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Checking out a 1971 Mariner 2+2 19 tomorrow. Tips?

3K views 32 replies 16 participants last post by  jbswear 
#1 ·
Hi, folks. New member here. Weeks back I was a thinking about possibly taking on a 30' boat that, while serviceable, needed lots of love, AND was moored, because, well, it was too big to trailer. I decided not to go that route and started passively looking for trailered boats that I could convince the Missus to let me buy and throw money at.

This *is* last notice, as I just saw the ad today, so I don't expect a lot of response, but I'm hoping for a bit of advice before I go see it tomorrow at lunch time.

Don't have a hull number, but I know it's a 1971. Hardware was removed for paint, but seller bought a bigger boat instead. Boat hasn't been painted. Hardware is on hand. Seller says hull is sound, with no soft spots. Sails are serviceable but will likely need to be replaced after another season or two. I know how to sew and will likely buy a Sailrite kit to replace them to keep expenditures lower.

Boat and trailer are both titled; don't know the condition of the trailer; seller says it's road worthy with working lights.

No motor on the boat.

Price is too good to not go look at.

So, having said all that, what should I look for and what should make me run away?

Goals:

I know the basics of sailing, having learned on a Flying Scot, but I need practice and a guide before handling a boat alone. I've read this is a very user-friendly boat for beginners. I live 10 minutes from a ramp on the Patuxent River in Maryland at a wide, slow, gentle spot, and am about 20 miles from the Chesapeake Bay. While not an ultimate fishing boat by any measure (rigging and such), with a small motor to reach in closer to shore easily, I can at least take my kids out on it to toss a line off the back.

Thoughts?
 
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#2 ·
Hmm, translation of Seller to English:
Seller: I took everything off the boat, but then decided I'd rather have a bigger boat
English: I have no idea where all this crap goes.

Seller: I took off all the parts but the hardware is on hand.
English: I know the bag I put everything in is around here somewhere.

Seller: Good sound hull with no soft spots
English: Well it was sound when I put it in the barn, I can't understand how your foot went through the deck?

Seller: The sails have another couple of seasons in them
English: I put duct tape over where the rats chewed holes in the sails, that'll hold you for a while.

Seller: The trailer is road worthy with working lights
English: The trailer will be road worthy after you rewire it, replace the lights, get new tires and replace the hubs. Other than that it doesn't need anything.

Seriously, these are good little boats. They're simple to work on and there are a lot of owners out there who can help you with where all the hardware goes and whether anything is missing.

Forget Sailrite, go over to Bacon's in Annapolis. There are a lot of Mariners out there and I'd be surprised if you can't pick up sails for $200-$300 each.

As long as the hull is solid you can have her on the water for a few bucks and some elbow grease. Enjoy !
 
#25 · (Edited)
Forget Sailrite, go over to Bacon's in Annapolis. There are a lot of Mariners out there and I'd be surprised if you can't pick up sails for $200-$300 each.
Bacon lets you look up used sails online. You can enter either the boat model or dimensions, and they will tell you what they have in stock, including price and some basic information about condition.

On a more general note, you need to drive up there and take a look at that store (it's in Annapolis, which should be an hour or two from you). They are a sailing consignment store and have a ton of used boat hardware that may be useful for you project.

Congratulations, that looks like a fun boat.
 
#3 ·
Beware! In cases like this the buyer often spends way too much time and more money than the boat is worth to get their purchase up to sailing condition.
Most would have been much better off spending a bit more money up front and spent the time they would have spent fixing up the boat, sailing instead.
 
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#4 ·
Jim,

What you described sounds a lot like motorcycle sellers I've run into! Thanks for the advice.

capta,

From what I've read so far about repairs and remodels done to this model, not a whole lot is needed; there is very little wood on the boat to rot and replace, and I'm handy enough that I can rebuild the keel if it's in bad shape. I'm a woodworker by hobby and have built a motorcycle from scratch, so those skills should serve me decently. But yeah, I'll check the weak spots and the mast before committing.
 
#5 ·
Boat building (repair) is a completely different skill set than carpentry. They are about as far apart as a motorcycle engine is from a diesel.
If you decide to go ahead with this project I wish you good luck.
 
#7 ·
I would think that as long as your expectations are realistic it could work out fine. It'll likely cost 2-3x what you expect to get it back on the water, and take at least twice as long as you hope. Having said that... Get the kids involved, let them help along the way. That way they learn some skills and you all get to enjoy the boat long before she's on the water.

Sent from my Moto E (4) Plus using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
If the boat is in otherwise very good condition, you should be getting a huge discount. If there are issues (other than the sails, and the deck being a jigsaw puzzle), you might possibly point out the cost of disposing of a boat and offer to take it for free. Most people, including boat owners, do not realize that boats can have negative value.
 
#9 ·
Oh yeah, I know all about how far off time and cost estimates can be, especially for a novice, so I'm not even going to make those estimates--I turned down a *free* 30' cruiser because it needed too much work. What I'm looking for is advice on what to look for when I get there.

Here's what I know so far:

Check the hull all around. It's on a trailer; this will be fairly easy.
Check the deck.
Check the joints between the transom and the hull.
Check the mast for damage.
Check the mast mount for sinking/damage/cracking.
Check the centerboard for damage, particularly the bolts that mount and lock it in place.
Check the centerboard trunk for bad cracking.
Check the hardware mounting points for cracking.


Am I missing anything?
 
#11 ·
Oh yeah, I know all about how far off time and cost estimates can be, especially for a novice, so I'm not even going to make those estimates--I turned down a *free* 30' cruiser because it needed too much work. What I'm looking for is advice on what to look for when I get there.

Here's what I know so far:

Check the hull all around. It's on a trailer; this will be fairly easy.
Check the deck.
Check the joints between the transom and the hull.
Check the mast for damage.
Check the mast mount for sinking/damage/cracking.
Check the centerboard for damage, particularly the bolts that mount and lock it in place.
Check the centerboard trunk for bad cracking.
Check the hardware mounting points for cracking.

Am I missing anything?
Bulkheads
Winches
Moisture
 
#12 · (Edited)
I think a Mariner could be a fun project. They're simple boats without complex systems or electronics. A ton of them were built as the O'Day 19 and Rhodes 19, and Stuart Marine is still making them today, which means you can still get replacement parts if you need them.

If you go to the web site for the Mariner Class Association at https://www.usmariner.org/ there's an article on what to look for when inspecting a used Mariner (you'll have to join to get access to the site).

Some other sites to check out:
The O'Day Mariner site on SailboatOwners.com (https://oday.sailboatowners.com/resources/index.php?task=model&mid=136)

Stuart Marine (https://store.stuartmarine.com/)

Best of luck with her !
 
#13 ·
I bought it. For a 49 year old boat it's in great shape. Pounded all over the hull, no hollow sounds or flexing. Bounced on the deck, no flex. Visible patching in places; paint not yet applied. Seller gave me the white paint for the deck; I'll buy a different color below.

Sails are fair. Rigging looks wonderful. Sheets need to be replaced.

Plastic trim for seam between deck and hull needs replacing. Tiller and rudder are in great shape. Center board looks good.

Trailer is in fair shape.

Eight years out of the water, covered.

For $250, not bad. I'll be joining that Mariner forum.
 

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#17 ·
I bought it. For a 49 year old boat it's in great shape. Pounded all over the hull, no hollow sounds or flexing. Bounced on the deck, no flex. Visible patching in places; paint not yet applied. Seller gave me the white paint for the deck; I'll buy a different color below.

Sails are fair. Rigging looks wonderful. Sheets need to be replaced.

Plastic trim for seam between deck and hull needs replacing. Tiller and rudder are in great shape. Center board looks good.

Trailer is in fair shape.

Eight years out of the water, covered.

For $250, not bad. I'll be joining that Mariner forum.
Congratulations !

For $250 I think you got a great project boat. Best of luck with her.
 
#14 ·
For $250, I doubt if you were taken to the bank by the seller. If he gave you all the hardware that he had, then it should be a pretty decent project for you and an awesome learning experience. Have fun, enjoy the build and get her out as soon as you can.
 
#18 ·
Hi,

Congratulations!

Some simple advice:
Do as little as possible to make the boat 'sailable.' Don't spend money on upgrades, paint, electronics, sails, fancy lines, new electrical system, etc.

Do make the boat safe. Do buy some PFD's. Do buy a cheap reliable motor.

Then practice rigging and unrigging the boat. Then go sailing. And sail as much as possible.

After one season with you boat you will know what to do next year.

Have fun.

Barry
 
#23 ·
I sailed a 1968 Mariner 2+2 for 10 years, same green hull colour as yours.

We had a metric tonne of fun with it. Long cockpit, beachable, forgiving, easy to maintain. The sweet spot is 10kts of wind: she keeps up with bigger boats but is still manageable and comfortable when single-handed.

She's over-canvased in more than 10kts though. Reef like you vote, early & often.

I used a Honda 2.3HP on the transom. It had plenty of power to get in & out of the harbour.

The centerboard trunk drips. Get used to it instead of hoping you can torque the bolt to stop it.

I paid for a membership to usmariner.org. Worth every penny.

Have fun!
 
#24 ·
Yup, I joined up there and have already learned a lot about the boat, and with their assistance, think the boat only lacks a small outboard to toss it on the water and test it out.

The sails appear to actually be the *original* sails, as the luff rope on the mainsail has disintegrated to dust. But it has plastic slugs for guiding into the mast slot.

I won't take it out until I find a 4hp, 2-stroke though--I want to know that I can get home even if both sails suffer catastrophic failure!
 
#28 ·
Built a simple gin pole and my daughter and I raised the mast this weekend. Super easy. Ordered new standing rigging; found some damage turnbuckles and fraying wire. Replaced the winch and trailer jack. Bought new halyards.

Hunting for a long shaft, 5hp, 2-stroke outboard now.

Might not get on the water before the winds die for the summer, but she should be ready for fall.

 
#29 ·
Congrats on the new to you sailboat.

How far did you have to tow the boat back to your home?
I ask because twice now, I have purchased a boat and have towed it home over 100 miles and along the way the trailer tires blew... both times.
Roadside assistance is spendy.

Take some time to look at the wheels. Tires with lots of tread left doesn't meant the tires are in good shape. Look for cracks in the sidewalls... or anything else that indicates compromised integrity of the tires.

It's also good to add Bearing Buddies and keep the wheels spinning smoothly.

And welcome to SailNet!!
 
#30 ·
Oh yeah, I know about trailer bearing failure while on the road! That's a lesson I learned a decade ago when I got my first trailer (used) and had to replace bearings, hubs, and axle when a bearing failed, chewing up a hub and axle.

Seller says these hubs and bearings are under two years old, with zero miles (sitting the entire time). I'll replace them, of course, for cheap peace of mind.

Drive was only 45 miles.
 
#31 ·
Update: I bought a pair of Johnson 6hp outboards, a '74 (known dead) and a '77 (supposedly running). The dead one is complete, and a short shaft. The supposedly running one is a long shaft, and complete, but the shift handle is broken off and the rod is frozen where it passes through the case. I've torn both apart and will be building a complete long shaft from the two. It'll be white and green the colors of the two motors, but I'm okay with that. I just hope the '77 power head actually runs!

Also ordered new standing rigging from D&R; mine has bent and damaged turnbuckles.

I replaced the centerboard pennant by lifting the boat up onto platforms I built and dropping the trailer under so I could lower the CB to the ground.

I'm getting closer!
 
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