WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY...
NICK VASS, Marine Surveyor B,SC B,ED HND FRINA MCMS Dipmarsur YS www.omega-yachtservices.co.uk
The Dufour 425GL’S beamy stern requires twin steering wheels, which might require attention in 20 years time, but Dufour deck hardware and steering gear is generic, well tested and no different to that found on twin-wheel Beneteau Oceanis and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey yachts. Dufours are a joy to survey as everything is easily accessible. They were designed with the charter market in mind, where access to steering gear, keel bolts, seacocks and engine is important. Two problems that I encounter on the Dufour 425 GL are the toilet holding tank hoses, which can degrade and begin to perish, and some flexing on the deck. Creaking decks are a bit of a feature on Dufours and not normally a problem, but check that the teak slats bonded onto the deck, cockpit seats and cockpit sole are not coming away as they will one day become a liability and are expensive to replace. This problem, however, is common to all moderately priced cruising yachts. The Volvo Penta diesel engine is excellent. You might need to flush the coolant system and replace the exhaust elbow as they can clog up with limescale and salt. Like most other modestly-priced and even high-priced yachts, Dufour fitted cheap and nasty nickel-plated brass seacocks. Be prepared to replace them with plastic, DZR or bronze seacocks that are less susceptible to corrosion. I have found fewer issues with keels and rudders on Dufours, compared to other reasonably priced yachts, and the hull stiffening around the keel is definitely better. I consider the 1966 designed Arpège to be the grandmother of modern yachts. It was such a departure from the narrow beamed GRP yachts of the time, many derived from the classic Folkboat lines, mostly wet boats with deep, long keels. The beamy Arpège with her spacious, well-designed modern interior must have come as a shock as they were fast. Stability was provided by beam buoyancy, not just by a heavy keel, and this trend prevails to this day with Beneteau, Jeanneau, Bavaria and Dufour. Dufour began as builders of fast mid-range cruisers and has kept that standing despite a few ups and downs. Under the ownership of Olivier Poncin, Dufour bought Gib’sea in 1998 and continued some of the Gib’sea range under the Dufour name.
BEN SUTCLIFFE-DAVIES, Marine Surveyor, member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk
The 425 Grand Large was a reasonably well put together vessel from Dufour. Many went into the charter market, so I would recommend finding out the history of the boat before purchase as charter work adds years of wear and tear. All of the wiring on the 425GLS I’ve surveyed has been tin coated to American specifications which reduces corrosion. The sail drive was a compact fit — check the service history. Some manufacturers recommended that the main gasket rubber be replaced every five to seven years, others prefer seasonal checks. Look out for corrosion, and for signs of water in the oil, especially if the boat was used commercially. The working deck could have more grab rails and locations to clip on. I surveyed one 425GL where the saloon deck vent had become caught in the genoa sheet, which is believed to be a common issue if the vent is left open. Lastly, if you do a lot of anchoring I recommend fitting a stem shield as the bow roller is quite upright.