Looking for a sailboat and need advice

[fiatracer163]

I'm looking for a sailboat (25-30ft), and would like some feedback. I have looked at Hunters and Catalinas but am open for other options. Short list of:

1981 Hunter 27

1985 Catalina 27 tall

1981 S2 8.5

Top thing that I am looking for is safety, sailability, price, longevity, and resale value. I will be sailing in Lake Michigan.

Can I get some feedback from you guys with more experience. Pros and Cons of each. And any suggestions will help. And if anyone you know is selling a boat in the Milwaukee area that is 25-30ft let me know.

Thanks...

[DRFerron]

Hi fiat,

You should spend some time in this forum: Boat Review and Purchase Forum - SailNet Community

As for the resale value, Catalinas do pretty well but I think just about any boat would do well if taken care of. There will always be someone looking to buy a boat.

Catalinas are known more for sailing comfort rather than sailing performance.

There were a few years in the 80s when the quality of the Hunters was kind of iffy. I don't remember when exactly but it's one of those known issues.

Good luck.

[jameswilson29]

To add to Donna's post, read the Gear and Maintenance posts also for a month, and decide if you are really ready to buy a boat. There are plenty of good deals in this market. Rather than narrow your search now, inspect and sail on as many different boats as you can to determine which is best for you. I would expand your list to include Cals, C&Cs, Pearsons, Tartans, and some of the other plastic classics from the 70s and 80s.

[johnshasteen]

Originally Posted by jameswilson29

To add to Donna's post, read the Gear and Maintenance posts also for a month, and decide if you are really ready to buy a boat. There are plenty of good deals in this market. Rather than narrow your search now, inspect and sail on as many different boats as you can to determine which is best for you. I would expand your list to include Cals, C&Cs, Pearsons, Tartans, and some of the other plastic classics from the 70s and 80s.

I agree and would add - any sailboat is fine on a nice day, but if you are way offshore and the weather pipes up, you will want a sturdy boat. Hunters, and the like, don't fill that bill. If you look at the 70s-80s stronger boats (Pearsons, Bristols, etc), you can find one in your price range.

[ccriders]

Also, once you get your list down to 2-3 models, find their user group, probably on Yahoo, and mine it for information on every aspect of your chosen model.
John

[chuck53]

If you like the Catalina 27, look at the 30 as well. Before we bought our first boat, a Cat 30, we had been looking mostly at 27's until we stumbled on a 30 one day and fell in love with it. Bought it the next day.
Also, Pearson and O'Day are good boats to look at.

We now have a Cat 34, and while looking for one, found lots of info and great advice on both the Catalina and Catalina-34 owners web sites as ccriders suggested to do.

[emoney]

Another good value is a Newport. Resale, don't forget, is derivitive of condition. Sometimes, it better to spend a little more up front to recoup the most of your investment.

[charlierusty1234]

Can we assume you are planning to cruise? For how long at a time? I have an Ericson 29 and sail on Lake Ontario. Was very pleased with its performance in heavy seas and 25 knot winds. Has a good total weight to ballast ratio. It fits the bill well for cruising, day sailing and club racing. But, I am sure there are others too that will work for you.