E35-2 flaws and things to look for

[harrytheboss]

Current E23 MK II owner, considering upgrading to a 35-2 that is for sale at my marina. It has been listed for a few months, and the owner has come down on price a bit. I think I may be able to talk them down a bit more.

The Boat.
It is a 1974, kind of dirty but in solid condition otherwise. No blisters on hull, deck is solid, bulkheads look like they stayed dry and the chain plates are good, along with the rest of the standing rigging. Halyards/sheets look old but sailable along with the sails. Spinn pole too.

The Ugly:
The boat does have a known issue with the transmission- it doesn't shift into gear. I'm sure this could be an easy cable issue fix, or the entire transmission could be shot. I also noticed the prop shaft strut has a few millimeters of play in the hull, and I'm not sure if this could be an issue. Also the head was removed, haven't had a chance to ask the owner about that or the state of the tankage yet. All of the electronics seem to be nearly OEM, and there isn't really any other nav equipment other than an old chartplotter. Also, there is a small chip on the aft tip of the keel that seems to have a very shoddy fiberglass repair done but it's very small so I don't believe it was a large impact.

One other thing- it has no name. I would certainly have to change that before getting in the water.

Overall, seems like a solid boat that could use some love. Was wondering if there is any advice about things to look for from current owners, upgrades worth making, and other ideas about the transmission. My boat is ready to go in the water, and hard to make the choice to spend the summer fixing up a boat vs. sailing now.

Thanks!

 

[Loren Beach]

Was wondering if there is any advice about things to look for from current owners, upgrades worth making,

There are prior threads about inspecting the starboard chainplate where some have had rot in that bulkhead. That said, it's pretty common to rebed and carefully check chainplates and the surrounding deck structure on any boat over 25 years old.

 

[Christian Williams]

Owners will know more, but I think it is safe to say that this boat will take more than a summer to fix up. it is much larger than a 23, and 1974 is an early year. Even if free, plan to spend a good deal of dough and time on the project.

 

[gareth harris]

The main chainplates were originally covered in the main cabin with pieces of mahogany which made sure that water entering from the deck was trapped so that the bulkheads would rot. The port side chainplate can be assessed on the forward side from the head, and the starboard side from the hanging locker, and if there is any suggestion of delamination then it will be essential to remove the aft covers to assess the bulkhead properly.

Also take a good look at the fuel tank if it is original, since it will be impossible to replace without ripping up the cockpit well deck or cutting apart the main bulkhead at the aft end of the cabin.

It is also impossible to replace the hoses on the water tank under the forward berth without ripping out a lot of woodwork. An option on the original boat was a water tank under the cabin sole, which would be even harder to work on,

Beyond that most things to inspect are the standard ones on fifty year old boats. The original wiring was substandard so any which has not been replaced will need to be. The hulls do tend to be sound however and the boat is truly great to sail - truly great.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972