Sun Legend info pls

[danny]

We're are close to buying a 1986 Sun Legend with the pivoting keel. Layout is owners version.
The survey should be done beginning of next week.
What are the problem areas that should be looked at?
Any opinions about the swing keel? maintenace issues? Pros and cons?

Hope this board gets real busy. Always fun to have a place to discuss common interests.

Danny

[danny]

I hope somebody is willing to pass along their knowledge and/or opinion on the subject. The survey could be held on Tuesday and I hope i'm not making a mistake in going with a centerboard keel on the SL!

Thank you again,
Danny

[Tim]

Hi Danny,

Can't give you specific advice about a SL but can on the pros/cons of a lifting keel.

The obvious advantage is shallow draft if you like creek crawling but that's really about it.

Lift keel means higher displacement to increase the stability and also means a much shorter rudder blade. You'll also make a bit more leeway going upwind.

We had a lift keel Feeling before our fin keel Jeanneau which was a very nice boat but it was the shorter rudder that really cause the problems.

Having said all that - the above is all generalisation. I don't know how the sun legende is laid out and could circumvent several of these problems!

tim

[rob]

Hi Danny,

I just bought a fixed keel SL, so I cannot comment on the lifting keel.

Other points you may consider about SL:
1.A few SL have been affected by osmotic blistering, so it is worth to have the hull checked visually and with a moisture meter

2.Depending on the model, below deck chainplates are hidden by a plastic cover: if appearance of the chainplate on deck is suspect (rust, spider cracks, etc) you may consider opening the cover below deck and check the whole fitting;

3.If the mast is deck stepped, check the supporting tube below deck: it is hidden by a wood cover, only the lower part can be opened by if you take off the table, but it should already give you an idea of the conditions of the metal post,

4.Cabin top ceiling is attached to the deck underside by velcro strips, so you can easily take off a few pieces here and there to check for leaks or hardware attachment points;

hope you succeed with your purchase, for what I have seen until now, it is an excellent boat !

cheers


ps you may ask Robin for more advice, he owns a SL since ?.. a few years

[danny]

The survey is being done tomorrow. I knew about the cabin ceiling being held by velcro. Dind't know about the table/post cover though. We will certainly have a look.

Thanks
Danny

[kim]

Help please re Sun Legend 41 centerboard!
Survey showed it moving port / starboard like a wounded tuna. Factory has no spec on movement! What is normal / expected?
Kim

[notorious7004]

Kim, sorry for the late reply but I had not seen your post before. You have probably fixed the problem already, but in any event, the centerboard should not move as you describe it. Besides being a pretty heavy hunk of iron, it should be mounted on a hinge with bearings that must be shot on yours.
I don´t know how you´d go about removing the board except that near the forward part of the bottom of the keel there is an indentation on each side that should be the swivel mounting point for it. The centerboard has a couple of bolts to fix it to the hydraulic piston that operates it. Sorry not to have more info. I believe Danny had some work done on his so he should know a lot more about fixing it. Good luck.

[danny]

Kim,
I also don't think it is normal. Mine does not move side to side when it's down. First thing to keep in mind if you have it repaired, the centerboard weighs a lot. I've got a freind that removed it with the help of the yard. The yard manager told me it was a bitch to put back in.
Did you get the spec drawings from Jeanneau?
Like Notorious mentionned, the centerbord is held in place with a 2" stainless pin\pivot point. It is also attached to a cable which is in turn attached to the hydraulic piston. The in-cabin access hatch will have to be opened to detach that cable. The pivot pin is accessable on both sides of the keel.
Good luck!

Danny

[notorious7004]

Hey Danny, good to see you on the board again! By what I see on the weather channel it´s still freezing by your neck of the woods; BRRRRRRRRRRRR!
I just did the bottom and polished the topsides last weekend, hoping to get a couple of friends and do the Heineken "Around Culebra" Regatta on March.
I´m sure you´re looking forward to your sailing season.
Fair Winds!

[danny]

Hi Notorious,
We haven't recieved a lot of snow since the beginning of winter but it's been pretty cold. We're expecting about a foot of the white stuff tomorrow(14th). The cold makes it hard to work on the boat, but I've managed to remove the injection pump and the injector of the Perkins without freezing my fingers off. Reinstalled one of the Signet Smartpak modules in the navigation area last Sunday,boy was it cold in there.
Is you SL out of the water?

Danny

[notorious7004]

Danny, I get the shivers just thinking ´bout that cold! I was offered to work in Niagara Falls once with the Small Business Administration and declined because of the cold weather and my arthritis wasn´t even that bad back then!
No, I launched the boat last week and am looking forward to the coming long weekend to sail to Vieques, a fairly large island on the eastern coast; some 15 miles south of where I keep "uhuru". It used to have a large Naval base but outcrcy from the people over live bombings and naval excersices finally forced the Navy out on 2003.
I´ll try to remember the camera and take some shots to post next week.
Hope you have short winter! Either that or take a Caribbean vacation!