Considering the purchase of an H17...

(this is a crosspost from the H17 Forum-- i'm antsy)

New poster here, hope i dont repeat any questions or themes, but here goes:

I currently own a laser but have always kicked around the idea of upgrading to a multihull for both speed/performance and the ability to better accomodate a sailing partner (i'm aware of the 350lb "submarine capt" thread). Couple days ago I stumbled upon an offering for an H17 listed w/out trailer for $800. I called the guy up and checked it out. For an 1986 hull, the boat appears to be in very good condition-- quite clean with an excellent sail and adequate hardware. I felt no threatening soft-spots and could find no shooting cracks etc etc. However, the current owner openly informed me that the boat does indeed leak-- so much so that the issue WOULD need to be addressed if the boat were to be sailed effectively in the future. The owner noted that leakage was about equal in both hulls which, from my research, would imply either sleeve damage (which i checked for, yet they seemed fine), centerboard spring-area problems, or possibly something in the crossbar-bed area??

My Questions (as they came to me):
- Beyond issues of previous owner care, is there anything that should deter me from getting involved in a boat of this vintage? Do they usually last if they're well attended to?

- Should i just man up and buy newer with more money later on?

- Are my leakage guesses valid? If so are they permanently fixable to the point of "non-issue-age"?

- How much of a pain is it to remove hulls, manipulate crossbars, and deal with undertaking some of the things i would need to do?


I worked the guy down to $700 for a 20 year old boat in good condition but in need of some repair. I feel that price is quite low and I would be confident in my ability to sell it again for little or no loss. But is it worth my time, my wife's anger, and my ego to undertake this questionable bravado?

thanks for the input...


one more thought... I would be purchasing this boat without trailer, meaning i would be using my laser trailer for bi-yearly transport. I have a modified standard shorelander trailer which supports my laser with two large webbing straps which stem from welded-on 'arms'. My idea was to take off the crossbars/tramp and put the hulls side-by-side on my trailer, laying in the straps just as a laser would only 5 feet longer. that sound too crazy to anyone?

First, buy the boat! $700 is a good price on anything that floats. And if you find a newer boat down the road, sell this one and buy the newer one latter. You will have been sailing the whole time so you are better off buying now.

The leaks- does it freeze where the boat was kept. If so, then the leaks are probably in the wing tubes. Water left in the tube freezes and expands and splits the tube. Anything is possible to fix, so don't worry too much about it. Install a hatch and glass the tube from the inside of the boat. To have a quick check, take out the wings and fill the holes with water. If it drains into the hull, then you have your answer. If it doesn't leak there, then the fastest way to locate the leak is to pressure test the hull then soap it up and look for bubbles, but before you go to all that work, the most common leak is actually the drain plug housing. If the drainplug housing has not been resealed with silicone in the last few years, then this is probably the leak or at least one of them. Take out the two screws, clean off the old sealant and replace it with new sealant.

As far as trailering goes, do not take the boat apart. Add a longer tongue, a mast support, and two crossbars (4x4 wood will do for short trips). Doing this may also allow you to carry the laser under the 17 at the same time. Taking the boat apart is not a good solution. The other option is to borrow a trailer to take the boat home and to the sailing spot twice each year. I'm sure someone would lend you a trailer.

yupper - I agree with Hammond. By the way I have a friend who tows his 16 with his sunfish tucked in underneath the hulls. Nice to have the choice if you hit the beach only to find that you are up to your butt in vicious wind conditions - you know where you have no qualms about flipping over a smaller boat like a Laser or Sunny.

I vote "go for it"

_________________
The fact that this windy world is largely covered in water obviously means that man was meant to sail.

Advice much appreciated. I'm going for it.

thanks all

Ty, Give us some updates! The guys gave good advice. It is a great boat! If you have more questions let us know. Brian, '89 H 17 "Super" Sport conversion