I am a J-24 sailor who would like to move up to a J-30. However, I have been reading a lot lately about hull moisture problems and about the difficulty and expense of repair. If someone could enlighten me about these problems in J-30s,I would be most appreciative. First of all, do most J-30s have moisture problems in the stern in the area of the exhaust opening ? Are their other areas of faulty design in the boat that should be checked before purchase? Thanks for any help that you can give me.

Sincerely,
John Wells

If you sail a j24. You are sailing a boat that has a cored deck and hull like the J30. On the J30 The transom around the exhaust pipe is a common area for water damage to the core. If the deck fitting havn't been sealed you can also get some rot there. Because these area are well know, alot of boats have these area repaired.
My boat Phantom is for sale, see the market page. You can look at Phantom364.blogspot.com to see areas that I repaired. Phantom had some damage on the port side that is not typical. But a PO did not repair a damaged area and water got in. Others have similar blogs detailing their repairs. If you do a search of this site for core repair you find lots of info.

John

Hull and deck are both balsa core. The hull was built in two halves, glassed together with an inward flange then bonded and bolted to the deck. So J/30s are strong at the corners but in between the skins are thinner than you might realize until you've drilled your first hole for deck hardware.

Search through this site and you will see the lengths to which owners have gone to deck fittings, stanchions, and thru-hulls all of which are subject to water intrusion. Beware of punctures from pilings or port tackers that have not been properly repaired.

What to look for? Cracked engine mounts. Worn down non-slip. Crazing around the cockpit corners or mast step. Failed gudgeons and pintles. Wet rudders. Cracks in the mast, particularly at the spreaders or crane. Sticky sheaves. Weakened chainplates or wet bulkheads where they attach. Standing and running rigging overdue for replacement. Wire halyards! Tired blocks, worn traveler cars, winches that have lost their grip. Pop art fabric or laminates below. Traces of varnish that was once there.

I remind you that J/30s are all 25-30+ years old. That's why they are a fraction of the cost of a newer boat. You can spend more for a well-maintained boat that has been continuously updated, or less for one that has not. It will probably cost more than the difference to upgrade, but you get to choose when and if you do so.

Try the search function to find helpful suggestions like this.

Before I bought hull #48 I came across two other J/30's for sale. None (including the one I bought) had water problems in the transom. Pretty much all of the J/Boats built form the late 70's through the 80's you need to check carefully for potential balsa core rot. My 1987 J/27 needing extensive re-coring in the hull_(not a fun job) fortunately the J/30 I found the original owner had done an epoxy bottom job right from the get go_.that makes a huge difference.

Don't knock rope to wire halyards. I replaced them before sailing to Hawaii with like items. The old ones were at least 12 years old without failures and the new ones show no chaffing after the trip. The spin halyard is rope. I didn't need to loose a halyard in the middle of the Pacific.