The sail trail is very important to determining whether the deck layout works for you and also in being able to tell if there are engine or instrument problems.
If there is some physical reason that you can''t do a sail trial (something like ice in the water or the boat is in the back of the yard and a dozen boat would need to be moved to launch her) then you should attempt to escrow funds sufficient to cover an engine rebuild or instrument replacement. I can''t imagine that an experienced and honorable broker would have allowed you to make this deal without a sail trial provision.
I am assuming that the deal is subject to a survey. If it is not subject to a survey, I cannot strongly enough recommend that you get out of that deal now and if you are interested in that boat renegotiate a proper process that includes a full survey. Again, if the Broker did not insist that you do a survey I would not trust that Broker as far as I can throw him.
Yesterday I had a deal on a Cal 2-27 fall through. I had put a deposit on it 11 days earlier. I liked the boat but a day after making the purchase agreement I felt uneasy. I started a list of things that needed repair or upgrade. I got pretty anxious about it. Even with my list of repairs though, it seemed like a fair purchase & a good boat for my needs. The boat was hauled & surveyed Monday. In addition to my own list, the surveyor said it needed a new prop shaft & prop due to damage from electrolysis. My revised purchase price was rejected. I was disappointed but the big surprise to me was how relieved I felt. Guess this worked out for the best. Go with your gut feelings.
Even without the credentials of some of the posters on this board, I fee very confident in echoing Jeff H''s advice. Do not make this deal on your C36 without a proper survey and sea trial.
You cannot assume anything about the condition of your candidate purchase even with a 2001 boat, so a good survey is important. Even if you weren''t converned about how you will like your choice from a sailing perspective, the sea trial will allow a surveyor to find things you cannot on land.
None of use are born with all the knowledge we need to buy and care for boats, but you seem to be going into this deal without much good support. You didn''t mention a broker, but anyone who would brush off a survey and sea trial as unimportant can''t be trusted, IMHO.
Having said that, my as-yet newbie opinion is that a well found C36 can be a very good boat for its intended use. Since there are so many of them for sale at any one time, you have no reason to feel rushed to buy any particular hull that comes along. There will always be others.
Hope this helps, even if it isn''t what you want to hear.
The boat was surveyed, by an excellent surveyor 6 weeks ago by someone who had put an offer in on the boat. The deal fell through, because the man who wanted to buy the boat had to sell his freedom 28 to buy this boat. The surveyor did both boats... the C36 surveyed beautifully with no issues. The Freedom 28 failed survey because of water damage. I spoke with the owner of the Freedom 28 who wanted to buy the C36 and he is selling me the survey. He also took the boat out for a sea trial and had nothing but great things to say, with one exception. This boat is in-mast mainsail furling and he said the wind picked up suddenly to 25-30 knots and it took 3 people to reef. One of the reasons I went with in-mast furiling was for ease of use so I am wondering if anyone has had experience, good or bad with main furling?
So, the boat has been surveyed and taken to sea trial, just not by me. The surveyor is going to go back to the boat to ensure that no damage has occurred in the last 6 weeks.
I took the catalina 350 out for a sail last year... I know these are two different boat, but I know the C36 is a long held design that should, in theory, work for me.
The boat is out of the water, on stands, mast out. I guess I could insist on a sea trial, but I think the idea of escrowing money is good.
Well, that''s a lot more info than we knew before.
I''m sure there are many who would argue that you should never use someone else''s survey, even from just 6 weeks ago, but I''m not savvy enough to advise you on that point. In any case, it would seem as long as you trust the surveyor, you are taking much less risk than it appeared before.
All my research to date on in-mast furlers has led me to the conclusion that I would greatly prefer a slab-reefing main. A roach, battens, and the ability to drop sail with minimal risk of jamming has me convinced to avoid in-mast furling. I know there are folks out there that love them, but that''s my take so far.
Good luck with your purchase and here''s hoping your family loves your new boat.
I perceive the primary purpose of the sea trial to confirm the proper operation of that equipment which can be tested on land, primarily the engine and instruments such as depthsounder. During 5 or 6 boat buys/sells I have never had a surveyor sea trial the boat as part of the survey. Post survey I have had a mechanic sea trial the boat several times. If you can''t do a sea trial escrow the cost of replcing the untested ewquipment subject to confirmation of normal operation after launching.
PS - from personal experience also have an engine survey done by an diesel surveyor (not a regular marine surveyor). A sea trial will not identify a condition such as marginal compression.
As a lone voice in the wilderness, I encourage you to think twice about jumping into such a big boat. Not so much as to the risk of your learning experiences, as you seem to have the boat disease, but because of your reference to your family. In any first boat you will have learning experiences (i.e. make mistakes), but in a 15,000 lb. boat those mistakes can be far more scary or painful than in a 5,000 lb. boat. My personal opinion is that within the first two weeks of use one runs a 50% chance of scaring the hell out of the wife or kids such that they will never come back. Not to mention the real risk of hurting someone.
The way people successfully get into a big boat is via a small boat. If you start with a 25'' boat you can handle her more easily, your mistakes will be less visible and more manageable, and you can jump up again in a year, as a more knowledgeable and confident buyer.
One of the heardest things for a new sailing enthusiast to understand is that not everyone finds the sailing, or the boating experience fun, and the best way to increase the likelyhood of family members adopting, or at least tolerating, sailing is to bring them into it slowly, in very carefully limited and staged expereinces, until everyone is confortable with the program. Beat to windard at 30% on the first day, and someone may never return...Lose the family participation, and your boating pleasure will be greatly limited.
Congratulations on your pending boat purchase. If this process keeps you up at night, causes anxiety attacks, and makes your heart go pitter-patter, I think you''re getting your money''s worth. And I hope that feeling of nervous anticipation lasts for as long as you own this boat. When it starts to fade, start shopping for new equipment to add to your floating fantacy. (I just spent three months research shopping for the perfact hand-held VHFradio). And like the radio I just bought, here''s no such thing as the perfact boat, except for the one you own and admire. So if you''re losing sleep over this boat, you''ve found the right one.
Thanks again for the responses. I am beginning to calm down and get excited about it, even though I won''t be in the boat until next summer. I plan to sail with experienced friends for a few weeks while I get used to the boat... then take the kids out.
I am still wondering about the furling main... I''m pretty sure I made the right decision here and I won''t have any problems with it. If it''s not what I want I suppose I can replace with a dutchman system, though at great expense.
I look at in mast furling mainsails as a deal buster. Beyond the obvious performance zapping aspects, my real problem is with the shortened sail lifespan, the poor sail shape in heavy air when sail shape becomes a safety issue, and the high likelihood of a jamb at an inoppoprtune moment. A delivery skipper friend refuses to do an offshore delivery of any boat with inmast furling after having several hiho jambs in heavier going. Have you already gone to survey and how did they handle the sail trial issue? I would keep looking for another boat because changing an in-mast furler to a conventional mainsail is extremely expensive.
With that said, if you were buying a very popular boat (like a C36) with a Roller furling mast you might be able to swap with an owner that has a standard mast. I know this concept flies in the face of what Jeff H. adhere''s to, but there are more and more sailors that own their boats getting older and older. I have heard many times that at this point their sailing is mostly leisurely coastal cruising and on the next boat they wish they had a roller Furling Main. I agree that if going off shore, I''d rather go with the basic set up. But I beleive there is a whole market of sailors out there that would be willing to swap with you.
Join the C36 Sailnet email list and you could ask there.
