| Author | Message | ||
     Gary Hendrickson New member Username: Garyh Post Number: 21 Registered: 02-2001 Rating: N/A |
A few notes for Gregg: The 9.1 is a wonderful boat indeed. I had hull #94 and have recently parted with her. Your categories: 1. Keel fastening. There is a mild steel plate glassed into the keel stub. See postings from Golden Omen and others. Do not let sea water or bilge water (esp. salt water) communicate with this area. The hull-to-keel joint fairing tends to crack and should be filled in with a more flexible sealer material that can still be faired. 3M 5200 has been used to fill in the crack. Leaking of bilge water down the threads of the keel stubs should be controlled by rebedding of the keel washers & nuts with sealant. 2. Deck leaks around fittings. Inspection shows that S2 did not do a good consistent job of bedding deck hardware all over. In particular, sealant used to bed fittings to deck wasn't always run into the threading of the fasteners. Then, water can run down the threads of the fasteners and into the balsa core, soaking the deck sonstruction over time. Rebedding at intervals is mandatory. The permanent cure is to remove the fitting, open up, clean out soaked disintegrated balsa core, dry out, fill in with thickened epoxy resin, drill the fastener hole through the epoxy resin, then rebed the fitting. 3. Hatch sliding rails. These are plastic and get brittle and crack as they age. "Starboard" material is excellent stuff to use to replace tracks. 4. Mast step. Has been replaced on most 9.1's by this time. 6. Stantion bases for deck cracks. Cracking usually due to water intrusion into core. 8. Balsa core below bildge pump. S2 relied on the rubber gasket that comes with the pump to seal the fitting. Gasket is ineffective and leaks water into the cockpit floor, since the non-skid pattern is too severe for the rubber to make a good seal. A couple other things: Don't forget to look for dampness in the hull. Your surveyor should be using a good quality moisture sensing instrument all over the boat, and he should know how to use the instrument and how to interpret its indications. Unless your surveyor does a little homework on the 9.1 before he shows up to do a survey, he is likely to cause a great deal of confusion. He may not be aware that there is a reason why the hull "sounds" quite different aft under the engine than anywhere else. He may just not know that S2 did not use balsa core construction in this area of the hull. Instead they increased the thickness of the outer glass layup schedule from about 1/8 inch to more than 5/16 inch, and then just bedded the hardwood engine mounts over this using resin thickened with what looks like microballoons. (This was confirmed with core sampling) Gary Hendrickson | ||
| Mike Bergmann Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
As an owner since 1996, here are a few thoughts: The boat is an excellent sailing boat - halndling, control, etc. are great. If you have sailed larger tiller-steered boats this one will feel great. The semi-balanced rudder gives good control but does not wear you out on a heavy day. This boat will not "track" as well as a Catalina 30 - if you let the tiller go the boat will round up. I use an autopilot for singlehanded cruising and deliveries. Singlehand cruising is easy on my boat -the original owner had Lewmar #44STA winches installed instead of the #42's in the "racing" package. These are great - I can get any jib in one-handed, and female crew can work my jib or genoa in almost any weather. I have replaced the original 5:1 mainsheet tackle with a 4:1/12:1 gross/fine system, and that is also great in all weather. Note that there are actually three different rigs - the "short" rig like mine (I = 40.0 ft.), the "tall" rig (I = 41.25 ft. - this is the commonest rig) and the "SP" model. I race regularly against a J-27 and several J-30's, and also a C&C 33 Mark I. The J-27 beats me in light and medium air, but above 15 knots true, I can beat him. I can beat the J-30 in almost all conditions. The C&C 33 is even on abeat in very light or heavy air, and I can beat him easily on all other conditions. I have not actually sailed on the J-27, so I can't compare ease of sailing. The S2 9.1 will sail a lot easier than a J-30 because the J does not ahve a balanced rudder, and the tiller gets very heavy on a heavy day. The J-30 is also under-ballasted for heavier air, and the S2 can carry more sail and will generally run away from the J-30 in 20 knots true. I have sailed in the C&C 33 - it's a good boat but it takes a large crew to get that monster headsail in. The S2 is much easier to sail shorthanded. Specific questions: 1. I don't think there is a steel plate in the keep stub, but others may have more knowledge on this. 2. Any boat will develop leaks around fittings. Since the deck is balsa-cored, you should stay on top of this. Be prepared to re-bed any fittings that have not already been reset. 3. The sliding rails are actually plastic tracks. A little teflon keeps them in good shape. You will notice that the mounting screws for the hatch dodger go through the tracks. You can remove the dodger, hatch, and tracks easily and reseal the joints. 4. I have not had to touch the mast step in 7 years. Mine is still solid. 5. Leaks in head. As with deck hardware, the chain plate covers should be checked regularly. I installed the pumpout fittings myself, and I ran the hose up through the bulkhead cabinets in the head. So far, no leaks. I have also installed two solar vents - intake over the galley and exhaust in the head. This keeps the "musty" smell away when I am away from the boat for a while. 6. Stanchion bases have to be checked regularly too. If you dock frequently, and well-meaining people help stop the boat by grabbing the top of the stancions, you may actually find some slight bends. 7. I found I could not keep the cotter pins at the masthead taped - it would wear out in a few weeks. I finally sewed a leather boot around the headstay connecitgon and that works fairly well. 8. Balsa core below pump - I assume you are referring to the pump in the cockpit sole - as with all deck hardware, the sealing here has to be maintained. I have not had any leaks here. The biggest problem everyone seems to have is tha mast "partners". If you have seen the boat with the mast down, you can see that there is a recessed area for a gasket. The upper plates(halyard organizer) and the lower aluminum plate in the cabin clamp the gasket between them similar to a gland on a water main. The concept is good, but the recess forthe gasket is one of the few poorly built locations in the boat. The material there is mostly resin and kitty hair, and it cracks easily. Many owners have had to rebuild this area, including me. | ||
| Gregg Johnson New member Username: Gregg_johnson Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2003 Rating: N/A |
I have a contract out on a 1985 9.1, not sure of hull number, and am asking advise on what to look for in the way of potential problems. The site has great info! I have read most of it. I have never sailed on one of these boats, but I am looking for something that is easy to sail, fast, comfortable, doesn't require a large crew, and can be singlehanded. I have owned a Catalina 30 with tri radial spinnaker and have had a J-22 for the past 5 years, but the J is too small. Have been considering a J-27, J-30, or C&C 33 when this boat came along. I may do occasional racing, but not a lot. How is this boat to sail? The few things I am aware of regarding survey are: 1. Keel nuts. Does this boat have a steel plate below the nuts in the bildge? 2. Deck leaks around fittings. 3. Hatch sliding rails. 4. Mast step 5. Leaks in head. Has one from overhead this area I think is the chainplates or holding tank pump out. 6. Stantion bases for deck cracks. 7. Masthead rissing and cotter pin at headstay. 8. Balsa core below bildge pump. Thanks for your help |
