Broadblue 435 Catamaran Survey in Preveza Greece

Surprisingly in these uncertain times Survey work has carried on with a few tweak's! 

I am based in Greece and I can still travel and work with a permit so have been fortnightly commuting to western Greece and concentrating Inspections in Lefkada and Preveza. 

Clients are still buying and now demanding 'Walk Through Surveys', 'Video Surveys' and lots of images and online discussion. WhatsApp has allowed us to send stream video and images showing important defects and immediate findings. 

This is my latest inspection on this Broadblue 435 Cat built in the UK. The builders Goodchild Marine I know well after spending 10 years Surveying in Norfolk. They are specialists in building commercial boats. 

The quality of workmanship and care that have gone into the construction of the Broadblue is immediately obvious. The semicustom bespoke aspect of its equipment list and construction will appeal to many owners preparing for extended bluewater cruising. This is a quality boat that should retain its value.

All halyards lead back to the cockpit.

Below waterline solid fiberglass. Above a cored foam light construction typical of Catamaran's

Lekada Marina and inspecting the sails

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Amel 52 Mango 52 for sale in Lefkada Greece.

I have managed to keep working during the lockdown in Greece, so after another week in Preveza todays assignment was this Classic Amel 52 footer. She is the Amel Mango production built 1987 with an 80hp Perkins, retractable Bowthruster. Electric furling systems for main (inmast) and genoa, inmast furling mizzen manual. Accomodation for 8 throughout in 2 double cabins, companionway bunks and saloon. 2 heads & showers. Goodies include a rev cycle aircon, + electric radiators, freezer and washing machine!

The French built Amel is well known to cruisers worldwide as a strong and able offshore vessel, easily sailed by a cruising couple or single handed, outfitted in a way that provides maximum comfort and safety with abundant, easily accessible storage for all the things one needs for long offshore passages.
Some history on Amel is necessary reading to understand, what a sensational boat this one is. Henri Amel was one of life’s perfectionists – even in the early 1970’s he didn’t see why long-distance cruising should be a damp, uncomfortable or strenuous experience.  The result of these convictions, allied to his extensive experience at sea on both yachts and ships resulted in a distinct blueprint for serious long-distance cruising vessels that the French AMEL boat yard retains to this day.  This extraordinary yard which Henri Amel left in perpetuity to his workers, is fantastic and very unusual, with a passion and single-minded approach that few modern yachts can mimic.

Pros and Conns.
The shrouds are fastened to the sides of the boat so the Genoa angle can not be brought in to point very high, But 30-35 degrees is a max. 
The boat can be apparently lifted by the chainplates!! 

The hull to deck joint is laminated this coupled with the deck stepped masts makes for a bilge so dry.

 Retractable Bowthruster. This is probably not ideal. The bowthruster lifts up into a pocket in the forward stateroom. 

1000's upon 1000's of Yachts in the Ionian! If your looking at a Yacht in this area give me a shout. Message me on this page below. 

Oh so French. The interior is fantastic African mahogany with teak covered plywood soles in the galley and saloon. The staterooms and walk through are carpet. The headliner is cream vinyl. You feel like you entered a French nobleman’s boat during the renaissance. The frilly upholstery and dainty details contrast deeply with what you usually see. 

Surveyors comments: I was impressed with this boat, construction is solid. The hull and deck are glassed together while in the mold. The boat stays in the mold until all the structural stuff is glassed in. Instead of thru deck penetrations they glass in permanent backing plates that are threaded to accept the bolt. Very watertight boats and well insulated so not much condensation. Rather than hope rudders don't leak the rudder is designed for water to circulate through! 

 

Todays Marine Survey, this Sunbeam 34 footer in Lefkas Marina

 

While there are many 34-footers, in my opinion only two are in serious competition on a quality basis with the Sunbeam 34. They are the Najad 355 and Hallberg-Rassy 342, both from Sweden. 

The aft-cockpit Sunbeam 34 was designed and built in Austria to a Schochi design. A very impressive build quality. The reason behind many design features of mass-produced boats is to get the price down. The reason behind most design features of the Sunbeam 34 is to deliver what is in the customer's best interest. Take some examples. The hulls are hand-laid in one piece in solid glass and have a solid glass frame of ribs and stringers glued and laminated into the hull. This makes them heavier and more costly to produce. But with the 34's deep forefoot and U-shaped forward sections, this solidity reduces pounding and eliminates slamming.

The hull-deck join is glued, bolted, resin-impregnated, solid-wood capped, then internally laminated to the hull and deck - so no leaks for the life of the hull.

First light at Lefkas Marina. 

Nice tidy 3HM 35HP Yanmar with good access to the sail drive behind. 

Sunbeam gives a lifetime warranty against hull delamination and leakage of the hull-deck join, plus seven years warranty against osmosis. And they make their own super-high-strength rudders!

Thinking of buying a Yacht in Greece. Stuck in lock down! Maybe I can help. 

Office: +30 2273022036.

WhatsApp: +44 7407705579.

Email: info@yachtsurveysgreece.com  steventruss1@aol.com 

Web: http://www.yachtsurveysgreece.com/

Blog: https://steve-insightmarinesurveyor.blogspot.com/

Marine Survey for Yacht Insurance in Samos Greece

 Insurance Survey on this American Built 1990 Catalina 42 Yacht

Todays Assignment an Insurance Survey on this Catalina 42

Insurance Survey in Malagari Boatyard Samos Island.

I'm not a great lover of 'American Yachts', but I must say I was really impressed with the design and build of this one. As all Catalinas, the 42 was designed around accessibility – to wiring, plumbing and other systems because the designer Gerry Douglas believed boats should be low maintenance to maximise the owner’s time on the water. It was a smart approach that was copied by competitors. Its a shame not more Yachts are built with the same principles in mind.

Hull construction is a solid laminate with no coring and a structural liner anchors the furniture foundations. The deck is cored with end grain balsa except where hardware is installed where solid plywood was used. 

1,022 were built over about 25 years. This one launched in 1990, the prolific 42 went through a few tweaks and iterations including the Mark II that was introduced in 1995, but these were mere improvements on an already classic design.

The fin keel was offered with a six-foot draft but a 4’10” version was created like this example for the shallow waters of the East Coast.

Expect to see speeds of six and seven knots on a beam reach with a wind of 12-15 knots true. Auxiliary power will depend on the year. This one a Yanmar diesel of 44HP. Situated under the companionway steps, the engine has fairly good access from all four sides.

I liked this! The mainsheet traveller is on the cabin top, and two winches on either side of the companionway manage halyards and reefing lines. 

Because there were so many 42’s built, there are quite a few for sale so it’s easy to find a good example of this wonderful boat that sails like a witch, is nimble in tight quarters, and is quite shapely to boot.

         Do your require an Insurance Survey. Is your Yacht located in Greece.

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