Looking at buying a Scot

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/21/2011 - 00:02
Forums: 
Owning, Rigging, and Sailing the Flying Scot

I am currently looking at buying a used Scot.  I have seen a number of old scot's in the 1500 series numbers for sale in a various places.Are these boats competative w the new boats or can they be w/o too much money?  What are some of the things to look out for? Seems like w some of these old boats that you can pick up, by the time you add $2200 in sails, $1000 in various rigging and lines you would have been better off getting a newer boat that has been raced. I know about  the balsa floor issue.  When it goes bad, is it something that can be put off for a while or does it become a must fix?I have 3 young boys. I am looking for something I can introduce them to racing with.  The Scot seems like a good fit.At this point I am just looking, doing my research. Would appreciate any info.thanksJim

sawyerspadre

Mon, 11/21/2011 - 21:44

There are lots of good Scots that can be found, and the condition is more of an indicator than the number or age. You are right that you can buy a less tricked out boat for less money.

Don't underestimate how much it can cost to do a lot of upgrades. Sometimes a decently rigged boat is cheaper, and you can spend your time practicing instead of tinkering.

Sails are a consumable if you are really serious about racing, but if you have a decent set, the time with the tiller in hand, racing, is what will make you better.

Success equals:
25% boat
25% sails
50% driver and crew

Hook up with a good local fleet, and they usually know of good boats that are for sale.

We have boats in our fleet from the sixties, 520 and 570 and they are generally in the hunt. We also have 58xx and 59xx boats and they do well also. Find a boat with a clean gelcoat finish, solid bottom, decent hardware and trailer, and buy a set of sails once you can feel the difference.

Where are you located?

Phil Scheetz
FS 4086
Fleet 163. Lake Nockamixon

Anonymous (not verified)

Tue, 11/22/2011 - 22:52

Sorry Phil, I thought I replied to this yesterday, but i didn't see it.I am in Newport News Va, so Fishing bay is my closest fleet.  I will stop by there some time when they are having an event and check things out.  I am w you on the gelcoat bottom and I understand the importance of crew work.  I currently race a 505. A very crew work intensive boat.I just want to find the best value in the 3500 - 4000 range.  I know I am at the low end of the budget, but I am not looking to win the nationals either.  Just want to have some fun with my kids.  I want to introduce them to racing and have fun along the way.  Are the older boats near min class weight or do they typcially run heavy?  Aside from the water in the floor issue, are the older boats still stiff?thanks for the info and your time.Jim Englert

sawyerspadre

Wed, 11/23/2011 - 21:49

Scots are built very sturdy and don't tend to get soft over time as much as more lightly constructed boats. Only the first few years were in need of reinforcement.

In general the Douglass and FSInc boats are very consistent. The Customflex boats vary a little more, but many are fast.

For the price range you are considering you can probably find a 3000 or early 4000 series boat in good shape. Fishing Bay is a great club. You may also want to check with Harry at FS and Dave Neff at Selby Bay in Annapolis.

Floor, finish, trailer, hardware and sails are the order I would use for selecting. The last three are easy to upgrade, the first two, not so much.

I upgrade a little bit each year.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 11/24/2011 - 09:16

thanks,  After doing some other chatting, it seems like weighing the boat would be a good idea, especially if look at an older boat.  I have access to a digital scale.  I personally wouldn't sweat a hull that is 20lbs heavy, but much more then that I wouldn't be so sure.  I like your order of importance....Floor, finish, trailer ....  When inspecting the floor for wet balsa, if it's wet, does it get real squishy or is there so much glass it's hard to tell?My guess is in an older boat, the wet floor is something you can almost count on, and the deck needs to be looked at, especially around the fittings.

sawyerspadre

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 17:24

You can tell by tapping with the handle of a screwdriver if the balsa is wet or soft. Age is not a reliable indicator for soft balsa. There are many old boats that were dry sailed and wintered indoors. There are also many newish boats that have been left outdoors, full of water in freeze/thaw conditions.

If you want to weight the boat you need a hoist and you need to remove the rigging. When they measure at NACs the boats are empty.

Phil

Anonymous (not verified)

Sat, 11/26/2011 - 19:39

Thanks for the balso info. For weighing,  I will bring a copy of the hand book, to make sure I have the details right but bascially it looks like 675 w everything out, including cb and rudder.sometimes it's not practical to weigh, but more often then not, you can find a way to weigh.  :)

sawyerspadre

Sun, 11/27/2011 - 09:29

I would try to weigh with the board in. It is a hassle to remove, unless you have the boat in the water to put it down. I would presume you will be mainly looking at boats on dry land on trailers.

The handbook gives the weight of the board. The all-up weight with the board is what you will sail anyway.

Look inland, where boats are often stored in barns, and the metal parts have seen mainly fresh water.

Phil