A quick trip to and from the Island today to look over another sailboat. This one was a former charter boat and I didn’t hold out much hope for how it would show or the condition it would be in. The engine hours are relatively high for the age, but that could also mean the sails are in good condition.
I was pleasantly surprised. Fora. boat that had been in a charter fleet for about five years I expected it to be in rougher shape, but it was pretty clean and the bits that needed work were mostly cosmetic.
However, when I asked if it had ever been soft grounded I got a “Yes, twice”.
So…maintenance and insurance records are forthcoming. I’d like to know when, where, how, and what the repairs looked like…and were done by who.
It’s not an inexpensive vessel, probably more than it should be listed at for the charter and grounding history. But it’s one of the nicer boats I’ve been on to date.
Time will tell.
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Considering the island coastline, it seems more likely than not that “soft” is a relative term. Best luck with the results. 😊
“Typically” soft grounding is either hitting mud at slow speed, touching the bottom and immediately coming off, or sinking into the bottom at low tide…but with no emergency haulout. I’m guessing that there was some scuffing on the keel that was identified by a diver on return from the charter, but I want to speak with the charter company to learn more. “Hard grounding” means prolonged pounding, impact at speed, requirement for towing, visible keel damage, and need for emergency repairs. The latter was apparently not the case.