37 ft. Sedan Flybridge

[drews32]

Hello, Yes I am a newbie that was a member on the other site. I am not an owner of a Marinette but always liked them. I have a few friends that have 39 ft. aft cabins.

I have an opportunity to buy a 1976 37 ft. sedan flybridge and was wondering any flaws or quirks with that model I should be aware of. It is powered by 440 hp Chryslers. Would love to hear from someone that owns/has owned that model.

Thanks in advance,

Drew

[Supersport18]

Have a thorough survey done by someone who is familiar with Marinettes. How many hours on the engines? What condition is the paint top sides? When was the bottom stripped and painted? Marinettes are great boats . Just exercise due diligence.

[drews32]

Supersport18, Thanks for the response. This boat is a bit neglected and the owner passed. It shows 600 hrs. and has been repainted at some point. It had been sitting a few years until it was put in the water and ran. The interior paneling needs replaced as the windows all leak. It can be bought CHEAP, but information is lacking.

[bill]

Drew welcome back aboard.
Well not knowing where the boat has been for kept for thirty eight years makes a world of differance Fresh water vs Salt water
If you do decided to buy please include a signature to your posts
By all means get a survey done by a competent aluminum boat surveyor. If he pulls out a moisture meter and starts checking the hull run.
Back deck marine plywood covered with Nautolex usually dry rot in the corners.
600 hours on the engines is not a lot if they have been maintained. Old stale fuel can give you fits.
The old cable steering can be a problem. Hydraulic steering is a smart way to go.
With a lot of TLC you could have a real gem of a .
bill

[Supersport18]

Can you run the engines? 440's are good motors but some of the parts might be getting scarce. A good survey and a sea trial would give you a great starting point. If it is dirt cheap I would say go for it. 37 FB is a great boat. Much more stable than a 32.

[Fastjeff]

Get a SURVEY!! It's worth every penny.

Jeff

[drews32]

Did they have any issues with a lack of stringers like they had with the smaller boats? I know they had a factory fix for stringer reinforcement in the early years. This is a 1976.

[bill]

Drew32

Lack of stringers
I had a 1975 32' F/B Sedan and my 1975 37' F/B Sedan and I would say no problems with stringers in these boats. If anything they were over built.
They were built by a aircraft repair company and it is often said that a airplane could handle bad weather better than the people inside.
Someone with an older should be able to answer this question better.
bill

[javalin390]

I have a 1974 SedanFlybridge I just purchased too. Luckily, I am a mechanic for a living. I am slowly figuring out all the idiosyncrasies of her. One I just found over the weekend was that there is 4 drain holes molded into the aluminum exterior wall just forward of the lower deck windows. All of them were plugged with crap. I'm guessing these were drain holes for the upper deck walls and/or window tracks. After unplugging the two holes on the starboard side, I'd estimate a gallon of water came out !! It probably dribbled out water for a half hour or so. All of that water was stuck somewhere in the wall of the boat ! Another I found was the head. My toilet uses raw ( lake ) water to flush it. It gets its source from an aluminum tube that was TIG welded into the bottom of the hull next to the waste water storage tank underneath the galley floor. Being a welded fixture, aluminum, and part of the hull, it was pretty solid, one would think, at least when the boat was new. But the boat being 40 years old, and sucking in lake water directly next to the anode on the bottom, it has began to develop corrosion and pin holes next to the weld where the tube is welded to the hull. it's ok for now, but will be repaired this winter. See if yours is the same, if left unchecked, and the tube were allowed to corrode and break off, you'll have a hole in the bottom the size of your index finger !! not sure a bilge pump could keep up with that.

[bill]

Good find Jim.
I will have to check mine or get a better insurance policy.
I wonder if a MARLON (marelon) seacock wouldn't be a better choice for a replacement

Another area the water drains poorly is located at the front seat area. The two corner drains. When I replaced the v berth ceiling and wall i found the port drain is actually connected to a rubber hose. Mine was full of holes and leaked onto the ceiling and side wall.
bill