Frequently Asked Questions (about Island Traders)

What should I look for when buying one?

Get a survey and keep your eyes open. Each boat has a different history of abuse.

Here are some problems that could be attributed to bad design, poor choice of materials, or sloppy workmanship (and thus might be common to most ITs):

  • flimsy plywood liners in all the cabin lockers
  • leaky fixed ports leading to water damage inside the cabin
  • poor bedding of the teak deck leading to wet deck cores
  • poor placement of the mainsheet traveler in front of the companionway entrance
  • poor access to the cockpit lockers - all the cockpit hatches are too small for a sail bag!

Many of the problems I have repaired or eliminated are probably unique to my boat or could happen to any boat:

  • rot in the wooden spars probably caused by previous owners failing to repaint in a timely fashion
  • de-lamination of the rudder pulley bracket
  • general neglect of all painted or varnished surfaces

What kind of restoration effort will be necessary?

Hard to tell, likely to be very different for each boat.
Look at the WF History page for my litany of woes.


Last update to this page was on March 11,2001.

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