Hi
Well done for buying an Atalanta. They are great boats. And they have proven long lasting when looked after. The one thing they really hate is to be left with water on the decks or in the bilges for a long time.
Here are some key things to look out for – maybe others will add their own advice.
- That rot in the transom…. be aware that the steering lines exert quite a force on the pulleys bolted to the transom. Rot in this area has caused steering failure.
- Delamination, particularly of the decks. The starting signs are to see the joins between the diagonal veneer strips. Light tapping should help reveal.
- Brass Screw failure – de-zincified screws can cause issues, particulary underwater. ‘Halo’ marks through the paint are an indiciation of this. Easily fixed by removing, repairing with epoxy and fitting new screws.
- Condition of the keel raising / clamping steelwork. Difficult to see without removing the tops of the keel boxes – small panels in the saloon and larger panels in the galley/chart table area
- Rust stains weeping from the chainplate area – a sign of things not good underneath. You will see from the recent posting by Bluster however that things can look okay on the surface but need attention underneath.
- Skeg and deadwood – check for any movement. The original fastenings have been known to fail.
Don’t hesitate to ask more questions.
Also, there is a wealth of information available to members of the AOA including technical papers, Annual Bulletins full of practical experience of looking after the boats, and hundreds of original drawings. One of the technical papers is advice on Surveying an Atalanta. You can see indexes of the material available to members here.
Where are you /the boat based? It might be than an existing owner would be willing to come and have a look with you.