Known Boat Problems by Builder: Beneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria, Dufour, Lagoon, Princess, Sunseeker, Sea Ray and More

Sailboats

Beneteau

Known problems on used Beneteau sailboats and where to look: the bonded grid and keel after a grounding, from the MAIB report on the First 40.7, iron keels, the hull to deck joint, rudders and deck windows.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Jeanneau

Known problems on used Jeanneau Sun Odyssey sailboats and where to look: the bow thruster recall on the 410, 440 and 490, the grid and bulkheads, iron keels and how the hull to deck joint is fastened.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Island Packet

Known problems on used Island Packet sailboats and where to look: water in the encapsulated ballast and grounding damage to the keel shell, chainplate revisions, and voids in the foam of IP 350 rudders.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Catalina

Known problems on used Catalina sailboats and where to look: the keel and rudder on a Catalina 34 over 20 years old, wiring chafed under the liner and the shallow bilge on early 320s, the deck stepped mast on its compression post, and leaking ports and chainplates owners report.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Hunter

Known problems on used Hunter sailboats and where to look: the thin, blistered bottom on a Hunter 28, aluminium tanks that corrode on the Vision 32 and 35.5 Legend, the grid that hides the hull, the deck stepped mast and keel joint on the 340, leaky chain lockers on the Passage 42, and USCG recalls.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Hallberg-Rassy

Known problems on used Hallberg-Rassy yachts and where to look: the HR 342 upper rudder bearing recall, corroding saildrive legs and blisters on the HR 34, teak decks and the hull to deck joint, from YACHT, Sailing Magazine and Practical Sailor.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Tartan

Known problems on used Tartan sailboats and where to look: stainless bolts in the aluminium bar of the hull to deck joint, aluminium backing plates, balsa cored decks and topsides, foam cored rudders on stainless stocks, centreboards, swollen rudder bearings and forward hatch leaks on the 3500.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Bavaria

Known problems on used Bavaria sailing yachts and where to look: cracks at the aft keel bolt and leaking toe rails on the 30 Plus, rudder tube seals and the rudder retaining bolt, saildrive seals, and the wear of years in charter.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Hanse

Known problems on used Hanse sailing yachts and where to look: hairline cracks around the keel that show a grounding, the hull to deck connection, saildrive boots at the end of their life, faded coloured gelcoat, leaking anchor lockers and a loose saloon table on early 370s.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Dufour

Known problems on used Dufour sailing yachts and where to look: the saildrive collar and oil seals, keel bolts that are hard to reach, sharp-cornered keel floors that crack the topcoat, and the balsa-cored deck on the Dufour 30.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Elan

Known problems on used Elan sailing yachts and where to look: hairline cracks in the keel cradles after groundings on deep, slim keels, the mast collar and its leaking sleeve, the twin rudder tie rod, the diesel tank vent, and gelcoat damage under load.

What to check

SAILBOATS

Dehler

Known problems on used Dehler 35 sailing yachts and where to look: worn rudder bearings and the change to self-aligning bearings at hull number 254, bonded hull windows on the 35 CWS, the balsa cored deck and topsides, and the keel joint.

What to check

SAILBOATS

X-Yachts

Known problems on used X-Yachts and where to look: the galvanised steel keel frame on the X-332, water at the rudder stock to blade joint, copper antifouling on aluminium rudder stocks, engines and the age of rod rigging.

What to check

Catamarans

CATAMARANS

Lagoon

Known problems on Lagoon catamarans and where to look: the Lagoon 450 forward bulkhead, the Goiot escape hatch recall and its 10 year replacement, and what charter use means for a survey.

What to check

CATAMARANS

Fountaine Pajot

The known problem on used Fountaine Pajot catamarans and where to look: the Goiot escape hatch recall that covers Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon, Bali and Nautitech, which hatches it affects, the Helia 44's opening hatches, and what a surveyor should record.

What to check

Powerboats

POWERBOATS

Sea Ray

Known problems on used Sea Ray boats and where to look: balsa cored bottoms on the larger boats, hull to deck joints, stringers, fuel tanks and exhausts, from a surveyor's published reviews and the USCG recall list.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Grady-White

Known problems on used Grady-White boats and where to look: plywood transoms and stringers on some models, aluminium fuel tanks that can't be reached, and screws through the foredeck, from a surveyor's reviews and the builder's construction.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Boston Whaler

Known problems on used Boston Whaler boats and where to look: water in the foam core and the stress cracks it causes, glued grid liners with no access, open motor wells, and USCG recalls on the Conquest, Outrage, Dauntless and 190 Outrage.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Carver

Known problems on used Carver boats and where to look: thin balsa cored hull sides, a cored transom below the waterline with fittings cut through the core, bottom laminate failure on a Carver 370, all from Carvers a surveyor examined, and two USCG recalls.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Mako

Known problems on used Mako center consoles and where to look: aluminium fuel tanks foamed in place, plywood cored decks that rot under the console, leaking electronics boxes and inspection ports, and battery boxes that fill with water.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Tiara and Pursuit

Known problems on used Tiara and Pursuit boats, both built by S2 Yachts, and where to look: engine rooms under heavy hatches and seating, painted aluminium windshields, the screwed hull to deck joint, sagging plywood under batteries, and USCG recalls.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Mainship

Known problems on used Mainship boats and where to look: plywood stringers and frames left exposed where holes were cut, water weeping through the hull, engine cooling leaks, low mounted generators, blisters, and USCG recalls on the 30 Pilot, 350 Trawler and 34 Motor Yacht.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Cruisers Yachts

Known problems on used Cruisers Yachts express cruisers and where to look: a deck that didn't fit at the transom and leaked into the balsa core, plywood decks over the bilge that rotted, fuel vents that let water into the tanks, unsealed bow hatches and Caterpillar 3126 engines.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Chris-Craft

Known problems on used Chris-Craft boats and where to look: plywood cored decks with separated laminate, low grade plywood bulkheads that rot, wiring laid on the fuel tanks and taped joints, corroding helm gauges, and USCG recalls.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Bertram

Known problems on used Bertram sportfishermen and where to look: hull skin delamination on a Bertram 63 and the sinking of a 630, foam cored hull sides on the 30 Moppie, tight engine rooms under heavy seating on the 36 Moppie, electronic engine controls, and a USCG recall on the 28, 34, 39 CCS and 28 XC.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Hatteras

Known problems on used Hatteras yachts and where to look: bottom blisters, balsa cored hull sides and decks, foam cored decks on the 39 Sport Express, an engine room reached from under the cockpit seat, tight spacing between the engines and breakers placed in the engine room.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Princess

Known problems on used Princess motor yachts and where to look: sunroof tracks and the cracks around roof apertures, stanchions held by grub screws, outdrive and IPS servicing, stress cracking on fast boats, and UV damage on boats that lived in the Mediterranean.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Sunseeker

What owners report on used Sunseekers and where to look: hydraulic leaks at the bathing platform rams and dirty sunroof rails on the Predator 60 EVO, and thruster batteries on a big shaft-driven boat.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Fairline

Known problems on used Fairline motor yachts and where to look: hairline stress cracks along deck and superstructure radii, UV bloom on dark blue hulls, water ingress at windows and stanchion bases, loose helm seats, rail bolts and headlining, and scrubbed teak.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Prestige

Known problems on used Prestige motor yachts and where to look: cracking in the cored hull where the boat was stored badly on chocks, delamination, Cummins engine servicing, and the electronic control boxes and cabling.

What to check

POWERBOATS

Sessa

Known problems on used Sessa motor yachts and where to look: the sliding roof and its guides, cracks around hull windows and ports, the cockpit doors, IPS seals, anodes and bonding, and fouling that costs speed.

What to check

Know the boat before you board

Sailboats

Beneteau

Jeanneau

Island Packet

Catalina

Hunter

Hallberg-Rassy

Tartan

Bavaria

Hanse

Dufour

Elan

Dehler

X-Yachts

Catamarans

Lagoon

Fountaine Pajot

Powerboats

Sea Ray

Grady-White

Boston Whaler

Carver

Mako

Tiara and Pursuit

Mainship

Cruisers Yachts

Chris-Craft

Bertram

Hatteras

Princess

Sunseeker

Fairline

Prestige

Sessa

Say what you find. Axsail writes the finding