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Sad demise of an old C&C

4K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  deltaten 
#1 · (Edited)
A friend and I went to a marina on Sunday to look at a 1969 C&C 'Redwing' 30 footer that was listed at a ridiculously low price. Only a few of these classics are still about and operating.
Not expecting too much; but I did hope for a rough diamond. The seller met us at the dock and we wandered out the pier to the slip. Why is it the pictures always make a boat look bigger/better?

First; the jib was piled up on the foredeck and the main was hastily wrapped and tied to the boom. I was informed that the halyard has separated; but was guessing the hardware had let lose. Uh... No! the wire halyard had broken at he attachment. Only a few strands were all that was taking rip anymore...no wonder it failed
The blue, UV panels were separating and worn, the stitching was tired and 50% gone. The main was damm'd near the same condition; but intact.

At first glance , the paint job someone had done some years ago was OK. Not my choice to use 'swimming pool aqua' on an upper deck; but it complimented the darker, faded and chalky blue of the hull. All wrinkled and full of bubbles; it almost looked like someone had added anti-skid to the entire can before application. The Port side deck only had one crack and soft spot. The deck glass was solid and the hull sound, for all I could tell sitting in the water.

Most of the deck hardware was antique. Three different winches with three different handles. Could get confusing! The standing rigging looked OK; but given the state of everything else, was suspect.

Opening the companionway hatch and entering the cabin was a surprise. While I didn't expect capacious, I was surprised by the limited space, narrow sole and huge 'dinette' cushions taking more than their share of the cabin. Of that use of the word? I wouldn't really call it a 'cabin'. More like an expanded cuddy. The only saving grace to the interior was the perfectly preserved galley cabinet. Solid and as yet un-bugger'd up; it had an antique, original Optimus stove and the teak grate in the ice chest. The motor was AWOL and the rusting steel mounts led me to believe that it was good that it was

An inspection of the hull via various hatches and ports showed a bit of staining and some indication of water intrusion; but nothing unusual. There were more mud wasp traces than water stains.

Now, I don't have much to compare to; but for a 30' boat, this one had all the room of some 24 footers I've seen. Headroom was good, though! ;) I should have suss'd it out, given the
rakish prow, slim, overhanging stern and the 21' waterline.
The old Evinrude 25 O/B hung on a decent mount off the transom. It pulled thru and turned over. I wouldn't have trusted it to make it out of the marina, though.

I had to walk away.
Visions of a pert, classic sailing vessel were dashed by a series of maintenance misadventures over the years. If I had unlimited funds and time, I could restore this boat to the beauty it was.....IF I wanted to take a couple years to spend $15,000 on a $8,000 boat. The asking price and what it would actually bring was somewhere between $1000 and $1800.
Quite a bit of loose cash for a hole in the water, no matter how nice it *could* be...eventually.

There's lotsa old, inexpensive boats out there. One will come along in time and at the right price. I ahve a sinking feeling this old girl will end up in the "old boat graveyard".

Sad, indeed!
 
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#3 ·
I'm not sure why this should make you sad. Nothing is forever, especially in salt water. This vessel has reached the end of it's useful life and now belongs in the "old boat graveyard".
The boat was built to be a cruising boat that no longer meets the demands of cruisers. You could spend lots of money to make it an inadequate cruising boat. But you weren't crazy enough to do that. Why should you be sad about that? Not everything old should be restored. Not everything old belongs in the museum. Some old stuff (BUT NOT ME) just needs to be recycled or discarded.
 
#8 ·
Lots of people drive & love '55 Chevy's too. ;)
 
#4 ·
Pretty boats, in a classic C&C way but no one ever said they were roomy... My least favourite part of that design was their 'hockey stick' rudder.

How was the smell below? That can be as off-putting as much of what you see sometimes.

We owned a Viking 28 for 10 years.. same designer, slightly more modern shapes but no standing headroom.. a lovely, pretty boat that sailed real well. But by todays standards, as you say, many 24 footers had more room.
 
#5 ·
OK, I'll give this a try
hmmm.. gotta study up on posting pix

http://www.findanyboat.com/files/posts/6/69-c-amp-c-30-sailboat_bq9wg.jpg

Is best I can do. Have shots of galley and interior. MUsta lost the exterior and detail pix somehow???

Actually, there wasn't any funky odor; other than lingering old boat smell; nothing terrible.

sd1953;

That I have a certain penchant for old-timey boats is sometimes difficult for even *me* to understand. I suppose it is simply that a boat is to look a certain way to appeal to me. That the old designs don't fit my needs is the problem. Nothing lasts forever; but to see this old girl in such poor condition grieves me some. I like old tools, old cars, old houses and classic boats.

Continuing the quest..
 
#9 ·
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#6 ·
I am sure you are going to find a lot more Dogs than Diamonds.
Good luck with the hunt, the right one is out there. It takes time and patients.
 
#10 ·
There's a Redwing 30 at our club that's been all done up by her owners. She looks fine in the harbor, but they tend not to take her out because she seems to underperform when it comes to sailing. A Pearson 30 might offer more room (and certainly better performance) at a reasonably comparable price. A tired Catalina 30 might cost more, but would be like a huge loft apartment in comparison. It too might sail better than the Redwing due to its larger sail area. Keep looking!
 
#11 ·
I had to walk away.

Sad, indeed!
Don't be sad. You are lucky. If you had stars in your eyes you would have come a cropper. :)

A boat is only a conveyance. That's all they have ever been. That people endow them with more is foolish IMHO.

Those old sailing ships weren't made to look beautiful. They were made to kill. Kill and enslave the world and bring wealth to greedy merchants on the back of blood.

Like the Chevvy of SloopJonBs look at all the other 1955 cars, the normal fords etc. Junked in scrap heaps where they ought to be.

Cruisers have too much sentimentality and it just wastes the budget they were going to enjoy life with.

Find a boat to suit your needs and budget and not because someone at the yacht club bar may think it looks pretty.

:)

Mark
 
#12 ·
A boat is only a conveyance. That's all they have ever been.
and the mona lisa is just pigment on parchment.

If you have no love for your craft, and no relationship with her, then don't be surprised when she feels no compunction to bear her burden.
There is nothing wrong with falling in love with a boat, and understanding the soul of the craft- it's ignoring her faults and failing to take care of her, and ignoring the costs going in that lead to the breakup of the relationship...
just like with anything that can, and will, capture your heart. conveyance indeed.
 
#14 ·
Not many older 30 boats are very large because they were narrow beamed back then . the only really "large" 30ft boat I've ever seen is the Catalina 30.

The OP's description and the really low price, she doesn't seem so bad. The 25 hp outboard could be sold off if the new owner were to repower. Hey..she was floating! Boats costing allot more but under 10K are not much better in condition and yet people buy them and still put thousands of dollars into them.
jus sayin...
 
#15 ·
All depends on what you want, or, need. I'll bet one could get this boat for $500. With a grand spent on some new running rigging and a used main one could be out on the water.

That doesn't mean I would want to take it cruising or even on a vacation. However, if I didn't have a boat and just wanted something fun to daysail...

Take everything out from the cabin but tools and hardware. Put her out on a mooring in an inexpensive marina. Close the through hulls. Sail when you can. Putz around on little projects when it's hot and windless.

When you are ready to move on, sell it cheap, give it away, or donate it.

When it's sunny and 10 - 15 on a close reach you won't notice warts.

Lots of people do more with less.

JMHO. YMMV.
 
#17 ·
Yes Denise; I read that before going down. SHame that the one I went to see wasn't near to the quality of the one pictured. Of course, the price would have been alla that much higher, too!

Too many options; too few choices ta make. :D
 
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