There is some ugly goop around all of the
lifeline stanchions

katysails wrote:
Warning! Warning! Warning! (as the robot said to Will Robinson...) Get a moisture meter if you're not going to get a survey...bad gook almost always means bad leaks, which mweans bad deck....

Agreed. Check the boat out with a fine tooth comb, Steve! Make sure you lean heavily against all the stanchions, looking closely at the deck around the bases. Flexing or a mushy feel is bad.
Sometimes you even see water squeezing out.

Also, before you make an offer, sit down with a Layline or Defender catalog & figure what a new set of running rigging will cost.... bet you'll be surprised.

Definitely pay to get the boat surveyed. Go to one of the marine surveyor nation'l websites and check around, don't hire the guy the broker recommends. It will be the best investment you can
possibly make.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King