Questions re: potential Typhoon purchase

[jhutchison]

Hello everyone. I am looking at the possibility of purchasing an early (1968) Typhoon Weekender. At first glance, the boat looks to be in very good condition. I will be looking at her more closely, later this week. I am wondering if there are any recommendations, regarding things that I should be paying particular attention to. I am not looking for a fixer-upper, and if I do purchase the boat, want to be reasonably sure it is in good condition. Thanks for any advice you are able to provide!!!

Best,

John

[Troy Scott]

John,

If you are very familiar with Typhoons and feel confident checking her out yourself, great! If not, I strongly suggest you take along someone who knows what to look for. Here are a few things to check for:
Wet balsa core in the deck.
Depressed cabin top under the mast.
Corroded backing plates for the shroud bases.

I'm sure many more folks will chime in here with suggestions. Where are you? There may be a knowledgeable CDer around who would be willing to help.

[Steve Laume]

There should be a lot of hints at what to look for if you poke around this forum in the search mode.

Troy certainly hit on one or two of the biggest problems. The only item I would add to the list is a very careful check of the rudder and it's bearings.

Good sails would be a consideration as well. Not that they are so hard to replace but they could add a significant amount of money to the total cost of the boat.

Typhoons are definitely fun boats, Steve.

[Dick Villamil]

Older Tys have an open bilge and aren't self bailing - newer ones have a self bailing cockpit. Also - check around all deck hardware especially mainsheet block and cleats on aft deck as well as around chainplates for shrouds. These are areas where water can enter the deck core causing rot and wet core that has to be dried out and repaired. Fun boat to sail - definitely recommend one! Check carefully the attachment of rudder to the rudder post - they tend to separate and can ruin a good day of sailing......

[SurryMark]

Before we looked at a Typhoon, a surveyor said to look for signs of weeping on or just above the keel. At first it looked OK, but, when the sun came around, sure eough we saw signs of moisture. Perhaps the increasing surface temperature helped bring it out. The owner did not seem surprised when we pointed it out, on this otherwise very clean boat.

[jim trandel]

This is my second season with my '83 Typhoon Wkn. I did not use a surveyor but expected to put some money into sails, running rigging, and standing rigging. I varnished all the Teak (6coats), rebed & polished the deck hardware and buffed and waxed the hull. I am very happy and pleased with the boat and its performance. My keel did a little weeping when I put it on the hard last fall but was dry by the time I launched this season.

Good Luck!

Jim

[Troy Scott]

What to do?
It seems to me that one could drill some holes, air it out, flush with acetone, air it out again, then carefully fill up all the hollows with epoxy resin. At least that's what I think I would do. But what do I know?

[jim trandel]

John,

I failed to mention that I agree with what Scott suggested. I have drilled the weeping locations on the keel to allow it dry out over winter storage and then patch with MarineTex before VC-17 is applied to the hull before launching for the new season.

Best regards,
Jim

[Troy Scott]

My approach would be slightly more involved. I would drill a series of small holes, in level lines, maybe two inches apart. Then I would use a large syringe to inject regular, unthickened epoxy into the holes until one level began to leak out. Then I would stop and wait for that level to cure. Then I would put tape over those holes and do the same thing with the next level, and so on until you're sure there are no voids between the hull and the ballast, etc.. Then I would remove all the tape, slightly countersink all the small holes, and then use thickened epoxy to finish the hull to original contours. Then I would barrier coat the hull below the waterline.

[Bill Moore]

John,
On your original question about inspecting a Ty...

I had the same problem--I wanted a boat but did not know trust my ability to evaluate them. I got a copy of "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" by Don Casey and used the 30 minute inspection checklist beginning on page 123.

I discovered that I need a professional surveyor to tell me if I want to buy a boat, but I could rule out 70% of the ones I saw just by following the checklist and deciding if I would be willing to tackle the problems I found.

[Angela and Tom]

Coach roof and deck on the Ty can become compressed from over tightening the rigging or just stress. Many Tys have been fitted with a compression post under the mast or have beefed up knees. It's worth it to hire a good surveyor.

Good luck!

--A