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pre purchase questions

1K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  JimsCAL 
#1 · (Edited)
My budget is 17K-20K, a lot of that is for post purchase upgrades. Is it realistic to think I can find a boat from the 70s early 80s without out some deck issues? The only boat I saw that didn't have soft spots on the deck was a Sabre 30 that had sunk. Most of the others had deck repairs using the drill and fill method, should I be worried?

Why would a PO change the teak toe rail to a typical toe rail on a Tartan 30?

Can blisters be seen on a boat that has been out of the water for a little over a year? If they dried up can you notice them through bottom paint?

How do you join the email lists here on sailnet?

Thanks
Evan
 
#2 ·
If you are reserving a significant portion of $20,000 for repairs, you are likely to be looking only at boats which are in pretty rough shape - deck issues or other.
Boats which have had core repairs are often stronger than as built but only if the repair was done properly. Time to find a good surveyor.
Not sure what you mean by "typical" toe rail - slotted which is quite functional vs old wood which is probably rotted.
Blisters don't disappear by themselves.
 
#3 ·
Evan

I'd recommend you read the Boat Inspection Trip Tips thread I started, as it will help you determine whether any boats you look at are even worth going forward on, saving you the price of a survey on boats that aren't worth looking at further.

I would highly recommend saving up a bit more money so that you can buy a boat in the upper end condition wise, since refurbishing a boat is often far more expensive than getting the boat in good shape to begin with.
 
#4 ·
Sounds like you are looking in the 30 foot range. Your budget will certainly buy a boat of that size from the 70s or early 80s, but not leave a lot for upgrades. I go along with the advice to buy the best boat you can afford and stay away from the projects. Most boats of that vintage will have deck issues to some extent. Certainly avoid ones that have extensive delamination or have amateur "drill and fill" repairs. A few areas of high moisture can be addressed fairly easily and rebedding fittings is just about a standard recommendation on any survey I've seen.
 
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