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Going to look at a boat

4K views 38 replies 17 participants last post by  LakeMi 
#1 ·
Well I found a boat I'm going to look at. It to cheap not to look at it. It in the water and has been all year with out being moved once this year. It's a 1979 26' ranger. Anything I need to know? What should I look for? The owner won't be there but he is giving me the combo to get in. He said that everything is in working order and the "head" sail is 2 years old. It has a 9hp outboard. Did I say the boat is cheap!

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#5 ·
Got a mask to check how grungy the bottom is, and condition of zincs? :)
 
#7 ·
The Ranger 26 is a very good little boat.. if it's in good shape it will be a great starter. However if it has real issues no matter how 'cheap' it is, it may not be any kind of bargain. Check for soft decks, other obvious leaks, engine (present? condition? running?)

Best of luck.
 
#8 ·
#20 ·
For the price it's almost to good to be true...
BIG alarm bells should be going off!

This is the first boat you've looked at. You really should do a more thorough job before buying.
 
#14 ·
Usually the boom has a slot on the top, and there are either slugs or a bolt rope that goes into the slot to help keep a certain shape along the entire foot of the sail. Some sails, instead, are "loose footed" and are intended to have the foot entirely controlled by the outhaul. They tend to be baggier at the bottom, which is what I might be seeing in the picture. Again, its tough to tell.
 
#16 · (Edited)
OK, trying again. Look at the third picture on this page:
The Saga of Sesame: 02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008

Specifically, look at the boom. Do you see how the sail doesn't touch the boom except at the front and back of the boom? That's because the "foot" or bottom of the sail is loose (i.e., it isn't connected to the boom).

Then compare it to this picture of my sail, with the slugs along the foot:


The bottom of the loose footed sail's shape is entirely driven by the outhaul and the topping lift (with the outhaul doing most of the work). My boat has an outhaul too; you can see the shiny metal thing at the left-hand most point on the sail (the clew); the shiny thing is part of my boat's outhaul. The outhaul puts tension on the foot, pulling the sail tight. In light winds, you want to loosen the outhaul and let the sail get "baggy" because it increases the surface area. As the wind picks up, you flatten the sail using the outhaul so you don't overpower the boat (and heel too much).

Is that better? :)
 
#18 · (Edited)
It's not really a bad thing. It gives you more control over the sail's shape than I have with mine. At your stage of the game (I'm not really that far ahead of you) it's the kind of thing that you'll likely set and forget for a while until you get more comfortable with the boat and how the lines all work. I can see where, as a racer, that would come in handy, and if you decide to race her eventually, it will be a good thing.

Of course, I could also be wrong and the sail may just be blown out. That means that it no longer creates an efficient shape when you're sailing, and you'll eventually want to get a new sail or at least a new-to-you sail (there are several places that sell used sails, and many of them are from racers who use the sail for one season then "need" a new one, with the old one being perfectly sufficient for what you'll probably be doing over the next year or two). If you go to Sailboatdata.com you can get the measurements for the mainsail, then check minneysyachtsurplus.com or bacon sails in Annapolis (among others) to get an idea of what a used sail in decent condition might cost.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Make any purchase contingent on a successful survey. The cheaper the boat, the more you need a survey.

Some boats are worth less than $0. They will suck you dry (or threaten your life) no matter how low the purchase price. Be careful.

Also talk to an insurance agent before you make an offer. If you buy a boat that you can't insure, it may make it difficult for you to find a marina to accept you. Any insurance company is going to demand a survey anyway, so you might as well make your contract contingent on it.
 
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#22 ·
I agree. I have Progressive. They didn't ask for a survey for our Catalina - we were only seeking to insure it for $4,000 ("book" for it was closer to $6-8,000), and paid $1000 for it. I wanted a survey on our Allmand because I knew we were paying a lot less for it than book value and wanted to insure it for closer to its book value, but I suspect we may not have needed one for this boat, either. If LakeMI isn't paying much for the boat (a few thousand) then a survey probably won't be needed.

Now, whether a survey is prudent is another idea entirely. They aren't cheap, especially as a percentage of the cost of the boat when you're in our range, but surveys can be very good for peace of mind. A good surveyor will help you establish a list of "must-do" and "good-to-do" things, and that's very helpful when first starting out. That alone can be worth the $350-500 for the survey.

Another 2 options to consider before hiring a surveyor for a formal survey: 1) post here asking if anyone lives near you/the boat and would be willing to come help you go over it, and 2) ask the surveyor if he/she offers a "sanity check" quickie survey. Mine did. Basically, he spent about 30-45 minutes aboard her one day looking for all of the really glaring things that would tend to make someone walk away from a boat. Things like cracked thru-hulls, rotting chainplates, soft spots in the deck, etc. He even took moisture readings at several places. I think he charged me $100 for that, and gave me $50 credit toward the full survey. To me, the $50 extra that I paid was insurance. I could have walked away from the boat and I'd have only been out $100.
 
#23 ·
Some boats are worth less than $0. They will suck you dry (or threaten your life) no matter how low the purchase price. Be careful.
Best advice, so far.

Assume that if you buy a boat for how ever much less than the normal going rate, it will take that much and more (depending on how much you do yourself) to make it right. That can be a good thing too. You will learn a lot about your boat fixing it. OTOH, if you want to sail, and not work on the boat, get one that is in good shape.
 
#24 ·
Good luck, try not to fall for the first boat you see, at least have a look at a couple of others, hard to compare with a sample size of one. Get someone along with you that either knows a bit about sailboats, or even just another pair of eyes that isn't going to be involved in the sale. They can often see things you look past, don't notice or are just blind to in the excitement. The Ranger is a decent boat, assuming this is a reasonably OK example. Make sure you think about the things that aren't on there that you might want in future, they are the bits that get expensive - stove, electronics, bbq etc.
 
#25 ·
Ok so look for soft floor, rotten chain plate, bad running/standing rigging, outboard, tiller, sails, leaks around ports, water down below, check batterie and all electronics. Is there anything that I'm missing? Anything that must be looked at very closely? Survey is to much. If I was looking at a boat that was 10k or more I would do it in a heart beat.

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#27 ·
Insurance sounds about right. The overriding question should be whether or not this particular boat fits your boating goals. Is it too big, too small? Does it have the equipment you will need? Will it be safe sailing where you want to sail? Where will you keep it? Does the yearly cost of dockage, repairs, storage and normal upkeep fit your budget? Once you know what your plans of use are, you can decide if the boat fits those plans or if maybe another boat might be better. In this terrible market for sailboats in this terrible economy, there are LOTS of boats on the market for the right price.
 
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