Info from another online forum:

"Between 1939 and 1958 Gray Marine produced eight different four cylinder marine engines.

All engines used SAE 30 weight oil.

The Gray Marine manual shows two types of water pumps, a fresh water pump with a cast-iron impeller and a raw water pump with a six fin Sherwood neoprene impeller. For the neoprene impeller just compare the size/configuration of your impeller with the outlines shown on page 702-703 of the 2008 West Marine catalog. Any marine supply store will have a similar chart."

If I had to guess, USCG documentation could make one assume that the vessel would be operated in the ocean, not inland waterways. But that is just an early morning WAG...

Usually banks require the vessel to be documented vice state registered if they are to be financed. I have been told that documenting a vessel makes it a quasi "US citizen". Basically, if the vessel is impounded by a forgein government, the US government can exert some diplomatic pressure. Not the same if it is state registered. Good luck and hope it helps.

The US government protects you from foreign governments (probably not that well as us tax payers are low priority outside election time) but who protects us from the US government?

Back on the boat today with the owner and a couple of my friends.
Lots of gear in the dock box and onboard protected by nothing I could see. The owner does not know any of his neighbors.

Of course "the bloom is off the rose" as far as his feelings about the boat and its gear, and he has never considered being a livaboard. His ex- squashed the cruise dream, apparently.

We are negotiating for a period of time to have the exclusive right to buy, so my brain trust would be willing to pay for a haul out and survey.

Bringing the boat back will take work, money, and time. Some of the effort will be to add security.

So now we have an exclusive right to buy through October 2008, plus a tentative agreement to pay engine repair / service (not survey) cost 50/50 now - with reimbursement to the seller if we buy.

Now to try to coordinate engine survey-repair-service, haulout, marine survey, insurance, etc.

If all goes well, we would like to motor / sail the boat the 60 or so miles upriver to Stockton by mid-October so we can secure the boat for the rainy season.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Buy? Thought this was a freebie?

Whatcha gonna buy?

John E

$1 price for the books.

I can tell you tht the boat is a 1959 Stephens Brothers mahogany-hulled racer-cruiser known as a Farallon Clipper 38. She was made in my hometown, Stockton, California. A classic woden boat, teak decking, lots of custom woodwork, etc. She is in rough shape.

Here is an article about Stephen’s Brothers:

http://www.elegantmagazine.com/webapp/articles/?c_id=24&i_id=5

Here is a site covering a Master Mariner’s race that has two photos of what look very much like this boat (foreground of the start photo and two closest boats with Golden Gate in background):

http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/lectronicday.lasso?date=2008-05-28&dayid=119

Two Farallon Clipper 38's apparently sail this race every year.

My work now is to coordinate engine repair/service/evaluation to be able to both test sail the boat and get it to a boatyard for survey and haulout. My secondary effort is to compile a no-go list of conditions/ reasons to not go through with the acquisition.