F30

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Tom
Registered user
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:57 am

F30

Post by Tom »

Looking to purchase a 1976 F30. looking for information on how this boat
will handle the great lakes. anything i should be aware of before i purchase the F30.
thanks
Tom
Paul

F30

Post by Paul »

Tom,

We operate an F-26 comfortably in Lakes Erie & St.Clair. I'm sure an F-30 would also be up to the task. :D As for things to look for, try a marine serveyor. With a survey you'll know exactly what you're getting into.

Hope this helps

Paul
Cruise Control
JB

F30

Post by JB »

An F30 is a great boat for Great Lakes cruising. As in all boats with cored decks or superstructures you should buy a moisture meter and learn how to use it or hire a surveyor to verify the condition of the glass and balsa core. If moisture has penetrated the outer glass layer into the inner core via screw holes, anchor chocks etc then this can be a costly problem to fix.

JB
55e16160
Registered user
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2005 1:13 pm

Post by 55e16160 »

You can't go wrong with the F30 flybridge sedan, good on gas, good speed, big cockpit
For a few dollars more I would look at a F32 FS with its large salon , flybridge for 6 instead of a cramped 3 and main berth with door, not as good on gas, not as fast
Just my 2 cents
Scott
Registered user
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 12:02 am

Post by Scott »

I own a 1975 F30 Express with a flybridge. Upper and lower helms. Twin Ford Mercruiser 351cu. in., 233hp engines. Cruises at 28-30mph with a top speed of 34-37mph. (When we changed over to VC-17 antifouling paint, the top end speed went up to 37mph, where before the top speed was always 34mph. 1 mile per gallon at cruising speed. We salmon fish Lake Michigan and cruise Lake Michigan for up to two weeks at a time. The boat has been updated over the years by the former owner and me. I have owned her for 8 years. The former owner had her since the mid 80's, and the original owner before him bought her new in Wisconsin. She has made 69 crossings between Wisconsin and Michigan. The F30 is a comfortable boat and handles well. A few years ago, we were returning to our home port, and the waves built up to steep 10 foot, white capped swells, heading into us. We had to go slow; the last leg of our trip should have taken us 1 hour and 45 minutes, but because we had to go so slow, it took us 6 hours. Not really exciting or scary, the boat and crew handled it; it was pretty boring going up and down the "mountains" for 6 hours. The only "excitement" was when a second close wave would break over the bow as the bow was coming up after going down the back side of a wave. Then, a wall of water would come flying up over the flybridge. The F30 doesn't like following seas too well, as most boats don't. The F30 like most Trojans, has a rather scary trait if you don't know about it. It's called "Bow Steer." It's never happened to me before, as the former owner warned me beforehand. It happened to him twice. It occurs when the trim tabs are adjusted down too far, and the bow is pushed down too far at higher speeds. The bow digs in, and as soon as it leans just a little to the left or right, the whole boat will suddenly make a sharp swerving turn, and will turn sharper and faster than you could normally make a turn. If you are not hanging on, you could be thrown from your seat, or even out of the boat. The former owner, a very experienced boater, said it scared the heck out of him. I had a friend many years ago that had a Trojan F26 single screw, and he had the same thing happen to him in his F26. I have been warned not to put the trim tabs down too far at high speeds, and if the steering all of a sudden gets real light, and feels like you have power steering, it's getting ready to happen. In 8 years, I have never had a problem with "bow steer." I am aware of it, and how it can happen.
The gelcoat on my F30 hull is really nice. It has a high polished deep shine. (Unfortunately, when I got the boat, the topsides were pretty oxidized). People can't believe it's as old as it is. No problems at all with blisters. There were only two quarter-sized spots on each side, exactly in the same location, below the water line, a couple feet from the transom. I didn't even know they were there until I sanded off all the old Interlux Fiberglass BottomKote antifouling paint from the hull, in preparation to putting on Interlux 2000 Barrier Coat and VC-17. The two blisters I found out had been repaired in the mid 80's with VC Tar. (My sandpaper found that tar real fast!)
The rear cockpit decking takes a beating from the weather; the 1/2" teak veneer plywood decking, before Trojan changed that rear cockpit decking to fiberglass. I replaced all my rear cockpit deck supports with white oak, and am in the process of finishing the job with replacing the decking with 3/4" plywood covered with West System epoxy and fiberglass cloth. The teak veneer plywood was pretty but was getting nasty and thin on the rear corners.
On the foredeck where the hole is cut for the anchor line to enter the anchor line locker below the deck, this area is a problem if the edges of that cut hole were not sealed properly and absorbed water. The moisture will eventually spread through the wood under the fiberglass on the foredeck, and the fiberglass will delaminate. (My next big project). I will replace and repair it from below so I don't have to cut the fiberglass topside skin. (The joys of owning an old boat!)
If you are looking at older boats, and are serious on one, have a survey done on the boat. Stringers can be bad, and that's a few thousand dollars to replace. Several stringers were replaced in my boat just before I bought it from my friend. One was a stringer that the port engine was mounted on.
All boats have good points and bad points and problem areas. If you are serious on buying a used boat, have a surveyor go through it and check it. Sometimes the Seller will just have had a survey done on the boat. A survey is very important. It might cost you a few hundred dollars for the survey, but it can potentially save you thousands of dollars in unforseen repairs and heartaches. Most insurance companies are going to require a survey on an older boat anyway when you first insure it, and then a survey about every five years. Owning an older boat is a love/hate relationship; when things are going right, you love it; when they are going wrong, you hate it. You just have to try to stay on top of things to keep things from going wrong. Sometimes it's a never-ending battle. But I love my old F30. She's classy and a great boat.
Good luck on your search for that special boat,
- Scott -
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