Boat buying advice for 35''+ range

[Rodz47]

" .... a C and C also gives speed, comfort and is a fun boat to sail. all the aformentioned boats hold their value...."
with the exception that CandC has balsa core below the water line and I've just walked away from buying a boat that has delamination on 25sqft of hull - otherwise the boat was in pretty good shape. If you buy a boat of such vintage a good surveyor is a "must" for a corvette.

[cardiacpaul]

and no, I'm not jetting across the country to check out your latest "want to"
but a survey is a really good idea.
think of it this way...
You probably grew up in a house. More than likely you've lived in a house at one time or another. You may have bought a house or two in the past.
Would you ever buy a home without an inspection?

I'm not saying its a requirement on a 16 ft hobie, or nice 4000.00 trailer sailer, but a wise man once told me, only bet as much as you can afford to lose.

Horror stories abound, no need to go into them here. Suffice it to say, there are far more boats purchaced without surveys than with, and thats ok by me, I'm busy enough, thank you. But it just plain boggles my mind when someone lays out 100k for a hole in the water that you throw money into and decides to not fork over... oh, less than 600.00 for a competent inspection. (operative word, competent)

Ok, so you've been on the water 30 years, your parents have gills, you're able to surf the 'net at gigahoochie speed, you've got reams of specs and piles of research, you're a CG 100 tonner pilot, and your toes are webbed.

Are you able to look at your dream with an unbiased eye?

There are good and bad surveyors in this business, just like brokers, sell-it-yourselfer, marinas, and boats. The "accreditations" a surveyor has is but one of the factors. (There are some very interesting "insider information" stories there as well) For example, one sanctioning organization requires a person to work in "the biz" under another, like an apprentice for a period of years, and do "x" number of surveys over a period of time.... However, if you make a substantial "remuneration" to the body, you too can be a member of the lofty club as soon as the check clears.


(besides you're probably going to need one for insurance or banking issues.)

ok, time for church, I need to switch to decaf.

[paulmcquillan]

If you are buying a boat over 10 years old, then I'd also suggest setting aside 25% to 40% of the purchase price for the refit. I'm pretty picky, but that's where ours ended up.

Sometimes you can get a boat that someone else has just put through a refit -- although then the question becomes "did they do the work in a seaman-like manner to specs you can accept."

I'll second or third the opinions recommending the vairous C&C (and Tartan) designs.

[camaraderie]

Here's a question...I've always sort of thought of Tartan and Sabre as pretty similar quality boats and targeted at the same customer. I rarely see Sabre mentioned here as a choice but Tartan is all the time. Neither of these brands have particular interest to me but I wonder if this is an oversight or if Sabre is no longer producing the same quality boat? Anyone know?

[Kalmia41]

I would always recomend the Hinckley pilot, which aside from being hugely expensive, is a great boat, and is a blast to sail. They are absolutely beautiful, which helps to make up for the fact that they are dead slow. But they can sleep up to 6, and are great family boats.

[SailorMitch]

Surprised no one mentioned that the original post is 5 years old. Chances are this fellow bought his boat and is sailing his brains out. Let's hope so.

Cam -- as for your comment about the lack of mention of Sabres, my first thought when reading the post was "Sabre 34!" You are most correct that Sabres aren't mentioned nearly enough, and I'm not sure why either. Perhaps it's because Denr sails a Sabre 34??????????? Judging by what I see at the boat show every year, Sabre's quality hasn't slipped an inch.

I'm very happy with my Pearson btw. Also an under-appreciated boat on here.

[S/VNirvana]

I don't know if this is still relevant; but I have a Pearson 36 for sale, 1973 upgraded since we purchased it.

Sonny,
s/v SKYLARK, P-36
Branford, CT

[Tartan34C]

Originally Posted by SailorMitch

Cam -- as for your comment about the lack of mention of Sabres, my first thought when reading the post was "Sabre 34!" You are most correct that Sabres aren't mentioned nearly enough, and I'm not sure why either. Perhaps it's because Denr sails a Sabre 34??????????? Judging by what I see at the boat show every year, Sabre's quality hasn't slipped an inch.

I'm very happy with my Pearson btw. Also an under-appreciated boat on here.

It’s interesting to see the size of the internet groups behind each brand. On yahoo groups for instance Columbia has 1,366 members, Tartan has 400 members, Sabre has 230 members and Pearson has only 167 members. It may be that you hear more about the Tartans because the Tartan group is a more vocal group then the Sabre group. Does this mean that the Tartans are sitting around and talking while the Sabres are out sailing?

In the marina where I winter store I see a lot more Catalinas and Sabres then Tartans so why do your hear more from the smaller groups? Who joins these groups and for that matter why do people post in a venue like this? (said with tongue firmly in cheek)
All the best,
Robert Gainer
Tartan 34C