Solent Marine Surveys carried out an ashore only pre-purchase survey of this Hylas 46 at Hamble Yacht Services.
The survey showed she was generally in good structural condition except for some slight cracking identified to the GRP keel stub near to the keel join.
It was not clear without grinding the area back whether this cracking was superficial. It may have been that the cracking was only in a local filler and/or the surface gelcoat but equally it could have run deeper into the GRP laminate.
We recommended that further investigation was carried out to ascertain the exact nature of the cracking prior to purchase.
Cracking visible externally to the GRP keel stub
With any ashore only pre-purchase survey the boat will be partially resting on her keel.
This means that a surveyor cannot not see the keel under tension and cannot therefore check for any gaps at the keel to hull join.
It is important for any new owner to check for any gaps at the keel to hull join. They can do this while the boat is in the hoist slings and the keel is under tension. If any gap is seen to the join then checking the keel stud torque settings is required.
Built by Queen Long Marine in Taiwan, these yachts offer an excellent choice of sturdy blue water cruisers. They have travelled the globe with short-handed long-distance sailors for many decades.