New member in Michigan, future 25 owner

[Alaskaflyer331]

Greetings,

I've been researching 25s for a while and we travel tomorrow to see a '76 Deluxe that has been repowered with a Yanmar 30 and had previously been rigged as a motorsailer - though not operated under sail for a while. Pics seem to show basics in excellent shape but interior woodwork needing, well, 'freshening' as the seller says. Seller also says the keel and draft is about eight inches deeper than standard. I understand that all these later models had identical hulls regardless if they were rigged for sail or not, so if true this must have been an owner modification at some point in her past. The head has been removed in favor of the typical plastic marine portapotty and a hardtop added over the open deck behind the cockpit which looks professionally done from what I can tell from the photos.

If she becomes ours she'll be based on Mott Island at Isle Royale on Lake Superior, as that is where we live and work summers. She'll join our little family fleet of sea kayaks and skiffs. I've been boating all my life but have done very little sailing so rigging her with sails is intriguing.

Advice is appreciated. I hadn't been considering a project but the combination of price, proximity and (hopefully) solid bones makes this a good prospect and the cosmetics can be done at my leisure.

[jcollins]

Richard,
Welcome to AOG and good luck. Perhaps someone with more experience than I will jump in here and discuss the reason for adding depth to the keel.

[loubennett]

Assuming the keel was modified it was likely done to add lateral resistance and maybe some additional ballast. Both of these, if done properly, would improve the sailing characteristics especially on a beat.