About two years ago I sold my beautiful 1979 32 Sedan Bridge, and have regretted that decision ever since. So now I'm thinking about another one and I've located a really nice 81 32 Sedan Bridge in Knoxville. Planning to go look at it tomorrow. However, now that I look back through the forum - all of the old and familiar concerns come flying back ...and I'm starting to question whether I should get back into this. My biggest concerns are the Ethanol and old fuel tank issues.

With that said, is the Ethanol problem over-stated ...or is it really that serious? I've read many of the post on this forum and others ...and it seems pretty darn serious. I, like others, would probably not run my boat enough to use the fuel in a timely manner - so I suspect I might run into significant problems.

And the fuel tank issue. Was there a model year where aluminum tanks were standard on all Marinettes? Should the 81 have aluminum tanks?

Also, for any other Knoxville forum members - the boat is at Concord marina (boat name is 'Sandpiper'). Please PM me if you know anything about this boat.

Thanks,

/Clint

I am two slips on out the dock from Sandpiper. It is the cleanest and best equipped 32 I have seen and has been well maintained. As for the Ethanol, the aluminum tanks are a big plus and like stated above keep your tanks full and add a good Ethanol stabilizer.
Good luck with your search for a new M.

Well, I took a look at the boat today - really nice. However, there were some disappointments (aren't there always). The current owner (owner 3) has owned it about a year. The previous owner (owner 2) did most of restoration including, total repaint in 2006 (Imron), all new canvas (2006), new bottom paint (2006), and most interesting, new blocks for both engines. The boat is being advertised as 140hrs on engines. The back story is that when owner 2 had it hauled for the new paint job, the yard doing the paint work forgot to winterize the engines. Long story short - insurance paid for new blocks. Looked like new alternators and carbs. Raw and circulating pumps look original as do the exhaust manifolds. Lot's of nice newer electronics and the interior is very very nice.

The only bad points - current owner has no receipts of any of the work done by owner 2. Current owner has left the front deck pads on and the trapped moisture has bubbled the paint finish - what a shame. And, the Capac is registering 0.6 (yikes!). Unable to start and listen to engines - boat winterized.

All and all, a real nice boat - contemplating an offer this week - of course I'll have the usual contingencies on bottom survey, engine (compression) ...etc.

Shamrock - yep, I walked around your boat today ...without a doubt the nicest 37 I've seen.


/Clint

Clint Your assessment is dead on with what I have been told and observed about Sandpiper. Most all of the M.s on Ft Loudoun that I have been on appear to have low Capac readings around .6. I have new anodes and Mag on my trim tabs; I am not sure how long my current 1.0 reading will hold.

Thanks for the kind words about my M.

Jeff J

I bought my boat last spring and the Capac read .8 at the sea trial (in a pretty poluted harbor, lots of farm run off), .75 one week later when I drove her home, and at my dock, read .68 (in much cleaner water then I brought it froms location) and when I yanked it bottom shows no signs of pitting. I have refurbished (ground down) the sacrificial anodes tho, just because they looked skunky. FYI JAM

The man that surveyed my boat up in Michigan, said that when the anodes were funky on the surface the were "sponge like" all the way through. I believe him.

Roger

Norm,
On an average, how often do you change anodes? Mine were about 3 years old.

Roger

Roger,

When I first bought the OTM I changed the anodes on suggestion of the PO him saying they where the original 89 changed in 02. Since than till I sold the OTM I just cleaned yearly by S.S. wire brushing them to a shine & cleaning the contact areas to a shine I used AL. spacers so as there would be twice the area, on suggestion of a builder of AL commercial fishing vessels. A long story short with clean anodes & good isolation in the 9 yr I owned the OTM the capac meter held a steady 1.0 to.09 constantly in all those yr The reason I said the surveyor mislead U was most of them are great on plastic boats but don’t know squat about AL vessels. To the newbies if & when U have to get a surveyor ask him how many Al vessels he has done, if answer is a couple look for a different Guy ? That’s in my Humble opinion AnyWho Oh BTW I have a magnesium loaf of bread 4 sale $ 30 + shipping for those that are having low readings that have not found the cause of yet.

Norm,

Big s Live On