Douglas 32' with Westerbeke with 1900 hours ??

[tominny]

Hi,

I need a reality check, please. I found a beautiful 32' Douglas with newer sails (2002) and a Westerbeke 4 cylinder freshwater-cooled Diesel with 1900 hours on it for $12,500. I like her a lot.

What do people think about this boat? I can't find many reviews at all.

And is 1900 hours on this motor a lot? Is there a high chance that it will need to be rebuild or replaced soon? Is there anything else I should look for on this boat? Any known issues...?

Any comments would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

[mitiempo]

Welcome to Sailnet

The Douglas 32 is a solid full keel cruiser from the early 60's designed by Ted Brewer. Here is some info with builder history at the bottom.
DOUGLAS 31/32 sailboat on sailboatdata.com

Here is an owner's website
DOUGLAS32 MKII Blue Water Cruising Sailing Vessel.

As far as the engine and its hours it depends on maintenance more than anything. 1900 hours isn't a lot as a well maintained fresh water cooled diesel should have a life of 5,000 to 10,000 hours. But if you aren't sure of the maintenance history the best thing to do is get an engine survey - it will be worth the investment. A survey on the boat itself is essential as well.

Where are you located?

Here is a link to 5 Douglas 31/32's for sale on Yachtworld for comparison.
douglas (Sail) Boats For Sale

[killarney_sailor]

I agree with Brian. They are nice boats. My Westerbeke has 3400 hours and is going strong.

[SeacoastSail]

Hi tominny, I bought my D32 about a year ago and put her in the water last June. I can comment that she is a pleasure to sail, very stable, and will track with the wheel brake on for very long periods of time on many different points of sail. I have a newer main and a 140% roller jib. She needs a reef around 20 knots. The layout down below is good, for an older boat, myself my wife and daughter cruised Maine for a three weeks and were very comfortable this summer. My westerbeke is tired looking but smooth and has proven reliable, so far. Check the decks for soft spots other wise they are solid boats with no bad habits that I can think of. Not a racer, but not exactly a slug either. Price sounds about right, if she is a solid example, in this marked.

[MARC2012]

Westerbeke does not make engins,most likely perkins 4-107 iif original.marcps well maintained engine 1900 not bad

[tomnarciso]

So did you make the deal or did she sail away?

[tominny]

No, I ended up with a 1977 Tartan 34C. Beautiful boat but, alas, with an Atomic 4

[tomnarciso]

I think I might be attempting to purchase the same Douglas 32.
Owner wants to close now without a sea trial, I will have none of it.
Did you walk away or run is my question?
Limited electronics but good looking electrical and mechanical systems made me make the offer. She needs some TLC in the cosmetic department. Have not looked at the sails and rig yet. Fishing for information please
The Tartan is a great boat and a 34 is on my short list if we can't get this Douglas deal done. I have been on a couple of them. Best of luck with yours.

[tominny]

I assume this is the one you you put an offer in for 1971 Douglas Sloop Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

I never actually saw the boat, and didn't see any red flags. The sales price initially was aeround $19k and I low-balled at $12.5k and the owner accepted immediately (through the broker). At that price you can't go wrong too much if the engine is ok and the sails are good. Boats of that generation often have deck core issues, and if it is severe and in the wrong location can be a safety issue. The $500 for a surveyor will be well spent! Don't buy without it! I actually paid for three surveys before I bought my current boat, which was money well spent. I am new to boat ownership, and if you have more experience you can make better guesses at what boat is worth getting a full survey for. I found Don Casey's book on "Inspecting the aging sailboat" very helpful.
You probably will have to wait until April for the sea trial and the owner seems to want to sell fast. That can be to your advantage. It is unlikely he will sell the boat before the Spring. You can probably negotiate the price down from the $12k on yachtworld if you haven't done so already. Remember, in April he will have to pay again for a morring or storage.
Good luck and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about T34's. I am very happy with this boat.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by tominny

Hi,

I need a reality check, please. I found a beautiful 32' Douglas with newer sails (2002) and a Westerbeke 4 cylinder freshwater-cooled Diesel with 1900 hours on it for $12,500. I like her a lot.

What do people think about this boat? I can't find many reviews at all.

And is 1900 hours on this motor a lot? Is there a high chance that it will need to be rebuild or replaced soon? Is there anything else I should look for on this boat? Any known issues...?

Any comments would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

Our Westerbeke has 3300 hours and purrs like a kitten.. She's never been re-built... If the one on the Douglass is a 2002 it is a Mitsubishi block.

This was at about 2900 hours.. All depends on how it was taken care of..


Only ever used Rotella T:

That photo was taken with this on the hour meter: