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!
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!