A good check list for buying any new boat (this is not my work)

I found this via google. It has been written as a survey check list for Taiwanese built Trawlers, but is a good check list for any boat survey.
Please note that this does not negate the need for a professional survey.

CHB PILOT

PREAMBLE

The CHB Pilot was put together for use as a referral list for maintenance items and for those who are interested in buying a CHB and want to know what to look for in the initial inspections and subsequent surveys as the sale is brought to completion.  This Pilot Guide is not limited to the CHB vessel but can be used in the purchase of a number of like vessels as most of the categories are common amongst all vessels.  The chief reason that makes this guide a CHB GUIDE will be the “Lessons Learned” sections associated with most of the categories.  This will detail comments made by various members about their experiences with certain categories and hopefully will be the really helpful area for members of the CHB Group.

CHB PEDGREE

While very interesting and helpful in explaining variations in our boats ,the current discussion of CHB pedigrees must be taken in the greater context.

We are not an "Exclusive Brand Name" group. Rather it is the tremendous variation of our Taiwan built Trawlers that has caused us to come together to provide mutual help in sorting out the "Maze of Hwa."  I write this because I don't want anyone to feel that they might not belong because they don't have a "real" CHB. If you have read the material presented so far concerning the pedigree of CHB, FHB, CBK, ECT you realize that there is no one "real" CHB.  And if you have been around long enough you realize that we are definitely not an "exclusive" group....that is, pinkies in the air while we sip our tea.  While we may not be able (nor willing) to pin down a singular definition of who we are (from MT to KK), we do know that we are not USP :-)  

Ron & Marilyn Sallee "Arwetheryet" CHB 34 Everett, WA

Pre-Delivery job list

Although NS is generally in great working condition thanks to the previous owners investment and care, like any boat there is always a big list of jobs to be done.

In preparations for the delivery south that we will undertake in a couple of months when the weather improves (right now it is blowing 30 knots from the north and 3 degrees) I will have the boat yard where NS is currently located sort out a few of the more important jobs for us.

First on the list are the port cutlass bearings.

A good friend of mine is a marine engineer with 30 years experience. He accompanied me on the survey of the boat and noticed that the port cutlass bearings are in need of replacement. The starboard bearings were replaced by the previous owner as confirmed by the boat yard mechanic, but the port set were not.
This is a job that needs to be done while she is out of the water and involves the shaft being decoupled from the engine then slid out of the stern gland and removed from the boat. The bearings can then be replaced and everything put back together. The prop will also need to come off to allow the shaft to move aft past the rudder.

While this is happening I will have the props polished. The hull can be generally sanded and filled where needed under the waterline, ready for a few coats of anti-fouling just prior to her going back in the water.

The other jobs on the list are

• new starter and house batteries
• re-gas the fridge
• top up the hydraulic oil for the steering
• get the back up bilge pump working again
• service the domestic supply water pump
• new anodes 

I will also order a bunch of spares to carry aboard which will include

• Both Engine and generator filters, belts, impellers and anodes
• spare engine oil
• Spare nav' light bulbs
• hose clamps
• trusty role of heavy duty duct tape
• tools etc

These preparations should be enough to get us home, after which the list of jobs will end up long enough to trail back over the 330nm miles we will have sailed to get her here!

The decision to buy a motor yacht!

After having spent nearly 15 years together, on and around sailboats, my wife and I have finally decided to buy our first motor yacht. A 1980 Marine Trader 34 DC trawler.

The decision came about after the birth of our second daughter 5 months ago. Our current boat is a 31 foot racer cruiser, which has been a wonderful addition to our lives for 3 years. But we realize with two small kids (our other daughter is 3 in a couple of months) we needed a change. We didn't necessarily need more space, although having an apartment the on water is a nice change, it is more about safety and practicality. 

We are lucky enough to be ex-pats living in Montenegro. We have an amazing extended cruising ground at our door step and/or loads of wonderful anchorages just minutes away from the marina for that afternoon or weekend trip. Whilst we sail when we can, the mix of little summer time wind, the need for an awning over the boom to protect us and the kids from the hot Mediterranean summer sun, and those little exploring fingers needing a constant attentive eye on them to be sure they don't release a jib sheet potentially causing nasty injuries, has drawn us to the conclusion that at this point in life we need to hang up the winch handle and get a boat fitted with a couple of iron topsails!

There, I said it! :)

So now that all that is out of the way and off my sailors chest, we can move on...

After an extensive search for a suitable motor yacht, I knew that there was no way I could go from sail (by the way, we sailed round the world on tall ships a couple of times) to a white plastic Nike Air on steroids. Hence the decision to look for a trawler yacht. Completely by accident I stumbled across a Marine Trader only a few hundred Nautical Miles from us.

After an extensive survey, our offer was accepted and we are now in the final throws of change of ownership, after which I will head up to Italy with a couple of experienced friends for the 48 hour delivery back home.

The boat is in really good condition for a 32 year old lady, but is in need of quite a bit of cosmetic work, which is the main reason I wanted to start this blog.

During the search for a suitable boat, I stumbled across another MT34DC blog 'The Trawler Beach House'.  http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/

After hours reading all their post, I had a better general idea of the boat that I was interested in purchasing and what I may come up against in the future, than if I had already owned her for months!

I feel a blog of my own will not only keep me motivated and accountable as I progress though the job list, but may also help others just as I was helped by Chuck and Susan's blog.

This is my first ever blog, but hopefully not the last.

Finally, here are a couple of shots of the new boat.