The basic checks
Problems every buyer or owner needs to look out for
1 Check pullpit and pushpit feet for any movement. Any wobbles here are usually a sure sign of problems.
2 Check stanchion bases – again various types, but many have the odd crafty screw or bolt that gets too much loading and then allows moisture ingress into the deck sub-structure.
3 Thoroughly check around the baby stay and lifeline harness points on deck.
4 Look at the mast step itself; how is it supported, what is it sat on and how well are the deck sockets sealed around the area of the mast shoe? Is there any downward compression around the mast step developing? Any pooling of water is a serious clue.
5 If you have teak decks fitted it is worth considering or finding out how they’re secured. Recently, I had a 15-year-old production craft that has had terrible issues with the small set screws leaking into the balsa core; the whole deck is a write-off now.
6 Always remember to spend some time walking around the deck. Is it flexing a bit more than you think is normal? There is often some flex, but the feel underfoot of a problem is relatively obvious even for those unfamiliar with the boat. If it doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t.
7 The final big area is chain plate fittings. Cap shrouds and lowers are connected and anchored using a variety of ways. Some have basic ‘D’ bolts fitted though the outer deck margins, with bolts held internally or hidden away behind side decks or under soft linings that can be pulled back to expose the fastenings. Unfortunately, where plywood is secured as part of her structure, you have no hope of making a visual check.