X-Yachts are built stiff, with a galvanised steel frame taking the keel loads, and YACHT's used boat test of the X-332 found no serious weaknesses. The places to look are the keel frame, the rudder, the engine and the rig.
X-332: the keel frame
The X-332 was built from 1995 to 2005. Its laminated, galvanised steel frame is considered exceptionally strong, YACHT says, likely damaged only by a hard grounding, and the test boat showed no hairline cracks or rust under the floorboards.
Where to look. The frame and its bond to the hull, rust on the steel, the keel bolts, and the floors after any grounding. See grounding damage.
Rudders: water and aluminium stocks
An expert quoted by YACHT on the X-332 says the joint between rudder stock and blade is where water can get into the laminate over time, and recommends a moisture reading. Yachting Monthly reports that X-Yachts rudders have an aluminium stock sandwiched in GRP, and that the company warned copper in some antifoulings reacted with the stock and caused corrosion; it advised against copper-based treatments around the top of the rudder post.
Where to look. Moisture readings on the rudder blade, the stock where it enters the blade, and the antifouling near the top of the rudder. See water in the rudder.
Engines, rigging and teak on the X-332
YACHT lists old engines as the expensive weak point, with replacement costing up to EUR 10,000, and notes that a few early boats had single-circuit cooled engines. It advises replacing rod rigging older than twelve years within the next few years, and checking that the cockpit teak is still solid.
What to check on an X-Yacht
| Area | What to look for | Source of the concern |
|---|---|---|
| Keel frame | Bond to the hull, rust, cracks after a grounding | YACHT, X-332 |
| Rudder | Moisture at the stock to blade joint | YACHT, X-332 |
| Aluminium rudder stock | No copper antifouling at the top of the post | Yachting Monthly, Xc38 |
| Rod rigging | Age over twelve years | YACHT, X-332 |
| Engine | Age, single-circuit cooling on early boats | YACHT, X-332 |
| Cockpit teak | Thickness and fastenings | YACHT, X-332 |
Writing it up
"Rudder: moisture readings high along the stock to blade joint on both faces, weeping at the top of the blade after the boat had been ashore three days. Recommend the rudder is opened at the joint and the laminate and aluminium stock inspected." Give the readings and where you took them.