should I be paying attention to? What didn't I think about that would have me reconsider the transaction?

 

[rgano]

What year? Go aboard in a pouring rain.

 

[Guilhem]

Great idea, thanks for the tip.
Boat is a 1991.

 

[rgano]

Great idea, thanks for the tip.
Boat is a 1991.

Then definitely go aboard in the rain. If it survives that test, it sounds like a jewel.

 

[Comodave]

If it has teak decks then check them carefully. Hope it works out for you!

 

[Guilhem]

It does have teak decks. In good shape. A few missing plugs, that are supposed to be fixed soon. And yes I know it means water may have gone through, I do intend to check to the best of my ability, and also get the surveyor to check. Windows look good. Fuel tanks too. I'm both happy and wondering what I could be missing....
BTW, there is currently no heating on the boat. The currrent owner had ordered and was about to get a reversible AC installed. Plan is to proceed with such an install, so I'll get some heating (I don't care much for cold air). I have a chance to influence how this work is done, since it will take place in November before survey, transfer of ownership, etc. Recommendation as to what to do here?

 

[Comodave]

It does have teak decks. In good shape. A few missing plugs, that are supposed to be fixed soon. And yes I know it means water may have gone through, I do intend to check to the best of my ability, and also get the surveyor to check. Windows look good. Fuel tanks too. I'm both happy and wondering what I could be missing....
BTW, there is currently no heating on the boat. The currrent owner had ordered and was about to get a reversible AC installed. Plan is to proceed with such an install, so I'll get some heating (I don't care much for cold air). I have a chance to influence how this work is done, since it will take place in November before survey, transfer of ownership, etc. Recommendation as to what to do here?

If it has teak decks then they probably have had or have now leaks into the core. The question is how bad are they? If there are missing plugs that is an indicator of other problems with the teak decks. If you are going to strip the teak off and go with a painted deck then removing the, possibly, wet core isn’t as big a deal. It will just be more work to cut the glass and lift it off. Then remove the wet core and replace. Then lay the glass decks back into a bed of thickened epoxy. Glass over the cuts and finish the deck. If you are going to paint with Awlgrip or similar you will need to finish the glass to an almost perfect surface. If you are going to paint with Kiwigrip then a lot of the glass finishing isn’t needed since Kiwigrip will cover a lot of minor and maybe not so minor imperfections. Hope it works out for you!

 

[Slowmo]

It sounds like a nice boat. Before we purchased our boat we actually were shopping for GB 42 and looked at several. You're lucky to find a 91 with Lehmans, many of the 90's onward on had bigger engines in pursuit of speed. Check on the headliner and below the windows for any evidence of leaks. One surveyor told me to check the window tracks, clean tracks are essential to prevent window leaks. What he said was that the GB windows are pretty good if maintained. I think by 91 the GB cabins were all FG but some of the earlier FG models were still fiberglassed plywood and it wasn't very good plywood so they tended to rot around doors and windows if they were leaking at all.

Much has been made of the deck problems on GB but keep in mind that even pure FG decks can get water intrusion so GB isn't unique. Eventually most boats have some water in the core due to the fittings etc. Also make sure the teak isn't worn to the point where the black sealant is protruding. Some people clean their decks too often with aggressive teak cleaners that actually remove a layer of wood causing erosion of the deck itself. I saw this on an older boat.

The fuel tank rot can be hard to see and sometimes gets hidden by 'repairs'. Again, a good surveyor knows what to look for. Keep in mind this is a 30 year old boat, there will be some issues but if it was well maintained they should be easy to manage.

 

[foggysail]

Personally, I would avoid anything that could cause maintenance headaches and teak certainly is in the headache category. Good luck................

 

[Guilhem]

Thanks for your answers. Comodave, if the survey shows anything wrong with the deck, or rather the underlying wooden core, I'm simply not buying the boat. I don't have the gut, patience and finance to rip off a deck and replace with something else. Plus, on a GB, I think the look of the deck is important to its appeal, I'm fine with a GRP deck on a recent boat, but not on this.
Slowmo, I was in fact looking for Lehman engines, even though I understand that Cat parts are easier to get a hold of here in Europe than the FL. I did check the window tracks, they look good, some seals may benefit from a replacement, I may replace them all for peace of mind. It's not raining often where I live, however when it does rain, it's pouring heavily, or even dangerously.
I know teak deck and 30-year old boat mean high maintenance. I'm lucky to live 15 min away from the dock, we shall see how much is too much ! ;-)

 

[Blissboat]

Guilhem, you seem clear-eyed about this selection, and your surveyor should help you keep your perspective. That's hard when you have a passion for the older, simpler GBs, as I do. As well built as they were, at 30+ years of age, you're no longer just buying a boat, you're buying its story. By that I mean the legacy of care and maintenance by whoever has owned your GB during those decades when it was finding its way to you.

It sounds as though you are in touch with the seller, which allows you to look, listen and connect the dots to evaluate the boat's story. This particular GB may have a good story - I'm pulling for you and for the boat!