Lancer

[sastanley]

I am looking for a larger boat and am considering either a Lancer 36 or a Lancer 42. I am wondering if anyone has hull layouts for either of these models. One of the boats is going to require a flight to check out and I'd like to get a better feel for it before doing this. Does anyone have any information that might let me get a better feel for these models?

Also, when I have searched on the web, I am finding mixed reviews on the construction quality for the Lancers in general. It is hard to tell if this is a general problem or whether these complaints are based on isolated problems. Can any one shed any light on this?

Scott

[Novelman]

When I bought my new to me 1975 Lancer 25' I found sales brochures for several Lancers. They include:the 1982 Lancer 36 with standard mast head rig, the 1982 Lancer 42 as well as many others such as:
1982 Lancer 30 MK

[Novelman]

The rest of the info:
1982 Lancer 30 MK V, 1982 Lancer 37, 1982 Lancer 39 AND a sales brochure showing all of the Lancers built including: 25', 28', 29', 30', 36', 37', 38', 39', 42', 43', 44', 65', and the 45' offshore motor yacht as well as the 67' offshore motor yacht. It's a lot of info but if you want it I can over time e-mail each to you if you will send me your e-mail address and be patient. Where are you located is it in Alameda California?
Duane "novelman"

[Novelman]

Scott,
The Lancer 36' came with two configurations in 1982: A standard mast head rig with a standard crusing interior OR as an optional Bruce Farr designed racing rig with a larger main and a shorter head stay and smaller head sails, as well as two different keel depths. The info I have shows both along with data and prices (in 1982).
If you want all my data I will need to copy it on my computer and mail it to you. Let me know. When you buy your choice I would like to see it and possibly sail it with you.
Duane "novelman"

[sastanley]

I would appreciate any information you can send on to me. I am looking mostly at a 42' and 36' right now. But I certainly appreciate anything else you can send. My email is sastanley3@yahoo.com.

Thanks!

[sastanley]

I will definitely let you know what I decide. I like to get involved with other owners since it is a great source of information as well as good friendship...

Right now I am looking at a 42'. I am trying to collect as much information as I can since I have not been able to see it yet and there is precious little information on the web. The boat I have been looking at seems extremely over powered which made me wonder a little about the 42'. Wanted to get as much information as I could since it almost appeared as a motor sailor which is deiniitely not what I am looking for...

[sastanley]

I am located in the SF Bay area. My current boat, a Tartan 26 is located on Alameda.

[Novelman]

Busy now but will send 42 info later and 36 after that.
Duane "novelman"

[Novelman]

There are 5 different motor options for the 1981 model, which result in from 8 mph to 12 mph. Will be sending the data tomorrow.
Duane "novelman"

[SeaLifeSailing]

Hi Scott,

That's kind of a compound question, but I'll give it a bit of a go... The 36 is a light-displacement, fairly high-performance cruiser/racer with a deep keel (option), and is a Bill Lee design. It is based on Chutzpah, a 2 time winner of the Transpac. It is fast, light, and yet capable of dealing with fairly heavy conditions, although I can think of other boats I would prefer for heavy offshore use for a variety of reasons. For coastal cruising, this boat is quite capable. The 42 I don't have a lot of info on, but am pretty sure it is a Herb David Design.

In terms of build quality, I hear in the boating world as a form of babbled gospel that the Lancers had quality issues. If you are a buyer, take a look at a whole host of boats to gain an understanding of what you pay for what sort of boat. The build quality is not a pervasive problem, but the impression I have so far is that there were some strength issues with the small motorsailers (no offense to owners of these vessels) in the last couple of years of production, after Dick Valdez sold the company to Bally (a publicly traded NYSE company). Apparently these boats used less hand-laid roving and employed more chopped glass in their construction, and had issues with the strength of the hull-deck joint. That's the heresay I have, but I wouldn't take that as gospel, either.

The truth is, we are talking about boats built well over 20 years ago - mine is 28 years old. Quality? My 36' has a bit of crazing in the gel-coat's checkerboard non-slip in spots, and a few leaks due to dried out gaskets in the portholes. That said, I have passed 2 winters in Vancouver BC - one of the wettest cities anywhere - and a $5.00 tube of silicone solved all the leaks in the portholes. Yes, I have to redo it annually, and will eventually replace all of the portholes. This is pretty common on a boat of this age, althought it's still going to be expensive and time-consuming - probably in the range of a few thousand dollars by the time the dust settles and the adhesives cure.

When I had my boat surveyed, the Surveyor knew the brand quite well and had a lot of good things to say about it. As a personal testimonial, I'll give you an example of the build quality of this vessel, and you can tell me what you think.

In the winter of 2006, before I bought this boat, it was moored in Semiahmoo Yacht Club, right by the Canada/US Border's Peace Arch Crossing. There was an enormous storm that winter with winds gusting over 90 mph - the same storm that decimated the ancient trees in Vancouver's Stanley Park. The Semiahmoo Yacht club doesn't have much protection from waves inside the harbor, and the wind was sufficient to get the boats and docks really rocking. My vessel (soon to be) wound up having it's 135% Genoa unfurled by the wind, and wound up partially powered-up in its slip. The rocking was sufficient to pull the bumpers out from between the boat and the wharf finger, meaning that the boat's bare hull was hammering against the dock, with the force of its own freeboard and a 135% Genoa flailing, in 90 mph of wind. The rub rail on the dock actually splintered from the energy.

After the storm, the Genoa was completely in tatters, and was replaced by insurance. The only damage to the hull was a bit of cosmetic damage where a horn cleat on the dock had gouged a bit of gel coat.

There were a couple of other (newer) vessels in the Marina that also had their fenders pulled out from between the vessel and dock - a warning to secure fenders to the dock, and not just your vessel, in a manner that doesn't allow any vertical movement. Anyway, these boats suffered large holes stove through the side of their hulls, luckily above the water line, and they easily could have been lost.

I think the test of time tells us that good examples of these boats actually have a lot less issues than many boats that have much higher resale values. I certainly feel safer thinking about striking a deadhead or other floating debris while surfing down a wave in my Lancer than I would in an awful lot of brand new factory boats. I've always had rugged boats (Cygnus 20, Hinterholler Shark 24, Haida 26) and the Lancer 36, while comparatively lightweight, is pretty well-built from a structural perspective.

By comparison, I've been on 2 year-old boats in Charter fleets (Bavaria for instance) that had enormous voids in between the gelcoat and fibreglass, that had 'popped' when stricken. Not impressive compared to a bit of crazing after 28 years...

The upshot IMHO is that Lancers don't have as good a reputation as they deserve, and are hence, often priced below the market for a boat of similar quality. This is great from a buyer's point of view, not as great from a seller's. I'd suggest that before purchasing any boat, you look at a number of similar boats in the price / age / size range so that you can get a good levelset of how the market values the boats and what you can expect for your money. Then look at as many examples of the specific model that you are most tempted by to get an idea of pricing from one specific boat to the next. Overall, I am very pleased by how this boat performs and by the overall build quality. But then again, I am the sort of fellow who would rather drive a 20 year old Mercedes than get behind the wheel of a brand new Kia. Just my 2 cents' worth.

Jeremy