Catalina 27 '79 Had the survey today.... bah

[cardiacpaul]

hey now, wait a darn second!!!

a decent 27 catalina 1976-1979ish, in DECENT shape will run you 5-7k. If they're selling it for less, theres a darn good reason. If they want more, they really don't want to sell it.

I agree with the repair issue. Unless you're skilled enough to be able to get a job doing fiberglass, you really don't want to tackle it.

[tenuki]

Read my post here about my recent boat buying experience and thoughts. I had about the same budget as you and opted for a 24' in decent condition instead for a variety of reasons. (slip cost, ongoing maintence, type of sailing I do, etc) I actually think the boat purchase for that budget range is more about how much the boat is going to cost you every year. A friend of mine recently bought a Cape Dory 28, and it's a darn fine boat. However, we compared costs of new sails, costs of winches, etc and his boat seems to be generally 3 times more expensive than mine. He bought his for long distance cruising, I bought mine for daysails and short weekend cruising. Mine is more fun to SAIL in the sound, his is sort of, ah, hmn, stately... But of course out in the open ocean I would want to be on his boat for sure.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying...tml#post125526

[nightowle]

I bought our 1975 O'Day 27 late last summer for $7800 but that included a quicksilver inflatable with 3hp engine along with the bargain. The PO left everything on board including tools, loads of lines, anchors, kitchenware, pfd's (even one for the dog!). It's a well equipped boat that was in sail away condition and mechanically well cared for. The finish is oxidized and gel wearing thin on the nonskid, and brightwork needed some TLC. So we sailed her well until the season ended, and I've spent many hours sprucing her up. She'll look grand as we start this season (as soon as the upholsterer finishes with re-doing the cushions) and I finish the Poliglow application. I found her on Craigslist, which is what I recommend for boats in this price range. I have since continued looking at the classifieds, etc. and yes, based on the pictures and descriptions there is a LOT of junk out there, but turning over the rocks......you'll find one. And definitely consider an O'Day. I like the performance and the layout with plenty of room for a 27 footer. The only thing missing on this baby is roller furling. Oh well....can't have everything on a first boat! Good luck.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by tenuki

But of course out in the open ocean I would want to be on his boat for sure.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying...tml#post125526

You're right. People get very fixated on hitting several "sweet spots" with a single boat, when they should perhaps consider the intended use (in your case, daysailing and "sail camping") and buy a SIMPLE boat with good sailing abilities in fair weather. They will get more use out of it and will save money than by getting a bigger boat at first.

If their priorities change, it is a simple thing to sell the smaller boat and to buy a bigger one. I know people who have used this "ladder" approach to go from complete novice in a 22 footer to 40 foot offshore cruiser in 10 years and three boat sales. The constant was that they were sailing each boat to its maximum capacities much of the time in order to speed learning and their own acquisition of skills.

Others go too big, too soon, and spend too much time on maintenance and repair and upgrades...and forget to sail.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by nightowle

The only thing missing on this baby is roller furling. Oh well....can't have everything on a first boat! Good luck.

That's an excellent starter boat, and if you are a weekender/daysailer, probably a good finishing boat, too.

I advise people to look at decent boats that are 30-35 years old. This is premised on the idea that they've had one boat-proud owner who bought it at some expense at the age of 35-45 and is now 70-85 and is giving up sailing. You get the benefit of single-owner care and maintenance, and frequently a lot of decent gear and sometimes excellent "homebrewed" improvements as well.

But a lot of these deals are found on boat club corkboards, not online.

[nightowle]

Yes, Valiente, I'm very happy with it. And based on further looks through Craigslist etc. (just to have some fun lurking around), I think I got fairly lucky. There's plenty of junk there -- but you have to keep turning over rocks wherever they may be. Marina and club boards are a good bet.