Points to check
Many Senoritas have been amateur built from semifab kits. These boats have to be checked in the normal way: quality of interior work, moisture protection of plywood bulkhead edges, etc.
The original seawater cooled engines are approaching the end of their practical life, even if maintained well. A new engine costs 4...5000 € + installation work.
Potential structural weak points are two:
- the chainplates: attachment point for the shrouds have gotten loose in two boats that I know about: absolutely worth checking, because you may loose the mast ! The problem is water that gradually leaks in and softens the plywood core of the laminated attachment of the chainplates. You see the attachment point from inside the cabin, when you remove the cover panel. If in doubt, open it and replace /have it replaced. See the illustrated project description of Golondrina.
- the deck feed-thru of the chainplates may also have let water seep into the balsa distance material of the sandwich deck. The balsa rots and has to be replaced. Eventually, you may open up the hole around the chainplates a little, remove the rotten balsa and replace it with epoxy filler. Leave space around the chainplates to fill with Sikaflex or similar flexible material to stop the leak, and check / renew it every 2..3 years or so, lest it looses its flexibility.
A minor inconvenience is the lack of ventilation, typical to many boat designs of the '70s. The ventilation can be improved a lot with solar cell fans and ventilator cowls. At least as important is good ventilation during the winter storage.
Damaged chainplate attachment point
Repaired by Marcel
