HECTIC TIMES – PRE PURCHASE INSPECTION

I left home in Auckland on the 26th March, one day before my sixty fifth birthday and official retirement and flew into Vancouver on the same day thanks to the date line.  Then I hired a car and took the ferry over to Vancouver Island where the pre purchase inspection was to take place at Canoe Cove marina.  Canoe Cove is a great spot, just next to the BC Ferry Terminal from Vancouver, it’s very sheltered and has a wide range of practical types available to fix, repair and build boat things.

The survey was scheduled to commence on the 29^th March and the underwater inspection on the 30^th when the boat was to be hauled out.  Tim Amy from Inland Marine Surveyors carried out the inspection, he took his time and I exercised great restraint is keeping out of his way.  At the end of the day the survey was going well without any serious issues uncovered. 

I also organised for a rigger to climb the mast and do complete rig inspection.  All went well and no major problems were identified, the rigger was most impressed with the quality of the wooden mast.  The rigger found an area of rot on the outboard end of the port spreader that will need attention in the immediate future.  I climbed the mast later to check it out, its only superficial at this stage but the spreader is compromised and not going to get any better.  I will fit a new spreader to be 100% certain all is well.

With the in-water inspection and rig inspection complete I retired to the pub for a beer and to reflect on the day’s events.  It had been a very eventful day and I was feeling tired but happy with the days work.  Truce was proving to be a simple and well-constructed boat without any major faults.  There were a few small niggles and maintenance issues but certainly nothing unexpected on an older boat.  I had a good nights sleep in my motel room.

The next morning, the 30^th March, the engineer from Gartside Engineering turned up to check the engine and mechanicals.  He spent some time working around the cold engine before starting up for the hot check.  With the boat tied up securely to the dock he tested the engine on load at high RPM and ran up to working temperature.

I am sure the engine hasn’t been worked that hard in its life but it held up for 10 minutes before being pulled back to a more moderate power.  On the engine side he found some corrosion on the exhaust mixing elbow and a hose that needs replacing due to chafe – otherwise all is sound.  If all goes well I will replace the mixing elbow and hose before heading north.

I will also get a set of spare belts, filters and another spare water impeller.  These spares are easy to get here but will be more expensive and scarcer further north.

The lift out went well, always a nervous time. The underwater profile of Truce looked good with heavy ballast at the forward edge of the keel and a solid transom hung rudder well aft for good directional stability. I let the surveyor do his thing and felt quite happy with what I was seeing.

After the underwater inspection Truce was splashed back into the water and moored once again at the dock.  Another busy day and time for me to consider going ahead with the purchase or not.  The engineering and rigging survey had been completed without any major issues. 

The surveyor had indicated that all was well apart from some minor issues and that he would have a completed report for me tomorrow.  Once again I returned to my motel room and felt quite excited at the prospect of owning Truce.  But first a phone call home to New Zealand to consult my wife on what I was about to do.