Penn Yan Commander 339 (33') with a tunnel hull

[Scott06]

Thanks for your feedback, Scott.
This boat has two Yanmar diesel engines with 1000 hours, not sure about their age (plate picture attached). The boat appears to have been well-maintained in all respects.
I have not water-tested it yet, I have expressed an interest and am talking to the seller but I am doing my due diligence. If it were a Pro-Line 33 (out of production) or a smaller Carver (went belly up) we probably wouldn't be having this conversation, but frankly, I had never heard about Penn Yan.
You made great comments, and I appreciate it, but your last line grabbed my attention the most "Ultimately age and stringer rot did it in"; if yours lasted for 30 years and mine is 25 years old... Ouch!
Not sure this would be a wise purchase.
Do you know if a good marine surveyor could determine precisely the state of the transom, the deck, etc., as far as rot? Is this something that appears out of nowhere one day?
Thanks, Scott!

Any boat that this 20 + years old of that vintage can have stringer or transom rot. a good marine surveyor should be able to diagnose these issues and use a moisture meter to tell the condition of the structure. If you are not versed in this I would recommend a survey , could be the best money you spend

 

[JimS123]

Do you know if a good marine surveyor could determine precisely the state of the transom, the deck, etc., as far as rot? Is this something that appears out of nowhere one day?
Thanks, Scott!

A marine surveyor is the guy to make the judgement. They have the tools and know-how.
Rot starts very early on. It starts at the bottom and continues year after year. If the deck is soft, everything below it is gone. If the deck is gone the transom is too.

If you have a trailer boat and it is garage kept, and if you dry out any water in the bilge every time you use it, it will last indefinitely. Back in the day a boat with an unmaintained wet bilge had a service life of about 15 years. Today most boats have non-wood innards, so they should last a lot longer.

 

[cpmb]

A marine surveyor is the guy to make the judgement. They have the tools and know-how.
Rot starts very early on. It starts at the bottom and continues year after year. If the deck is soft, everything below it is gone. If the deck is gone the transom is too.

If you have a trailer boat and it is garage kept, and if you dry out any water in the bilge every time you use it, it will last indefinitely. Back in the day a boat with an unmaintained wet bilge had a service life of about 15 years. Today most boats have non-wood innards, so they should last a lot longer.

Thank you, Jim
My concern now is that even if the surveyor doesn't find anything now, it is only a matter of time before that stringer rot rears its ugly head...
I remember the Bayliner scandals of the early nineties.
Since this boat was built in 1998, way after the Bayliner scandals, is it possible Penn Yan built this boat without putting wood stuff everywhere?
One can only hope...
Thanks again, Jim!

 

[JimS123]

Thank you, Jim
My concern now is that even if the surveyor doesn't find anything now, it is only a matter of time before that stringer rot rears its ugly head...
I remember the Bayliner scandals of the early nineties.
Since this boat was built in 1998, way after the Bayliner scandals, is it possible Penn Yan built this boat without putting wood stuff everywhere?
One can only hope...
Thanks again, Jim!

The surveyor can determine if there is moisture in the hull with his instruments. Truthfully, though, I would be surprised if you could NOT find some softness somewhere even without a surveyor.

I don't know what their build schedule was back then. My next door neighbor as a 1946 Penn Yan and it looks like it just came off the showroom. But of course it's 100% wood and he takes better care of it than his wife....LOL.

Personally, I think the Bayliner "scandals" were a bit overblown. They may have used some cheaper materials and possibly an inferior layup schedule, but their construction was not a lot different than any other boat of that era. They did sell at a price point, and many of their customers were first time buyers. I believe not knowing how to take care of a boat was the biggest contributing factor.

 

[cpmb]

The surveyor can determine if there is moisture in the hull with his instruments. Truthfully, though, I would be surprised if you could NOT find some softness somewhere even without a surveyor.

I don't know what their build schedule was back then. My next door neighbor as a 1946 Penn Yan and it looks like it just came off the showroom. But of course it's 100% wood and he takes better care of it than his wife....LOL.

Personally, I think the Bayliner "scandals" were a bit overblown. They may have used some cheaper materials and possibly an inferior layup schedule, but their construction was not a lot different than any other boat of that era. They did sell at a price point, and many of their customers were first time buyers. I believe not knowing how to take care of a boat was the biggest contributing factor.

I too believe the Bayliner scandals were overblown but to this day it stays in people's minds. It takes years of hard work to build a reputation and a second to lose it... then rebuilding it, is very difficult.