Up for auction is a 1978 40 Marine Trader Trawler
(Double Cabin with forward and aft heads).
The boat is equipped with a single 120 hp Lehman engine along with a
Westerbeke marine generator and is fitted with forward and aft HVAC.
I purchased this boat with the intention of repairing it and using it as a liveaboard in the Washington DC area. Due to a change in employment I will no longer be residing in the area. The boat is currently in dry dock on the Chesapeake Bay at Hartge Yacht Harbor in Galesville, Maryland. This is a full service marina which offers covered slips. The boat can remain in dry dock at a monthly fee of $325.60. There are many fine marinas in this area which are in commuting distance to Washington DC.
THIS IS A PROJECT BOAT! There are repairs that must be addressed before this boat can be used. Please bid accordingly. I will attempt to describe the condition of the boat to the best of my ability please ask for clarification if you have any questions. The boat is being sold as is, where is with no warrantee implied. This boat was purchased as salvage. A bill of sale will accompany this transaction it will be the purchasers responsibility to register the boat (Coast Guard or appropriate state).
In late 2010/ early 2011 while moored in its slip a fire broke out in the engine compartment. Due to the quick response of a marina resident and the boats halide system the fire was contained to the forward portion of the engine compartment and the port side crawlspace. Nine of the pilothouse windows were broken out as the fire department extinguished the fire and the interior of the boat was coated with a heavy layer of soot. Electrical wiring traveling through the bulkhead into the engine compartment was compromised and consequently removed (after each end was labeled). I have been told that the engine was winterized prior to the fire. The engine and the generator have not been tested.
The resulting damage to the best of my knowledge:
1. Fiberglass de-lamination in the port side crawl space below the deck (forward of the port companionway extending up to the forward head). I have removed 2 layers of fiberglass roving and 2 layers of chopped mat from this area (inner hull and deck) which now, of course, needs to be replaced. The wood core of the deck was also removed and will need to be replaced. The wall sheathing in this area has been removed and will need to be replaced.
2. Fire damage to the pilothouse forward bulkhead above and below the floor. Above the floor I have removed the damaged wood and have cut a plug that will be worked into place as the inner hull on the port side is re-glassed. Below the pilothouse floor (in the engine compartment) the forward bulkhead was burned in a number of places. Approximately 2 feet of the forward most floor beam on the port side needs to be replaced. My plan was to cut out the burned pockets in the bulkhead below the pilothouse floor and replace those areas with marine plywood, and then cover the entire bulkhead with fiberglass. Cabinet doors affected by smoke and heat have been removed and refinishing was started.
3. The wiring that traveled through the engine compartment from the electrical panel (forward of the bulkhead) was compromised. I have removed this wiring - marking the runs in the electrical bay and in the engine compartment. The water pressure pump, bilge pumps and battery charger were compromised and have been removed.
4. This boat has a single Lehman 120 HP diesel. It also has a Westerbeke generator. With the exception of a plastic reservoir and linkage sets I have not notice any damage to either the engine or the generator. Air conditioning compressors, batteries, filters etc. all appear to be intact. Neither the engine, generator, compressors etc. have been tested. My understanding is that both were winterized prior to the fire.
5. The headliner has been removed. I have noticed several areas where the headliner had been nailed to the roof have begun to leak (from the fly-bridge).
6. When the fire broke out the boat was in its birth under the shed where it had been kept for years. The windows in the pilothouse were broken out during the fire departments response. The windows in the aft cabin and head were open as were the portholes in the forward cabin and head for ventilation. After the fire the boat was hauled out and placed in dry dock where it sat for about a year prior to my purchasing it. No effort was made to cover or close the openings and some water damage resulted in areas around the windows. I have replaced 7 of the windows in the pilothouse with new windows which have been temporarily dry fitted. Two additional pieces of glass have been purchased and are ready for installation (center ventilation window and starboard companionway window). I had begun to identify those areas that had been compromised (water) and began to remove the damaged material. I elected to remove compromised material instead of injecting resin Since my purchase of the boat I have attempted to keep it covered with a tarp. I have not notice any leakage from the deck or softness in the deck except in the area (port side pilothouse) compromised by the fire.
7. The hull appears to be sound. It has been scrapped and is ready to be sanded and painted. The swim platform had been removed prior to my involvement. Ive removed the bronze brackets and have plugged the bolt holes in the event the boat needed to be launched and transferred to another location.
8. The vast majority of the thick smoke (and odor) that coated the inside of the boat has been removed.
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