I looking at a J30 in RI. It has not been in the water for the last two seasons. I have head J30s are always wet. What are the odds of getting a good reading on moisture on this boat? Where are the trouble spots? A brooker I spoke with mentioned decks.

Any help would be great!

mine is not wet ....

thor

J/30s are not all wet. There are several specific ares where a J/30 which has not been properly maintained can get wet. A survey should be able to tell you if there are wet core issues or not. The most common problem is water intrusion into the core at the bulkhead, via the chainplates. There have also been some issues with hull core getting wet, via either the icebox drain, or the engine shaft tube, or a combination of both. As with any cored hull, there can be issues caused by poorly bedded fittings, and the like.

- David

Thanks guys. Certainly I will have a survey done.

Two more questions. Any thoughts (good or bad) on it being out of water for the past two seasons? And second, I have read about problems with dodgers and the tendency to get wet in the cockpit, since it will primarily be a cruising boat (for 4 of us), are there other things I (my wife actually) might not like?

The main is pretty large, and not easy to fold by one person. If you use slugs on the luff, it's pretty easy to put a small metal plate over the luff groove exit so the slugs do not come out when you drop the main. You can then roll up the main when you drop it, and fold it neatly at your leisure.

In addition to the wet spots David mentioned, there are two more I've heard of:

1. This has never happened to me, but I've heard that the engine exhaust is just tabbed into the transom, straight through the core. The best thing would have been to make that area solid glass or epoxy, but that wasn't originally done. The hull was molded in two halves and glassed together, so this usually manifests in a wet transom and wet stbd side.

2. When I had my boat surveyed, the rudder was absolutely waterlogged. In my case, the seller also maintains boats, and he repaired it and replaced the core.

We have found the J-30 to be very satisfactory for cruising. Certainly consider getting a Life Sling and installing a tiller pilot if the boat doesn't have them already.

The fractional rig and jiffy reefing allow you to readily depower if required. You'll stay pretty dry when cruising if you drop to the #3 when the wind is above 15-18 Kn.

I think the limitation on the J-30 as a cruiser is the difficulty in providing an adequate bimini.

heheh
sorry , I was a little short there, but I just hate if everybody thinks that all J 30 are wet .... some are, I would say about the same ratio like S2. or other boats from the era...

Anyhow
we beer can race ours but mostly cruise. Yes the bimimi or lack thereoff is a small problem. We have an Umbrella which we can open in a hurry, when anchored or in the marina....
Otherwise we have very good shirts from Patagonia hich wickes the sweat away .... buy your wife a couple !!! ( I mean it... that way the missing bimimi might not become an issue )

Also get some of those folding deck chairs... they are very important !

thor

I've got Rhapsody J/30 348 in RI and would be glad to chat with you on some of the local stuff for cruising. My wife is also very particular on staying dry. I'm actually planning on getting a replacement dodger this winter. Use the link by my name to e-mail me with contact info if you want to talk.

Bill

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Bill - I will contact you just after the new year. I think we will be heading up to talk a look at one in early Jan.

Happy Holidays!