Blisters on DSII Hull?

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Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby Fernando » Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:36 pm

Hi,

I am considering purchasing a 1974 O'Day DSII. I went to inspect the boat today. My biggest concern is the boat appears to have been stored in salt water for extended periods, without any covers, so also rain water may have seeped in from above. I would appreciate a second opinion on my diagnosis of the boat. I am not a fixer upper, and just want to sail, not spend months on repairs.

HULL

Below are some pictures I took of the hull. Initially I thought the circles were barnacles (the boat was stored in a hangar, with poor light) but looking at the pictures I took with the flash, it looks to me that they are blisters, hundreds of them. When I inspected the hatches the bilge was wet. The boat has been out of the water for about a week (since it went on sale).

https://pasteboard.co/JVI2ajQ.jpg (tried the img link but did not work in preview so using URL links)

https://pasteboard.co/JVI32Od.jpg

https://pasteboard.co/JVI3vlFp.jpg

The hatches may also need replacing

https://pasteboard.co/JVI9kgd.jpg

Here you can see how water was allowed to accumulate in the cockpit. Presumably long enough to leave marks.

https://pasteboard.co/JVIa8Ae.jpg

Cuddy

It appears someone cut out a section of the front of the cuddy. I am assuming to do some repairs to the bow?

https://pasteboard.co/JVI6NUw.jpg

Also, the floor underneath the cuddy appeared to be a little raised (like a dune) near the black mark you see in the picture

Thank you for any advice.

PS the guidance on how to upload photos to this site appears outdated https://forum.daysailer.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=1162
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby tomodda » Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:57 pm

Hard to really tell from photos, but I'm thinking hard pass. Unless owner is practically giving the boat away and you feel like putting in sweat equity. Let's see what GL says.
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby jalmeida51 » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:37 am

If you just want to sail? Don't buy this boat. To me this looks like a hole in the water to throw money in it. You can buy a nice Daysailer between $3000 and $4000. Maybe less? If the boat is in this condition, what about the sails, standing rigging, running rigging, spars and if it comes with a trailer? I was in the same mind set when I bought my boat I want to sail not work on it. We are into April time to think about sailing not working on them.

Best of luck, John
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby Alan » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:31 pm

I'll add my agreement to the wise counsel of the people who say "forget it." Among other things, the system that raises and lowers the centerboard in DSIIs is trouble-prone. It's a common cause of water leaking into the bilge, which may explain why this boat's bilge was wet. Judging by the rest of the boat, it would probably need to be completely redone.

I have a 1980 DSII which was in basically sound shape when I got it, but even so, it took a good bit of time and money to get it seaworthy (all the items that John mentions, plus new flotation foam and repair of the notorious DSII centerboard leak).

The glassed-over patch in the forward cuddy bulkhead is not surprising. It's common to open that area up to repair the bow hook attachment or replace flotation foam. It is surprising that whoever did the work didn't put a deck plate in the opening to make future work easier.
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby Fernando » Sun Apr 04, 2021 3:48 pm

Thank you all for your feedback. I tend to agree. Attached below a screenshot of my inspection report.

https://pasteboard.co/JVOwNCb.png
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby GreenLake » Sun Apr 04, 2021 6:34 pm

Blisters make it look like the boat was kept afloat in the water. You'd need to grind them out individually, fair the hull, seal in epoxy and repaint. Good news is that the DS hull area is small compared to even a small keelboat. When done right, you should have a "perfect" hull for your trouble. Many people refurbish a hull for less deterioration, but the additional work is not as much as it seems: the final fairing/sanding/painting is the largest part.

There are two things that should kill a deal on a DS: soft spots in a double hulled model (a very localized soft spot can be fixed in a single-hulled DS1, but in a DSII you'd be out of luck as you can't access the repair from the inside).

The other would be a seriously damaged mast (unless the hull is so perfect that purchasing a mast separately makes sense). (The holes on the top of the mast most likely were for a windex. Not part of the factory configuration, so it's not the case that the holes mean there is something "missing". You may want to put one there again, though).

Other than that, these boats are amazingly repairable - and it's basically a question whether the amount of work is in relation to price/availability of alternatives.

If running rigging/sails are in poor condition, consider that they are "consumables". You'd have to replace them after a few years of frequent sailing/UV exposure. So you'd pay more upfront if you need to replace, but benefit, because the sails would new and the rigging - well many people like to change the setup and if you do that, you'll replace most of it anyway.

Now, the real issue with a boat like this is whether you have the experience/skill/desire to tackle an extensive refit. We've seen people here do restorations on boats that sounded a bit "crazy" on first blush. However, even though some were new to boats, they clearly had what it took to see a project like that through.

Others like to start with a boat that is basically able to being launched and then make alterations only after having sailed her for a bit. I myself was more in the latter camp. However, over time, I replaced or added quite a few items on my boat.

You'll just have to be realistic as to where you fit on this scale.

(In some instances, you might want to purchase a boat like this if it is really cheap to get a good mast and then get another boat w/ a broken mast. You'd have to know how to dispose of the unwanted pieces. If there's an extra trailer, that can usually be sold off.)

PS: the deck plates ("hatches") and evidence of standing water are perhaps the least "interesting" items in the report. As were the few gelcoat nicks.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby Fernando » Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:06 am

GreenLake wrote:Now, the real issue with a boat like this is whether you have the experience/skill/desire to tackle an extensive refit.


I agree. The boat is no doubt repairable. However, I am not the one to do it. I trust it will find the right owner soon :)
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Re: Blisters on DSII Hull?

Postby GreenLake » Mon Apr 05, 2021 8:33 pm

Sounds like a good call.

Other DSs should be available in a reasonable distance - they are by no means rare boats.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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