How Old is Too Old When Buying a Yacht?

[Poignard]

My Twister is 53 years old. She is seaworthy but could do with a bit of tittivating; something I will attend to when Covid restrictions are lifted.

The thing is that she could be kept in good condition indefinitely provided nothing catastrophic happens to her hull.

Engine, rig, equipment are all repairable or renewable at reasonable cost, provided I do as much of the work as possible.

For the pleasure my wife and I get out of her, she has been a good investment.

 

[Wansworth]

Some will disagree but a wooden boat can be brought back to new more so than a grp boat

 

[25931]

Some will disagree but a wooden boat can be brought back to new more so than a grp boat

I owned a couple of wooden boats when I lived in England but would not want to here.

 

[Concerto]

Lost me there. Why is that funny?

May be this thread will help.
What (if anything) is included with a new engine?
Not that your boat is exactly new at 29 years old, if your existing engine was from 1991.

 

[Poignard]

Some will disagree but a wooden boat can be brought back to new more so than a grp boat

I'm lucky to have the best of both worlds : a GRP hull and deck, and timber coachroof, cockpit and interior.

 

[fredrussell]

May be this thread will help.
What (if anything) is included with a new engine?
Not that your boat is exactly new at 29 years old, if your existing engine was from 1991.

Ah, I see. My boat is far from new, ‘tis true, but she’s in good shape for her age.

 

[Tamar]

Some will disagree but a wooden boat can be brought back to new more so than a grp boat

I have owned two wooden boats, a folk boat, and an Eventide. I absolutely love them, the smell, the feel the satisfaction when replacing a rotting plank, just everything. But they take a lot of looking after to keep them tip top. I just didn't have the time to do sailing and maintenance.
So a plastic one does for me these days.

 

[davidej]

Newbies tend to compare the age of a boat to the age of a car. I think about a 3 to 1 ratio should be applied, ie a 30yo boat is the equivalent of a 10yo car.

 

[Wansworth]

I have owned two wooden boats, a folk boat, and an Eventide. I absolutely love them, the smell, the feel the satisfaction when replacing a rotting plank, just everything. But they take a lot of looking after to keep them tip top. I just didn't have the time to do sailing and maintenance.
So a plastic one does for me these days.

Yes it’s more constant tinkering and touching up dinks but there not that awful polishing and old wooden bots like a good wine get nicer,what could be better than sitting in the sun varnishing a handrail without all that faff of varnish getting on thegrp?

 

[Wansworth]

Eric hiscock was a past master at keeping Wander in good state whilst he sailed round the world.

 

[Graham376]

Newbies tend to compare the age of a boat to the age of a car. I think about a 3 to 1 ratio should be applied, ie a 30yo boat is the equivalent of a 10yo car.

One of my cars is 21 years old so I should be looking at 63 year old boats? I don't think so

 

[peter gibbs]

I'm looking at buying my next boat and have drawn up some simple criteria based on size, price, condition and age. This set me thinking about why I arbitrarily draw a line at a certain age of boat. So for no other reason than curiosity, if you were buying a boat just now, what age of vessel would you restrict your search to?

So much on a pre-loved boat can be replaced or repaired,, almost all mechanicals. But if the flooring or "furniture" is looking rough, best not go for it - your eye will ever settle on the unrepairable imperfections, whereas tired sanitaries etc can be chucked readily.

PWG

 

[beermonkey]

I'm looking at buying my next boat and have drawn up some simple criteria based on size, price, condition and age. This set me thinking about why I arbitrarily draw a line at a certain age of boat. So for no other reason than curiosity, if you were buying a boat just now, what age of vessel would you restrict your search to?

Here's my most recent search and purchase process:

1. What don't I want
2. Where will I be sailing
3. What's my budget
4. How much am I prepared to do myself
5. Does she make me smile

(age is in the eye of the beholder - irrelevant to anyone else)

 

[Slowtack]

I have found this formula works..........
2B +E = A + 8
where A is the skippers age, B the boat age and E the engine age.
The variables are not totally variable.

 

[dombuckley]

I have found this formula works..........
2B +E = A + 8
where A is the skippers age, B the boat age and E the engine age.
The variables are not totally variable.

Apparently, I'm 182. Can i get my pension back-dated, please?

 

[lustyd]

Looking for my new boat (1999 SO36.2) I had some “age” based criteria after owning my old boat (1969 viv20). The old one had many holes which had been made and filled as equipment changed. This was to varying degrees of quality. The old one had also been painted to tidy her up. Both of these things add to maintenance and upgrade headaches. As such good and bare GRP was a must, or at least well done epoxy covering. Most other things on the old boat were fine, thankfully nobody had tried to maintain the teak so it was original and flawless. Most boats I look at the team is ruined by cleaning and or oiling. A clean engine compartment was also important to me. Rust and oil all over the place imply the engine has issues. Electronics and rigging are maintenance items and should be costed in to ownership. If either are old when buying then either negotiate a discount or accept the expense. I’m replacing all of the electronics on mine and asked for no discount because the boat is exactly what I wanted

 

[wazza]

Next month my boat will be 43 years young and is still going strong.
I would not change her for a new jelly mould that has been built by accountants as a 'disposable toy' that is more at ease when on a marina pontoon than in a heavy sea.
She will outlive me and then it will be up to my son to decide what to do with her.

100% agree with you..
My Najad 343 is over 40 years and will give up in heavy seas way after I have...

 

[Laminar Flow]

Our tub is 40 years old. We have put in a new engine, new sails, electronics, solar and done many many other upgrades to her as well.
We spent the time and did it all ourselves and enjoyed the planning and the process as well.

Regardless, we could not buy a new boat like her these days, they simply do not make them anymore. Well, perhaps a new Fisher, which we certainly could not afford. Which brings me to my point: no matter what we paid for the upgrading, in the end it is a still considerably cheaper than buying a new boat and we know what we've got.

 

[Lucy52]

I rather like old boats, and mine is one, but this one gave me pause for thought. It would have polished up nicely at Earls Court, featured in a glossy magazine and no one would have been any the wiser. Starboard forward quarter, filler and dry laminate from new on the hull deck joint. The owner had previously repaired delamination on the Port side. Modern production boats may have their faults but their quality control is streets ahead.

 

[Hallberg-Rassy]

Does anyone know how long GRP lasts? Appreciate it's a bit of a case-by-case question.