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Advice on Cal 34 MK III Purchase

7K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  L124C 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello all. I'm new to the board but not to sailing. Grew up sailing on my family's 40ft-ish boats, mostly coastal cruising.

I'm ready to take the next step and buy my own boat. I want something for coastal cruising, and perhaps someday offshore. Not interested in racing; mainly just taking it easy and exploring.

I am looking at a 1978 Cal 34 mk III. It looks to be in good shape for a boat of its vintage. Has new AP, GPS, chartplotter, and transmission. 24 HP Westerbeke engine with around 1300 hours. The sellers have sailed the West Coast on it (several thousand mile trip) recently.

The asking price is $29,000. That seems higher than a lot of other Cal 34s I've seen online, but it does have brand-new electronics and transmission.

Any input on the price, the boat, etc? All comments are appreciated!

Thanks
 
#2 ·
What kind of shape is the boat you're looking at compared to the others. If it is in significantly better maintained shape, it may be worth the price difference. I'd highly recommend you read the Boat Inspection Trip Tips thread I started, as it will help you determine whether this boat is worth looking at further.
 
#3 ·
I think you are starting at the right place - a boat well above the average asking price. If you can establish that it is worth a premium, IMHO you are far more likely to end up adead of the cost curve, than if you were bottom feeding. Don't be afraid to spend the extra dollars for a premium boat, the seller probably is still taking a hosing.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies so far. It's in pretty nice condition. Paint looks good, wood on the deck could use some work and the inside looks clean and well-maintained. The VHF is ancient, and the stove is alcohol (no oven, like I've seen online on some of them) but other than that it looks in good condition. The engine is spotless.
 
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