pt 30-2 (plastrend)

xbalancex7 · #1 09-06-2009

I am very interested in a boat called a (plastrend) pt 30-2 designed by britton chance 1973. almost a mirror image of the chance 30-30. I am looking at this as a long voyage/liveaboard vessel for the next 2-5 years of my life. I am decently new to sailing and I have never lived aboard. here is what I know about it so far. asking price 7.5k. diesel engine running, sails in working order. condition is very clean and dry. very little wood and no core that I know of. lead keel draft of about 5.5ft. with tiller steering. small single burner gimbaled stove. keel bolts are squeeky shiney clean

.

head is small and stored underneath the bow v-berth roughly 5g storage. water storage is about 15g. fuel roughly 15g diesel. No shower and only a small handpump galley sink. I would have access to marina showers and bathrooms anyways, but if out a solar shower could utilized on deck in a pinch.

here are the specs

PT-30-2 (PLAS TREND 30-2) Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com (units English)

anybody know much about these boats? I hear 1970's were good fiberglass years and it does seem very wellbuilt. prices? values? any ideas I htink around 7k is a good price for the diesel power, good condition, sales etc..... anythoughts would be greatly appreciated

mitiempo · #2 09-07-2009

I found some information for you. It's a link to three pages on the Boat Design Forum from 2005/2006. Pt 30 Mk2 - Boat Design Forums
It appears to have a cored deck, as most boats do. Apparently the deck hardware was attached before the hull and deck were attached, making it hard to rebed hardware as a lot of fastenings are behind the liner or glassed over. Interesting design, especially the swept leading edge of the keel. Nobody has much bad to say about the design, although it is an early IOR design which brings some handling problems of the time. The engine was apparently Volvo gas so the one you're looking at may have been repowered.
Boat Design Forum is an interesting place to visit as a large number of builders and a few designers regularly post ( Rob Ladd on this post, who raced on a PT32 in the North American 3/4 ton Championship in 1974). Always interesting to hear opinions from those that are part of the industry.
Hope this helps.
Brian

xbalancex7 · #3 09-07-2009

mitiempo, thanks! I really enjoyed reading that. yes the core is purely upper I believe on the deck, but no hull core that I can find. which I think is good. One of my next steps will be on how to insure and value such an obscure boat. Any good valuation or insurance agency's for rare obscure boats?

mitiempo · #4 09-08-2009

I think you would insure it as a fibreglass sailboat built in 1973 as opposed to a specifically rare and obscure boat, at whatever value the surveyor determines its value to be. You should have it surveyed for both your own good as well as the fact that without a survey most insurers wouldn't insure it. Also see sailingdog's "Boat inspection tips" here Boat Inspection Trip Tips
Brian

Jeff_H · #5 09-08-2009

The early 1970's was a low point in boat building in most ways. Boats were getting lighter but the structural design of interior structures was not advancing with the weight reductions. Hull forms and rigs were getting distorted by the IOR rule in ways that produced boats that were hard to handle, and which were miserable boats to sail. Hardware and deck layout advances were just starting to come into the modern age but were still pretty crude and unable to handle the huge headsails of the era. Designers were wildly experimenting with new ideas in keel and rudder forms looking at swept back keels and rudders, which were particularly vulnerable in a grounding. 1973 was the beginning of the period when resin formulations changed and so blisters and fatique issues began to become much more common and serious.

I know Plastrend pretty well, although I am much more familiar with their smaller boats. This was a company that specialized in race boats on a budget. Their Mustang was very nice boat for the era. But they were not especially high quality boat builders.

Which, is all to say, this is would be a very poor choice for long distance cruising..Keep Looking.

Jeff

xbalancex7 · #6 09-09-2009

hmm well after reading that last post, that leaves me feeling a little rough around the edges on the boat. a survey is never a bad idea, a lot of the boats I have looked at have had a survey done in the past this one does not though. I guess it is pretty common place to have a survey done before committing to purchase a sailboat? is that usually paid for by the prospective buyer or by the seller? in any case thanks for all the information guys, this is why I joined this forum, it seems to be a really good resource for newbs

mitiempo · #7 09-09-2009

The survey is paid for by the buyer. Don't rely on an old survey - when you find a boat you like get your own. Never find a surveyor on recommendation of seller or broker selling the boat - they're a bit biased.

Brian

xbalancex7 · #8 09-09-2009

I live in the San Francisco area and I would like to find a good surveyor. What is a good resource for finding a good surveyor? lattitude 38 mag? that is about my only real hands on sailing info besides visiting the local marina's.

sailingfool · #9 09-09-2009

Yahno there are a lot of good quality, well sailing thirty-footers from the early '70s: Tartan 30s are a classic, quality boat, Pearson and Catalina 30s are very desireable, you might be able to find a nice C&C 30 or a Yankee 30. After 40 years these boats still have a strong following and good reputationbs - you pay a decent price for one in good condition and you can't go wrong.

Why should you fixate on an odd-ball, little know or respected model, a boat whose twisted design objectives scream out in a humorous hull shape, with a nutty keel...I assume its price. Up your budget a few thousand and buy a boat with a real head, that will give you years of pride-of-ownership, and that someone will want to buy from you down the road...you'll get your money back.

xbalancex7 · #10 09-09-2009

yeah, I think I do agree with what you are saying. The price is a big factor along with headroom, I'd like to have roughly 6'2" standing headroom which pt-30-2 does have and my price is roughly10k max while this one weighed in at 7k it left me feeling like I had some $$ left over to play with. but yeah I agree a more known design would be a better investment. I just haven't seen any of those with a diesel that are under the 10k range yet.