08-30-2010
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Junior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 11
Rep Power: 0
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Considering a '75 Cal 30
Hi Sailnet,
I've read a lot of boat reviews and articles here but haven't posted anything until now.
I've been thinking about buying a boat and living on it for six months or so now. I really don't know that much about sailing. I just know that I loved the ten days I spent on a 44 foot boat down in BVI with boy scouts 8 or 9 years ago, and because of the area I work in, I can live on a boat and still be 10 minutes away from the office.
Anyhow, I've found a '75 Cal 30, ~4' 6" draft with a fin keel, for $6000. I can get financing from a local credit union and the current owner has reasonably priced insurance on it, which I think I should have considering the hurricanes headed toward the Gulf.
I've read a lot of testimonials about these Cals, and never found anything negative. I was surprised to find the boat for this price. The boat was sailed a few months ago and should be ready to sail right now, but it's definitely not in perfect condition. The biggest issues from my novice perspective are that the boat doesn't have an inboard motor, the current owner noticed some leaking through the cabin roof around the mast, and the boat hasn't had a real survey in who knows when. The current owner is a beginning sailor as well, so I'm not sure he would even notice if there were a major problem developing.
The owner has the old motor. He doesn't know how old it is, and it doesn't currently work. He is including an outboard motor.
How worried should I be about the mast area leaking? I know some decks have cores which can rot and cause major problems around the mast. I know next to nothing about this, but I tapped and stepped all around the mast and the rest of the deck and couldn't find anything soft or that sounded anything but rock hard.
The owner says he had the boat hauled out when he bought it five years ago and had a bottom job done. I assume that means that there was no blistering on the hull at that time.
The owner says the sails are in "acceptable" condition, which to him meant "no holes". One of the nicer upgrades he has made to the boat is a new sail cover on the main and UV protection on the jib. He called the rigging "new". I didn't go aloft, but all the ropes I inspected at deck level looked good.
It's definitely dirty and needs paint, especially in the interior. The wood, paint, and cushions inside look far from how I would want them to be if I were living on it. Probably some electrical and plumbing upgrades are needed as well. There is a stove (with oven) in the boat, but it may be the original, and it doesn't look functional.
What's everyone's opinion on the price for a Cal in this condition?
What I am interested in having is a solid boat with no serious, dangerous issues that I can live on, learn to sail on, learn to work on, and resell for close to or above my original purchase price in about a year. I'm even interested in the fact that it seems to need a lot of minor work, because it means I get a discount on it and I get to learn some from working on it. I don't even plan on sailing it right away, because I'd like to invest in some lessons to make sure I know what I'm doing first. I don't have any serious home improvement, automotive, or marine repair experience, but I am a smart person with a hands-on, technical job. I learn well about things like this.
I've got two and a half months or so until my current apartment lease ends, during which I can put in some good time getting the interior set up like I want it to be.
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