On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 10:42:49 -0400, "LD" wrote:

Anyone familiar with this brand? I'm looking at a 26' twin Chrysler 318's
w/inboard, "tunnel drive".

Fly bridge, second control station below, small berth area,
salon/head/dinette with enclosed gally, etc?

Good boats.

The tunnel drive - here's a site that will describe the tunnel drive
and how it works.

http://www.outpostterra.com/outpost/b3/tundri.shtml

Anyway....

They all have one thing in common - they tend to be nose heavy - they
need trim tabs. The tunnel drive system is designed to bring boats
closer to shore - shallow draft in other words. Theoretically, the
tunnel drive concentrates the thrust of prop, but in practice, it's
just another drive.

The 318 is a good motor, but it's not terribly efficient compared to
other inboards. Two of them will suck some gas.

As to the Penn Yann it'self, it's a good boat - they sold a lot of
these and there are a lot of them still around and in decent shape.

What to look for before you even think about buying this? Sound the
hull with a small hammer, look for stress cracks along the chines,
make sure the bottom paint is good if it's been out of the water for a
while, check the stringers with a small hammer (if there is a rather
weak thud rather than a strong thunk, then the stringers are no good),
sound the transom for the same problem, check for soggy decks (in
particular the fly bridge and the areas around the cabin), etc.

If you decide that you want the boat, then give a deposit and hire a
surveyor to do exactly what you just did. Trust me on this - you
can't lose by spending a couple hundred bucks on a surveyor. I know
from what I speak.

If the boat passes inspection, take it for a test drive with the
surveyor. The surveyor has the heat sensors to check that the risers
are within spec and the engine isn't overheating. It also gives you a
chance to drive it under supervision and see if you like the way it
handles. Once that's done, then have the surveyor do a compression
check on both engines.

After that, it's a question of negotiating a final price if the things
wrong are minor and there are no major repairs to be made. If there
are, then you have some more negotiating room if you really want the
boat and are willing to put some time into it.

At the very minimum, get a surveyor.

Later,

Tom
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653