The Dehler 35 was built first as the 35 CWS, then from 1993 to 1996 as the 35 Cruising, 280 of them. YACHT's used boat test rates it a well built performance cruiser and points to a short list of checks: the rudder bearings, the hull windows on the first version, the deck and the keel joint.
Rudder bearings
YACHT calls the rudder bearings a typical weak point on the Dehler 35, as on almost all used boats. Replacement isn't difficult once the blade is out, which the lower bearing needs, and spare parts are still available. Its advice: if you can, buy a boat with a hull number above 254, which has self-aligning bearings in place of the earlier plain bearings, a clear advantage in steering feel too.
Where to look. Play in the rudder stock, side to side and fore and aft with the boat out of the water, and the hull number on the builder's plate.
Hull windows on the 35 CWS
The 35 CWS has narrow windows bonded into the hull; the 35 Cruising dropped them for another hatch in the coachroof. After one of the windows fell out off the Belgian coast and let in a heavy inrush of water, Dehler told YACHT the adhesives used then weren't particularly UV resistant. YACHT says buyers must look closely at the joints around the windows, and if cracks appear, the panes should be removed and rebonded.
Where to look. Every hull window joint, inside and out, for cracks, gaps and lifting sealant. Recommend rebonding where you find any.
Balsa cored deck and topsides
The hull is hand laid solid laminate with balsa sandwich above the waterline and in the deck, solid in stressed areas. YACHT lists the balsa cored deck as a minus point and says the deck covering tends to get dirty.
Where to look. Meter and sound the deck around every fitting and the topsides around any later additions. See wet deck core.
The keel joint
YACHT's closing advice is that if there's budget left, look at the keel joint as well as the hull windows.
Where to look. The joint outside for cracks and weeping, and the keel bolts and floors in the bilge. See keel bolt corrosion.
What to check on a Dehler
| Area | What to look for | Source of the concern |
|---|---|---|
| Rudder bearings | Play; hull number above 254 for self-aligning bearings | YACHT, Dehler 35 |
| Hull windows on the 35 CWS | Cracked or lifting bonds | YACHT, Dehler 35 |
| Balsa cored deck | Wet core around fittings | YACHT, Dehler 35 |
| Keel joint | Cracks, weeping, bolt condition | YACHT, Dehler 35 |
Writing it up
"Hull window, port side forward: hairline crack along the lower edge of the bond for about 80 mm, sealant lifting at the aft corner, no water ingress seen. Recommend the pane is removed and rebonded before the vessel goes to sea." On a Dehler 35, give the hull number and whether the bearings are plain or self-aligning.