Ready to sail or fixer upper?

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Nunfa1

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Hello again.
Following on my first thread on here, where I learned lots of useful information regarding buying our first boat, it seems to boil down to a choice.
Do we buy something that is ready to sail and just needs a bit of clean and tidy up down below, or go for a fixer upper at potentially half the money?
I appreciate that we are talking about the budget end of the market here. The figures work out at about £2k-£2.5k for a ready to sail and £1k-£1.5k for a fixer upper.
So, what would you do? I realise there a lot of variables, especially for the fixer upper, how much could be achieved for £1k so get something ready to sail?
Thanks for any advice offered.
 
I'm sure that many will ask the same as me; what's needed on the fixer upper, and which one would you feel better about on the water, for the longer term?
To spend £1k can be VERY swiftly achieved, but it's got to be done from the heart as well, hasn't it?
 
Ready to sail deffo. I bought a ready to sail just over a year ago, its just ready to launch now. If I'd bought a fixer upper I'd still be working on it next year.
 
jamie N said:
I'm sure that many will ask the same as me; what's needed on the fixer upper, and which one would you feel better about on the water, for the longer term?
To spend £1k can be VERY swiftly achieved, but it's got to be done from the heart as well, hasn't it?
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It's hypothetical at the moment. What work would make you think it was worth while and what jobs would make you steer well clear?
 
What I have done recently is to buy a boat which I can sail straight away, but which requires a fair bit of work. However by using it before I do any work on it I am able to clarify my ideas about what needs done.
 
Romeo said:
What I have done recently is to buy a boat which I can sail straight away, but which requires a fair bit of work. However by using it before I do any work on it I am able to clarify my ideas about what needs done.
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Make sure that the key systems work and can be trusted - so things like will the mast stay up, are the sails the right shape still, is the engine showing signs of love and affection. Do the basic instruments work. ( compass, Log, echosounder) is the hull watertight and not too scruffy. Is the basic interior sound and useable - e.g. safe gas system - serviceable mattresses to sleep on.

If so buy it and enjoy it for this season then spend over the winter when you know what annoys you and what isn't safe.
 
Almost every second hand boat will be something of a "fixer-upper". If you pay £1500 for something that can't be used without work, then £1000.00 won't go far. Rigging, sails and/or engine problems can make that sort of dent in your plans, even if you are doing work yourself. Plywood, paint and epoxy are fairly cheap, but even cushion covers can make a dent in that sort of budget.
 
Buy the boat where the previous owners has fixed all the expensive bits. He won't get much of that cost back in a higher sale price, but you will avoid a lot of imminent cost. Unless you LIKE fixing things, buy a boat that is in good order.
 
The fixer-upper will cost you a lot more money in the long run.

The ready to sail boat will have enough go wrong over the next few years to satisfy all but the most hard core handyman.
 
Be very wary of the cost of sails; those on secondhand boats will very likely be sha**ed, and new ones cost a good £500 each on average, for a 22' boat - and I'm told I am out of touch with prices...

Also standing rigging will set you back another £500, some insurers insist on replacing this every 10 years.

Only go for the project fixer - upper if you enjoy working on boats and don't plan to sail soon - a lot of people do this and have a good time at it, but it is NOT a money saving exercise !

Just be sure which category you fall into, and remember whatever you decide it's supposed to be fun.
 
as everyone has said - be wary of fixer uppers. All you need to do is go into a chandlery and start adding up the cost of say 40ft of rope for a halyard, some blocks, some decent mooring ropes, a few decent fenders which aren't knackered and some fixings and you have spent a couple of hundred quid - and that's before you start.

Boat jumbles will halve the cost of the above but it is very very easy to spend £500 on a few bits of string and nothing substantial so a few bits here and there will immediately double the cost of the boat. And as Seajet et al mention - cost the bigger bits and it gets v expensive relatively.

So I'd go for one in the best nick you can find and start enjoying the process of fettling to your needs/standards.

Also I find our boat (which is in good nick) full of stuff to improve - if I bought something in a really bad state I don't think I could cope with looking at it - for me it is about sailing and being on the boat, not sat in a boatyard endlessly sawing - but that's a personal thing
 
If the fixer-upper has good sails and only needs cosmetic work then go for that. Cheaper than a boat in good condition that needs new sails.

My boat had been lying for 4 years, but the sails had been reasonably stored and out of 6 sails I got with the boat only one, the no1 genoa actually needs replaced. In saying that, its perfectly serviceable for cruising.

We had to strip all old paint from the hull and keel, undercoat and re-paint. Decks were sanded and new anti-slip and gloss paint. Some new sheets, halyards, and the interior tidied up and I reckon it will stand us 2K max. And it will be in as good as if not better condition than an average boat from the same year. Boat in question is a Hunter 701 which I quite like.
 
You have all made some excellent points.
The fixer upper looks to be out of the question, having viewed it today the cabins need a big clean, not too much of an issue, but there is no mainsail. It has been out of the water since 2006 so the engine is probably seized, the was no movement from the flywheel for a start.
The ready to sail is looking promising, a Kingfisher 20 with lots of new kit, just needs a freshen up inside.
 
JumbleDuck said:
Beware of ready to sail boats as well, because they are probably fixer-uppers too ...
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All boats are fixer- uppers to some extent, even after a single season a new boat will need stuff fixing. We are forever fixing stuff and spending money, and I wouldn't expect to see much impact from that on the value of the boat were we to try to sell her. As a buyer always go for the best maintained boat you can find.
 
So, we were all set to go with the Kingfisher. I ring our local boatyard to enquire about a mooring and during the conversation he says he has a boat for sail that might suit us.
Anyone know what this is?
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No%20regrets%20002_zpsmxlmkarz.jpg


No keys yet so can't get inside but it has a 2 stroke Lister diesel inboard.
 
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Nunfa1 said:
So, we were all set to go with the Kingfisher. I ring our local boatyard to enquire about a mooring and during the conversation he says he has a boat for sail that might suit us.
Anyone know what this is?

No keys yet so can't get inside but it has a 2 stroke Lister diesel inboard.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what the boat is, but it's unlikely that there is a 2-stroke diesel in it. 2 cylinder maybe?
 
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