owners of 1980s Chien Hwa senator sundeck?

hi, i recently saw a 35' Chien Hwa senator sundeck and consider to offer a price. the overall condition looks well maintained. Because im new to marine stuff, i want to ask owners of Taiwanese trawlers for advice as to what to pay attention to and where to check.

the boat has some cracked window glass. the anchor windlass is manual. where can i get a price quote for glass replacement and power windlass installation?

thanks in advance.

There are a lot of people that will chime in on this. There are probably more costly hidden issues you might wish to uncover versus these. Look at condition of fuel tanks with potential corrosion issues and pay to have a surveyor to really look into water intrusion in the decking as well as around the windows. A surveyor will also be able to suggest a facility to repair the windows as well as install a new one. The windlass itself is cheap- it’s the install and electrical work that is going to triple the cost.....so if you aren’t planning on anchoring immediately, I think you have other expenses that will rear their ugly heads sooner. Do they have a list of already completed work to assist in this?

I would spend your effort on finding a really good surveyor and then let the surveyor tell you what problems there are. Typically with older boats the problem areas are fuel tanks, soft core in decks, rot in stringers and miscellaneous water leaks. Electrical problems are certainly a possibility. I would ask the surveyor to test the electrical system for ground faults. Newer docks have GFI outlets and older boats may have issues with the wiring that will cause the GFIs to trip. It can be costly and time consuming to find and fix the wiring problems. I just rewired my boat last year for this problem. Good luck with your boat search.

the owner keeps the maintenance records. most of the servicing were done before 2010 (by the previous owner): battery charger, bilge pump, genetator overhall, pre heat system for engine and genset, fuel line & pump and hour meter. and a list of hull and deck upgrades. one fuel tank had a new steel bottom welded to fix a leak 7 years ago.

the current owner added some batteries after he owned the boat.

if i start a survey, will definitely have the fuel tank etc checked. but could you expand on the more costly hidden issues?

i can see electrical systems in old boats can be a potential risk due to line deterioration. so i wamt to ask owners for some clues

paulga said:

i can see electrical systems in old boats can be a potential risk due to line deterioration. so i wamt to ask owners for some clues

Click to expand...

Almost all of the Taiwan built trawlers have similar issues. Three things to help you on your quest .......

This general article on Taiwan Trawlers is very informative.

This actual Survey Report of a Taiwan trawler that is pretty typical.

Marine Survey 101 suggestions on how to inspect the boat yourself before hiring a surveyor