ray lunder wrote:
Anyone owned a steel hulled sailboat in the 40 foot range and have
some advice on what to look for when buying one? Thanks as always.

I have owned one steel sailboat, and will never, ever own a steel boat
again.

The rusting just never stops.

Any injury to or failure of the corrosion protection system must be
repaired immediately and perfectly, or the rusting area will expand
rapidly and sooner or later threaten the structural integrity of the
vessel.

Despite your vigilance, some (or more often many) parts of your steel
boat, generally the most difficult areas to inspect and repair, will be
in the process of turning to rust.

My advice is to look instead for a good quality fiberglass sailboat, and
save yourself a great deal of trouble.