New F36 owner

[JCPSr-F36]

Good Day
I'm in the process of purchasing a 1978 F36 and have been pouring over all the old posts for information. Just a little background on me, I have renovated and rescued or parted out many boats in the past. Even built a 16' bassboat from the Glen-l plans. I fully understand what is involved in fixing a boat. I have owned all sizes of boat form runabouts to express cruisers to a 32 Luhrs (wood) and 34 Silverton C. This will be my first Trojan.

The boat is being purchased from a manager of a marina who was rescuing it, but other projects have come up and he decided to move this one on. He seems to be a real honest guy and even after I agreed to buy it, he said there were things he was going to address, and he is still going to do them. He has also said that I can purchase whatever I need through him at his cost and keep it in a slip through late July if I want. Even if he makes a few bucks as long as the parts are cheaper than I can get them I'm ok with that.

The boat has both replacement PCM 454 engines (hours?) that showed 160 psi or better on all cylinders and were within 10% of each other. They both have new exhaust manifolds and risers and exhaust hoses. All belts and any hoses that were suspect were replaced. Also has new dripless shaft seals. 4 new batteries and rebuilt carbs. Both engines fired right up and idled smoothly.

It has a Kohler generator that runs.
All gas has been removed and the 2 rear tanks have been replaced. I will be accessing the fuel senders on the main tanks and scope them for sludge. I am very familiar with bad gas and sludge in the tanks. Will pressure test for possible leaks.

The hull shows very well, and it will be one of the first boats that I've done that will not need a heavy cut and buff to remove oxidation. I looked over the bridge and forward deck and did not find any soft spots. I have done re-coring on other boats and fixing any is not a problem. I did not notice any issues with the stringers.

It has radar, GPS/depthsounder, VHF, interior audio and a Good windlass. Do not know if any of them work. Will power them up on my next trip. It only has a love seat convertible sofa that was purchased this past summer. Both head and galley need refurbishing or replacement. I always redo the head in any boat that I'm keeping.

First step is to create a plan to make sure the boat is seaworthy and safe. Will be asking questions as I move through each system.

The downside is it is at least a 2 hour drive from me depending on traffic. So, I have to make best use of my time when I go there.

A survey is scheduled for the first week of January with the sea trial once the weather warms.

I really like the looks and layout of this boat and think it may be the last boat that I would get.

I have been actively looking at Egg Harbors, but house rot seems to be an issue even in well-kept boats.

Open to all tricks, tip and opinions on what to do to make this a boat anyone would want.
Thanks,
Jeff

Will post pics as I get them.

[prowlersfish]

Congrats I also have a F36 sedan (I am asumeing you have a sedan) Feel free to ask away.

[JCPSr-F36]

First question then, until I get the hull # what is the difference between a sportfish(461) as compared to a sedan (460) ?

[prowlersfish]

First question then, until I get the hull # what is the difference between a sportfish(461) as compared to a sedan (460) ?

The 460 Convertible/Sedan (used one or both names depending on the year) Had a lower helm

The 461 did not have a lower helm.

[JCPSr-F36]

It has the lower helm, which I prefer. Not for cruising, but I find its a bit easier to dock without having to climb down or if you have guests and don't want to be alone on the bridge.
My last boat (34 Silverton) had the lower helm and for me it's a plus. Starting, bad weather or just socializing it keeps options open.

[prowlersfish]

You have the 460. I used my lower 1 time to run the boat. Don't like it but others do. It is handy however when working on the engines.

[JCPSr-F36]

Considered a couple diesel boats for the higher cruise speeds, but felt for the type of boating I'm going to do gas is adequate. Have and still own diesel trucks and the torque makes towing a breeze.

The high diesel prices right now were also a concern.

[prowlersfish]

Diesel prices are killing me right now, keep waiting for them to fall.

[WayWeGo]

Sounds like a nice boat and a fun project. We really like ours!

[JCPSr-F36]

Update: I need to change the title of this thread.
"Get a survey and save yourself money and stress."

Just got the survey and it pays to have pro's do their job. I didn't go into this with rose colored glasses, but felt I could fix the issues I saw. Needless to say the surveyor spotted issues that magnified the amount of work it would have taken to make the boat seaworthy. It is fixable, but the costs and time involved would have pushed past the value of the boat when completed.
Financially it makes no sense to spend more then it would cost to buy a boat with no big issues. I did talk with the owner and he was understanding, but still refused my counter offer. To be honest, I would have refused it also.

Still in the hunt for a boat and the F36 will still be at the front of the line.

[prowlersfish]

What issues did he find?

[JCPSr-F36]

The 2 that changed my mind was stringer "delamination" from transom going 4' forward and both fuel tanks were rusted with the port one actually leaking fuel in the past. Both tanks are currently empty and my guess is that is why.
Can replacement fuel tanks even be bought?
It wasn't the actual repairs, but the amount of work involved in removing engines and genset just to make repairs. I'm not against sweat equity, but not at retail prices.

Another question, 2 F36''s that I have looked at have had the rear fuel tanks converted to water tanks plumbed into the freshwater system. Is this something that's done for ballast? Seems sketchy to me.

[prowlersfish]

There are Tanks available that will fit in the stern. I am assuming your talking about a F36 convertible not a tri-cabin? I have not seen any converted to water tanks. But a F36 runs much better with weight back there. They would not sell a F36 without rear tanks and or a generator due to this so you had to buy the aft tanks or the gen or both.

[WayWeGo]

Was the stringer delamination on the port side inner stringer at the transom? That seems to be the one that I have most often heard of and one that I need to fix on our boat.

[JCPSr-F36]

The saga goes on, I was contacted by the owner and renegotiated the price down to a point that I felt was appropriate considering the repairs needed.

Yes, the inner stringers at the transom are delaminating. About 2 feet sound delaminated, but I am assuming the damage goes further.

As for the tanks my plan is to use the rear tanks and address the saddle tanks in the future. Fortunately where I boat there are plenty of fuel stations. As it stands now the boat will have 120 gallons available.

Stay tuned, who knows what will happen next.