Impala 28 Offshore One Design

So you've found a boat for sale. But what should you look for?

So you’ve decided you want to buy an Impala (a wise choice!) But what should you look for? One hundred and fifty-five boats were built in six years by Hunter Boats, and their condition, 30 years on, is generally excellent, despite three decades of racing and cruising.

First, where to look? There are some good websites where you may find a boat. First of all, try the For Sale section of this website. No luck there? YBW.com, Apollo Duck, Boatshed.com and boatsandoutboards.co.uk are all good places to look. While impalas don’t tend to change hands very often, when they do, they shift quickly, so keep checking back.

Next, what should you look for? Best of all, find a local Impala owner, and persuade them to let you crawl over their boat and show you what they might have discovered while they’ve owned the boat. Get in touch with the committee, who will be delighted to talk you over what they know.

A Surveyor’s View

South Coast surveyor David ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins has been surveying Impalas ever since they were first launched in 1979. ‘To be honest, they’re just good boats’ he says. ‘They’re well built, easy to repair and nothing major tends to go wrong. In my experience, the keels don’t fall off, the boat’s don’t fall apart – they were built to last!’

One potential area to look at is the chainplates, where water may have entered over the years and softened the plywood bulkhead that they’re bolted to. It’s important this is kept water tight.

Some boats have springy decks, where water may have entered the layup. It’s not a mojor structural problem – and is fairly easily solved. ‘The good thing about the Impala is it’s a simple construction, that can be repaired by anyone’.

Some boats have rusty spots on their keels – but, again, this is a simple job that can be done yourself cheaply.

If the boat has an inboard, -normally a Yanmar 1gm10 – check the exhaust elbow for corrosion. If left unchecked, this can rust through and inject hot salty water into the cylinder head -a an expensive repair.

Check that the mast step hasn’t compressed or sunk under the rigging tension – rare, but worth a quick look.

The original houdini forehatches are prone to leaks – but are easily replaced.