Robin, Ultimately, you're responsible because you accepted the boat for purchase post survey, but I would be hesitant to give the surveyor any recommendations since this was something he missed and could have been inspected if the boat was on the hard or detected the vibration if the boat was in the water.
In most cases, the survey will have numerous disclaimers as will the sales agreement when you bought the boat, absolving the broker and surveyor from any liabilities involving the condition of the boat. If you opted (like I did) to purchase your new boat without a sea trial, you leave yourself open to a myriad of possible problems that only arise once the boat is splashed and the diesel turns over and the rig gets stepped.. As it turned out, my surveyor detected a slight anomaly in the prop shaft when he turned the propeller as the shaft seemed to make a slight noise where it rubbed on one side while passing through the opening on the hull. Once the engine fired up and put the boat in gear, we were able to detect about 1/8" of run out which set up a pretty nasty vibration and noise under power. We later discovered that the last time the boat was hauled, the slings slid down the hull and lifted the stern of the boat by the prop shaft which ultimately caused it to bend. We were lucky to spot the problem and it was called out when negotiating a final price on the boat (new shaft, new dripless seal, new cutlass bearing were subsequently installed, NOT CHEAP!) I was also lucky that my surveyor was a C&C Landfall 38 owner and had a good familiarity as to how these boats are assembled and what are the common problems that can occur. Even then, trying to sort out all the various systems when the boat isn't commissioned is a bit of a crap shoot. While I thought my refrigeration and plumbing would be good to go even though they all looked like they were properly winterized, I was hasty and didn't pay someone to commission and then decommission the boat before I bought. I'm still trying to get my Adler Barbour Cold Machine to fire up and the head to keep from leaking (smelly). In the end, it probably cost me an extra $2-5K in hidden repairs that I had assumed to be in good operational shape. This is all 20/20 hindsight and we certainly learn from our mistakes. Lucky for us, this group helps keep mistakes to a minimum if we take the time to read the various threads to sort out the problems that we'll all likely have sooner or later. Best, Chuck Gilchrest S/V Half Magic 1983 Landfall 35 Padanaram, MA -----Original Message----- From: CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Robin Drew via CnC-List Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 2:42 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Robin Drew <[email protected]> Subject: Stus-List Engine and Prop Vibration It turns out that the violent engine vibration on my 33 mark 2 was due to a bent propeller shaft and old, worn Gori folding prop both of which I have changed. Everything runs smoothly now and the problem is completely eliminated. Thanks for all the advice and recommendations, especially from Brian Cann. As this is a new boat to me, the damage was obviously done by the previous owner and should have been revealed to me before purchase from the Broker. The surveyor didn't pick it up either, although it's not easy to see unless you have the appropriate expertise and equipment. However the previous owner must have surely known about it. So who's responsible? Looking forward to problem free summer. Robin _______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All Contributions are greatly appreciated! _______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All Contributions are greatly appreciated!
