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Quick Q's for purchasing a boat this weekend?

2K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  WDS123 
#1 ·
Hello again, everybody!
We recently posted a thread asking about the ID of what we've come to find is a Hurley Silhouette, 17'. We're going to have a look at it tomorrow in Manteo, NC, but tonight we're in Wilmington with a few questions about some other boats we've looked at.

We viewed a Catalina 22 today. Year 1982, owner was asking $2500. Problems we found included a damaged swing keel with heavy rust. The line from the wench is frayed as well. The entire bottom of the boat will definitely need to be refinished; The hull has very shallow pits about the size of an eraser head that I'm not sure if they are blisters or not. The exterior wood also needs to be refinished. On the plus side, the boat seems very sturdy with no soft spots on the deck and the rigging and sails are in very good condition. The trailer also seems to be nice as well.
Can anyone tell us if this seems to be a fair price? What could those pits be?
If they are blisters, how do we go about repairing them?

Later on we viewed a 1976 22' Tanzer. The young man who owns it says it hasn't been out of the water in 4 years. We only looked over it briefly because it was dark by the time we got to the marina, but it seems it will need some tlc on the inside. However the owner does stay on board during the weekend and seems comfortable doing so. At a glance the interior feels sturdy. The engine runs well and started easily and the deck and rigging seemed in strong condition. He'll be taking us out on it in the morning to show us how everything works and we'll inspect the condition of it further. He's asking $1800. Our biggest question right now, is what can we expect of a boat that hasn't been out of the water in so long?
 
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#2 ·
Hull blisters are bumps, not indentations. I can't think of what eraser-sized indentations might be, other than partially repaired blisters. They could be the "scars" of blisters that were drained and then never refilled with epoxy/fiberglass. Blistered hulls can be fixed, but it is a royal pain to do yourself, and very expensive to have someone do for you. Either way, it requires a significant investment of time to adequately dry out the blistered areas before making repairs. If you are comfortable working with fiberglass, its not complicated, and because the repairs will never see the light of day and will be covered by bottom paint, you don't need to make it pretty. The level of effort required correlates directly to the number of and size of the blisters. Does the owner know what the indentations are? You can do a search here or on Google to get some detailed information on blister repair.

As for the damaged swing keel, if the rust is significant, you will have to sandblast and epoxy the board. And the pendent cable will have to be replaced. All of your ballast is in that piece of equipment, so I wouldn't screw around with it. All in all, this Catalina 22 sounds like its more trouble than its worth; if your area is anything like here, C-22's are a dime a dozen. If you like the boat (and lots of people love them; I used to have one), then you should be able to find another that is in better shape.

I am less familiar with the Tanzer, but if the boat hasn't been out of the water in four years, I think you can expect significant marine growth on the bottom. If the boat has been in salt water for four years without hauling or bottom paint renewal, I don't see how you would be able to get away with less than a full sandblasting to remove the growth. I don't know of any bottom paint that would protect a hull from barnacles and marine growth for that long. I would insist on hauling the boat before purchase to see and to check the condition of the hull. This owner may be sitting at the dock on the weekends because the boat won't hardly sail due to the bottom being solid barnacles and mussels.

You asked if these were fair prices for these boats; in good condition here in Connecticut, I would say a 1982 C22 in good condition with a trailer would run about 5K. A '76 Tanzer in good shape would probably be about 2-3K. So the prices you have been quoted seem low to me. That means that the market where you are is either significant depressed/different than here, or something is really wrong with these boats. No way to tell from the internet. If you are really concerned, you can always hire a surveyor to check out the boat for you prior to purchase. Make your offer conditional on a successful survey (just like buying a house!).
 
#3 · (Edited)
Catalina 22 - Nice boat. A quick yachtworld.com search yields prices from $1000 to about $6000, so $2500 is on the low side. The rust will have to be sandblasted or otherwise removed, then primed and coated. Figure 10 hours labor. The frayed winch cable is a normal wear item and will need replacement. It's not difficult at all. Figure 2-3 hours. The pits in the hull are blisters and will need attention. It's a big job but not hard. To be done right, the entire bottom should be stripped (sanded or blasted) and the pits filled with epoxy. You could barrier coat the entire hull, but I wouldn't on this boat. Figure on 20 - 40 hours. Good boat. My father owned one and I worked for 2 dealers as a teen.

Tanzer - A boat in the water for 4 years will sail like a pig. The bottom is probably mass of weed and performance will be zero. Once hauled and cleaned, there will most probably be blisters (one reason that I haul each year is to let the hull dry - significantly reducing the potential for blisters).

In this price range, I'm not sure that I'd get a survey (will probably be ~$600-$800) but generally they are worth their weight on gold. At this age and in this condition you'll need to replace everything. Maybe another $2000 - $4000.
 
#4 ·
If the deck is not too high where the Tanzer is I would get the two guys (or borrow some more weight) to heel the boat so you can see what the bottom is like. Generally the part just below the waterline will be the worst. If the owner will let you, scrape away the crap down to the glass in a small area (4" by 4") to see what you can see. My sense is that blisters are likely to happen in the first ten years or so and both of these boats are older so it should not be a big issue.

One boat has a trailer and the other not? If so, you have to figure out how to get the other one home if you go that route. Someone mentioned prices - New England to Chesapeake prices tend to be higher than further south, but the boats are out of the water for a good part of the year so they are 'newer' in a sense. Also I get a sense that people in the NE tend to keep their boats in pretty good shape.

Before you get to far with these boats find out what sails there are and the condition. You probably will not be able to tell much about the shape but you would be able to see if they are in good shape physically.

Good luck
 
#5 ·
Thanks again for the helpful information, everyone. We decided to pass on both the Catalina and the Tanzer and instead purchased a beautiful Hurley Silhouette we asked about in a former post. It's a solid boat, true to Lloyd's specs, with sails in great condition. The only care she needs is paint on the bottom and a general cleaning inside and out. We look forward to getting her water ready, and appreciate all the input you folks have given us since we joined SailNet. We'll post pictures of the boat and the cleaning process and continue to ask questions! Thanks!
 
#7 ·
Good luck and enjoy



I am sure you will be pleased with your purchase.
 
#6 ·
The Tanzer might have been dived regularly, in which case the bottom MIGHT be OK. 4 years is at the extreme upper limit of bottom paint life, so you'll be re-painting the bottom for sure. I'd suggest you ask for evidence of regular diving including changing the zinc(s).
 
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