1981 Endeavour 37
Name: Mark R. Mineo chokingonthesplinters@yahoo.com
Boat Name: Undine
Year: 1981
Size: 37' sloop, A-Plan
Date Purchased: 1994
Previous Owner History:
Previous Owner: Nick Chavasse, of Alfa-Lavalle Marine Engineering. He installed a few interesting systems ...
Your Sailing Experience:
Offshore sailor as Midshipman at USNA. Later, was a staff instructor with USNA's CSTS program. Currently taking a year off to cruise solo - departed Norfolk in Jan 2002, proceeded to the Bahamas, back west all the way to Pensacola. Ultimate destination: California via the canal. Undine and I are like a married couple now, I know all of her bad habits ...
Boat Review:
She's got a heavy, rock solid hull. All the basics - engine, rigging, steering gear, are quality. Interior layout is a dream. She's roomy, comfortable, and the amenities are nice.
Most owners note the huge weather helm, which takes some understanding of sail balance and frankly, some sacrifices in speed to correct. Despite this, she's still quick, and surprises many, both under sail and power.
My biggest complaint is that some of the first "lifecycle" type maintenance tasks are nigh impossible - for example, pulling the water heater, the muffler, accessing the chain plates, and especially, getting at the hull deck joint. Toe rail leaks after 20 years are multiple, and hell to repair - that said, I'm not sure any maker outer there really does better ... this seems to be the price of purchasing a used boat.
Nothing about this boat off the shelf was meant to be a cruiser - it's a solid frame, but if you want any systems suitable for offshore - salt water tap, refrigeration, decent battery bank, charging, etc., you've pretty much got to start from scratch. It'll cost about the value of the boat to go the distance ... meaning life raft, SSB, wind generator, auto pilot, solar ... all the goodies.
A warning to all owners - before setting out, I had a huge fuel spill. The aluminum fuel tank, which sits in the bottom of the bilge, extending a good 18" BELOW the bilge float switch, finally corroded through. The bilge flooded, the float switch kicked in, and wallah, I was responsible for 20 - 30 gallons of diesel fuel dumped into my marina waters. I begged forgiveness of the Coast Guard and Fire Department, defueled the boat, pulled the tank, welded it shut, and painted it with epoxy. But if you think about the manufacturers installation, this accident was a matter of time, not fortune ...
