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Project Log:  Sunday, July 25, 2010

We got an early start to travel the 350 miles to Newburgh, NY, where the boat was located.  I was very excited to see the boat:  I'd actually never laid eyes on a Fisher before, except for a 38 Trawler owned by the owner of a marina where I once worked.  So even though I'd harbored a discreet infatuation with the brand for years, I really had no idea what to expect.

In the days leading up to this visit, I'd spent every spare moment online researching Fisher 30s and collecting every photo I could find.  To me, the biggest question mark in terms of whether the boat would be right for us was the cockpit, and how liveable it was in terms of lounging comfort.  When cruising, I like to spend time outdoors, much of it in the cockpit reading, eating, or just enjoying the view.

We arrived at the owner's home--where the boat was being stored--around 1100, right on schedule.  It was a sultry summer day, and the temperature in the sun was well into the 90s.  The boat was covered with blue shrinkwrap as far aft as the pilothouse, so at least the cockpit was open.  On the way, we'd discussed whether we'd ask the owner to unwrap the boat for our inspection, but ultimately I decided against it.

    

We spent some time talking with the owner before truly getting into the necessary inspection.  I found out the circumstances behind the boat's sinking:  the owner had removed the original engine, a 3-cylinder Volvo diesel, for a top-end rebuild while the boat was in the water.  With the exhaust disconnected, water siphoned into the boat through the exhaust outlet, which was located just above the waterline about 1/3 the way forward on the starboard side.  The owner reported that he received a call from his yacht club one day telling him that the boat looked low.  While he was getting himself down to the boat, about 1/2 hour distant, he received another call:  "Actually, you don't need to rush now, because she's gone".

Later, the owner dived on the boat to secure a number of air bags, which, when filled, raised the boat to the surface, where she could be pumped out.  The boat was powerwashed to remove most of the river silt and mud, then placed into storage, which is how she remained for a couple years.


There were several active wasps' nests on the boat, located in strategic places, and this, coupled with stifling heat inside the covered boat, made for less-than-ideal inspection circumstances.  It was easy enough to get inside the boat despite the heat, but everything was tinged with blue from the cover, and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. 

         

         

    

I managed to squeeze myself through the narrow opening between the pilothouse and shrinkwrap to get up to the bow and inspect the decks, but I didn't spend a lot of time up there.

    

In all, we spent about two hours at the boat.  We liked her, though clearly she required a lot of vision to get past her current condition.  Heidi had a few reservations about the interior, though mainly because it hadn't necessarily met her expectations in terms of space and layout, though later on she was to change her mind after looking through all the Fisher 30 pictures I'd collected from the Internet.

After a day or two of discussion, we decided to make an offer, which the owner accepted.  I sent off a deposit to hold the boat, and made arrangements to truck the boat back to the shop on August 24.
 

Total Time Today:  n/a

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