Don,

We hope to see you in the mix soon.

In hindsight, here are 10 things I wish I would have looked at closer:

1. Chainplates. The chainplates are very easy to access. Take a look at them
and pay close attention to rust streaks.

2. Cabin house hardware. Both the forward hatch and butterfly hatch leak on
our vessel. It's not easy to fix. Also check the port seals. All of ours
need replacing.

3. Steering quadrant and pulleys. Ours is functional, but the pulleys will
need replacement before we take an extended voyage.

4. Lazarette hatches. The plywood backing on our port hatch needs replacing.

5. Bowsprit. The bowsprit is a lamination of teak and holly. The holly rots
from the inside out. Take a screwdriver (or key or something else that's not
destructive) and press on the holly on the top and bottom of the bowsprit,
especially look under the windlass if there is one. If you poke through, you
know you've got a problem.

6. Check thru hulls. Look for any that have gate valves. Yes, we have one
and it will be replaced.

7. Scuppers. Check the bottom edge of the scuppers and look for any cracks
thru to the deck.

8. Fuel Tank. With a flashlight, look down the side of the fuel tank between
the tank and the bilge. Any sign of rust means the tank needs to come out
and be refurbished or replaced.

9. Mast support. The pole supporting the mast is 'stepped' to the keel.
Check the base of this step for rust.

Okay, that was only 9, but I'm sure there's 10.

That's on top of all the other normal stuff you need to look for when buying
a boat: blisters, corrosion, standing + running rigging.

Cheers,

Rick Beddoe
s/v Soņadora, 1978 Baba 30

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-baba-l@ballreich.net [mailto:owner-baba-l@ballreich.net] On
Behalf Of Don Van Valkenburg
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 12:59 PM
To: baba-l@ballreich.net
Subject: [Baba-L] Baba purchase

Greetings Baba owners
I am not yet an owner of a Baba, but currently have an offer in the
works (on a Baba 30), and I would like to probe your collective
knowledge of Babas. I don't think I should mention the boat by name or
say what the current offer is since the deal is not finalized, however I
think it may be safe to say that it is at the bottom of the scale for a
Baba in good condition, and may be priced right considering it is very
sparsely equipped; None of the following are on the boat: GPS Roller
furling, heater, dingy, auto pilot, dodger. Good news (I think) is the
boat has been kept in fresh water for most of it's life, and appears to
have been maintained.

So, here are my questions of the group:

    * It has had a survey, should I get a second?
          o Survey said it "is in good condition compared to other
            vessels of similar type and age"
          o Survey showed some small blisters on hull which it
            characterized as cosmetic and do not need immediate attention.
    * What, if any, are known deficiencies of Babas that I should look at
    * I am thinking of having a diesel mechanic check out the Yanmar,
      but is there anything specific I should check?

Any other comments would be appreciated
Thanks
Don

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Received on Thu Sep 7 12:24:17 2006