[strandedsooner]

Ive recently have been bitten by the sailing bug and have taken a beginner sailing class and spend copious amounts of time reading about it on the internet. I'm looking to buy a boat before next season and ran across this listing on ebay for a 70's model Cape Dory 28.

BEAUTIFUL CAPE DORY 28' GREAT SAILING BOAT (NJ WRIG 78):eBay Motors (item 200382764457 end time Sep-18-09 17:00:00 PDT)

Right now its up to $3650 and who knows it might shoot up last minute, but that seems so low for a boat that runs 10-20k on yachtworld. Granted it might have big issues but the hull is reportedly sound and the motor is at least running for up to 4 hours :laugher

The fact that I'm in Kansas and the boat is in Maryland doesn't help either. I know that if it sounds too good to be true it prob is and I would be better served getting a boat I can have professionally surveyed first...I get that. Just curious if anyone with more experience thinks that maybe it wouldnt be such a bad deal. Pass or consider further?

Thanks,

Eric

 

[JohnRPollard]

It is very difficult to say from photos alone, but this boat would appear to have far more potential than the vast majority of "bargains" that folks ask about.

If I were interested in this boat, in my mind I would be budgeting for a new engine or at a minimum full rebuild, along with quite a bit for new standing and running rigging, probably new sails, not to mention a lot of elbow grease.

 

[LakePirate]

Buying a boat from pictures and the owners description is like buying a pig in a poke. I spent two years looking at boats listed on Ebay and Craiglist along with other sites. Every time I went to inspect them in person they were not comparable to the pictures. I found some of the pictures to be more than two years older than the advertisement date. For the price the Cape Dory may be a fine boat, but I wouldn't expect it to be exactly as it appears.

 

[lporcano]

chau

 

[tommays]

OES NOT CIRCULATE WATER WELL BUT HAS NEVER OVERHEATED AND HAS BEEN USED FOR UP TO FOUR HOURS THIS WAY

SOME DISASSEMBLY DONE ON COOLING SYSTEM TO TRY AND SOLVE CIRCULATION PROBLEM -BELIEVE IT MAY BE THE RUBBER IMPELLER

The motor is NOT running right NOW as shown by the water pump laying in pieces and it clearly has a bad leak

Your looking at big dollars in moving any boat

 

[strandedsooner]

Thanks for all the responses

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm new to all of this but do have some $$$ saved to pay for repairs, updates, etc. Who would be a good place to call and get a ballpark amount for having the boat shipped to Kansas? I'd love it if I had time to refit then cruise it from Maryland then up the Mississippi then Kerr-Mcclellan to near my parents home in Tulsa :laugher Unfortunately cant do that. Also ballpark how much would a new small diesel engine installed run?

Thanks again,

Eric

 

[strandedsooner]

Trailer for it?

Also would buying/renting a trailer be an option? Of course getting all the requisite permits etc to transport her also.

 

[JohnRPollard]

...
IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BOOM FOR THE ORIGINAL HEAD SAIL THAT IS NOT PICTURED I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THE DONOR TO SEE IF THIS COMES WITH THE BOAT BUT HAVE HAD NO LUCK AS OF YET

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO INSTALL THE ROLLER FURING

wha' the heyyyy is this guy talking about?

AS OF RIGHT NOW THIS BOOM WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IF IT IS AVAILABLE WE WILL GLADLY INCLUDE IT TO THE NEW BUYER

alrighty then, maybe a spin pole?

Paul,

I believe the "boom" that he is referring to is the club foot for the original hank-on jib. You can see it depicted in the brochure photo.

Given that they've switched over to roller furling -- it's not an important component anymore (especially if they've gone to an overlapping genoa).

It wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to me whether the boat came with it or not.

 

[strandedsooner]

Replacing Diesel

A new diesel if needed will be 7-10K? Is that just for a volvo, meaning would a yanmar, westerbeke, etc be any cheaper?

 

[JohnRPollard]

A new diesel if needed will be 7-10K? Is that just for a volvo, meaning would a yanmar, westerbeke, etc be any cheaper?

Not much. You might get a Betamarine for a bit less. But I would expect closer to the high end of Paul's "installed" estimate. The smaller Beta engines are in the $5-7K range (depending on # cyclinders) for engine/transmission alone.

Maybe you could save by doing your own installation? Or look for a used/rebuilt engine?

 

[GeorgeB]

Why do people fall for stray cats and pound puppies? Quit looking at this boat romantically and focus some of the harsh light of reality on it please! Look at what you're getting into. The boat is in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com

Chesapeake</ST1</st1:City> where I'm assuming there is a market for boats. Instead of selling, the owner donates it so he can get a tax write-off (approx 40% of blue book value regardless of its actual condition.) The broker for the charitable organization put a base value of only $200 on it. If they thought it was worth $20 grand would they have started at $200? Hardly. The write up reveals little on actual condition. Most of it is pure marketing speech. Fixed up, the boat is still worth well less than ten grand. Do you want to spend $20K so you can own a $7K boat?

No offense, but this full keel boat is not what you want in <st1:State w:st="on"><ST1Kansas</ST1</st1:State>. Full keel? Big disadvantage in tacking to windward and you will never experience the sea state to justify that keel. You will need a travel lift to haul and splash each year. You will need to buy a multi axel trailer with brakes if you want to move it around. The shipping alone from <st1:State w:st="on"><ST1Maryland</ST1</st1:State> will be over $5k. Original Dacron main? Think $4K for a new suit of sails (the jib has to be in equally poor condition). If he has original sails, he most likely has original standing rigging. Think $5k to replace that. The bowsprit has to be replaced too. You can be pretty sure that the running rigging is either old or missing too. $7-10k is an accurate cost for a small displacement diesel. Who knows what sort of rotted core issues that lurk there. Plan on a major rebed and hardware replacement project. <st1:State w:st="on"><ST1Kansas</ST1</st1:State> isn't exactly convenient to marine services, parts and expertise. Assume that it will take a very, very long (and costly) time to get this boat in sailable condition.

<OIn a word, don't do it. If I was you, I'd look in the mid-west for a trailerable boat. I see a fair number of Capri 22 and 25's for sale throughout the <ST1Midwest</ST1. The 25 is big enough to weekend on and will give you ear-to-ear grin performance. Heck, if I could figure out how to move one to <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>, I'd be buying a <ST1Capri</ST1 right now.<O

 

[alexdz]

I can answer the original question!

Ive recently have been bitten by the sailing bug and have taken a beginner sailing class and spend copious amounts of time reading about it on the internet. I'm looking to buy a boat before next season and ran across this listing on ebay for a 70's model Cape Dory 28.
<SNIP>
Eric

And the answer is yes, it just might be (too good to be true). I bought that boat, sight-unseen. I placed what I thought was a low-ball bid (for a CD28 in good shape) and "accidentally" won the thing! Got out to see it last weekend, and after a good look around my impression can be summed up as: Not as good as I'd hoped, but not as bad as I'd feared.

The boat has been on the hard at least a year (nobody at the marina seems to remember, so I've heard a few different stories). There's a high-water mark inside a few inches above the floor, and I found everything under the settees still very wet, and a thin layer of mud. I also found the prior owner's maintenance and sailing logs, which each have exactly one page completed, all the way back in April 2005, when they bought the boat. I get the impression the boat hasn't been used much, if at all, since then. The varnish in particular has clearly not been touched in years, so any other maintenance is doubtful.

I had it surveyed this week, and the surveyor's initial reaction was "well, it's almost certainly worth the $4600." That was heartening, especially considering he assumed I'd be paying to have all of the needed work done, which I won't. The hull is in very good shape (dry), and the deck is in good shape, with just a couple of soft-ish spots. The cockpit floor is very wet, and will need recoring, although it feels fine underfoot.

He believes the hull-deck joint is leaking, which is a condition I hadn't seen to be a problem in the research I've done, but the starboard teak rub strake has all it's teak plugs removed, so obviously some work was being done there.

The engine does look nasty where the thermostat goes (as seen in pics), but he didn't seem too concerned about that, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought. He did note that the hoses needed replacing, but that's no surprise. Either way, when I bid I assumed a new (or rebuilt more likely) engine would be a strong possibility.

The mainsail looks brand spanking new. I really don't think it was used much, or possibly at all, since purchase. The genny is supposed to be of the same vintage, so I have high hopes for that as well, although it was too windy for me to try to unfurl it the day I was there. Even the old, original, sails don't look bad--well used but not bad at all, good spares.

There's a lot of new-ish running rigging on board, although much like the winches, I believe most of it is TOO BIG! The mainsheet looks brand new, but it's clearly larger than what belongs in that gear, and won't run freely at all. In fact, I'll have to pull it out of the cam-cleat to use it at all for the time being. So, good lines, which I'll end up having to replace anyway.

Oh, and as I suspected due to the carefully selected pictures, there's no marine head, just a PortaPotti. So she'll need a new complete and legal (my first!) head installation. I've never dealt with a PortaPotti, and I don't want to.

My first order of business is to get her across the Bay back to my (western) side. I've asked the marina to get the engine back into running (if indeed possible!) condition, and asked for a rigger to inspect and tune the rig. Even though she's going back on the hard immediately, I don't trust the condition of the engine, so would like to have some faith in the rig.

My apologies for the long post, but I'm hoping to get some good advice here over the next few months on what to do with what and how. I've been lurking here for some time now, so it's good to finally come out of the closet. This boat was on my short list of candidates to buy and go places on when my youngest graduates high school in a couple of years. I'd budgeted much more to begin with, but the market crash sort of changed that. In all the research I've done I've sort of concluded that I could spend $20K on an old boat, and end up needing another $15-20K to get her ready; or I could spend $5K on a boat, and still end up needing the same $15-20 to get to the same place. Am I delusional? Well, I bought this one, didn't I? :laugher

I guess I'm going to be doing more work that I'd hope--which I don't really mind except for the time issue. The exact issue which caused me to give up my last boat 8 years ago! Oh well.

Alex Diaz
Chantilly, VA

 

[JohnRPollard]

Alex,

Welcome aboard, congrats on your "new" boat, and -- I have to say -- what a a serendipitous first post!

Sounds like you have a plan and can make this happen. If I could offer only one piece of advice, it would probably be "rebuild or replace the engine." If you plan to keep the boat for a while, I guarantee you won't regret it.

All the best of luck.

 

[joethecobbler]

Sounds as if you did OK. I would encourage you to start educating yourself on all the repair issues that you boat needs. If you complete the repairs yourself you'll not only save a bundle,but you'll gain alot of experience in the process and develope confidence in your abilities as well. And based on all the "professional" work I've seen done, you can't do much worse !
You said you've got a couple years to work on it. If you get right on it that might be just enough time ! Don't let anything scare you when it comes time to repair/replace, just dive in and enjoy the experience. you'll never regret it.

 

[alexdz]

Serendipity (good boat name!)

Alex,

Welcome aboard, congrats on your "new" boat, and -- I have to say -- what a a serendipitous first post!

Sounds like you have a plan and can make this happen. If I could offer only one piece of advice, it would probably be "rebuild or replace the engine." If you plan to keep the boat for a while, I guarantee you won't regret it.

All the best of luck.

Thank you sir! Serendipitous indeed, especially when you consider a couple of the factors that nudged me into bidding. First, the boat's name is Emerald, and my favorite color is green. Second, she's hull #200, and I just really liked that nice round number! Silly? What can I say? :laugher

The real reason of course is that the Cape Dory 28 and 27 were on my very short list, and in the end I couldn't resist. But I really did think of the color and hull number!

I'm hoping the engine is a project for down the road, and that it's good enough to get me sailing at least through next summer. It's a Volvo MD-7A, which I think has a reputation for being somewhat uncivilized, so I'd rather replace than rebuild, but not until I'm satisfied that she's the right boat for the long term. Alex

 

[alexdz]

Sounds as if you did OK. I would encourage you to start educating yourself on all the repair issues that you boat needs. If you complete the repairs yourself you'll not only save a bundle,but you'll gain alot of experience in the process and develope confidence in your abilities as well. And based on all the "professional" work I've seen done, you can't do much worse !
You said you've got a couple years to work on it. If you get right on it that might be just enough time ! Don't let anything scare you when it comes time to repair/replace, just dive in and enjoy the experience. you'll never regret it.

I'm hoping to do enough work to get her safe and respectable enough to sail through next summer, and tackle the additional jobs as time allows. I hope I'll have a better sense of what needs to be done right now, and what can wait, when I get the surveyor's final report. I lurked on a Tartan 27 (another candidate) forum for awhile, and a running joke there seemed to be how some people actually sail their boats! It seemed like a lot of people did nothing but work on them, and for long periods of time. I'd like to find some balance there!

I agree entirely on the reasons for doing the work myself. In the past I've tackled extensive kitchen and bathroom remodels myself simply because I've heard so many horror stories about the work you pay to get done. I figured I can do a [email protected] job as well as the pros! Also I enjoy working with my hands, and I like challenges. The issue, as always, will be the time available. Sure would be nice if I could put her in the back yard here... Alex

 

[kmartin16]

Great post as I have a similar "opportunity" to pick up a 30' project boat for less than 5k. I am also looking ahead to when the kids are out of the house and have been chartering for now. I was originally looking at boats that were newer and ready to sail in the 20-30k range but may opt for the project boat in part for the education that comes with doing some of the work yourself. Still very undecided about what to do.

 

[CalebD]

CD 28' Congrats

I lurked on a Tartan 27 (another candidate) forum for awhile, and a running joke there seemed to be how some people actually sail their boats! It seemed like a lot of people did nothing but work on them, and for long periods of time. I'd like to find some balance there!
Alex

I resemble that remark! We actually raced our Tartan 27' nearly every Weds. this season and are planning an overnight trip up the Hudson to view the fall foliage this coming weekend.
We were lucky that our T27 had a careful PO so everything worked when we got it. We paid 4K for our boat initially and have paid way more then that over the years (summer and winter fees, maintenance etc.).
There is a CD 28' at our club and it seems like a very nice boat so congrats. Have fun with your repairs and upgrades. Stop in at the T27 Owners group for advice about how to (and how not to) do some of the items on your list.
Good luck.