On Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:38:01 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

My wife & I have been talking about moving onto a boat & sailing away for a long
time -- the biggest stumbling block to buying a boat the size we'd need for
liveaboard is $ -- we'd have to sell our house 1st & then buy the boat.

however, we happened upon a FC boat that we can afford w/o selling the house.

I've spent about a month reading about FC boats and it seems that there is a
common thread:
If the boat was home built -- run away
if the boat was professionally built - there's a very good chance it's solid as
hell.
The only way to truely "check" the construction is to cut away the hull &
examine the steel beneath.

The hull was professionally built in Canada -- and then "owner finished" the
interior. The standing rigging is overkill (bigger than needed, which is fine
with me); the running rigging needs some tlc here and there.

So now I'm looking for people that have had experiences with FC boats (good or
bad) to get an idea if we want to make the leap. We would be taking the boat
on shake down cruises for the next year while still working & sell the house;
once done -- sail off. So anyone with off shore sailing experience in an FC
boat -- I'm very interested to hear from you.

Thanks
-josh

Helped a good friend bring a professionally built 44 foot FC
pilothouse ketch from Jacksonville, Fl to Pensacola. He got rid of it
a few years later. Something to do with being unable to obtain
insurance. You need to check that out.

I'm told that if the hull has the proper frame and mesh reinforcement,
is continuously, once started, and monolithically constructed, it will
be sound. How to make sure that actually happened........?

Frank