Verl 790

[ozdreamer]

Hi. My husband and I are quite new to boating and are looking at buying a small cruiser to improve on. We've come across a 1980 Verl 790 for sale locally. Is anyone familiar with this boat? It's 26 ft. Would this be a reasonable size for 2 persons with only a few months of skills?! Boat has had a recent survey, which has picked up few defects - some stanchions need replacing and some cosmetic work. Asking price is about £7k. Is this reasonable..?
Sorry for all the questions.

 

[rob2]

I would say yes, with a few reservations. If you like the boat and feel comfortable on it, then it'll give you that experience. Don't be afraid to invite experienced skippers and crew to join you - watch what they do that works and discard what doesn't. Just because you have a boat, don't hesitate to accept the odd day out or even cruise with a skipper you rate. A good skipper will tell you what he expects of you and explain why, or show you how to do it. Just remember to be considerate to others and you can justify expecting them to return the compliment.

Good luck.

 

[sarabande]

welcome to the forum. Would it be worth posting a few more of the survey problems ? just in case someone with direct experience can advise orsave you some heart or wallet ache ?

Also, a few details on your bio page would be appreciated. No need for a life story, though !

 

[underdog]

I owned a Verl 790" Shanty" for 5 years.I found her to be a good compromise boat between performance and comfort. Plenty of room down below.Very easy to sail short handed. The price of £ 7000 seems to be about right for this class of boat. The only problem I found was that the seal between the anchor locker and the cabin was suspect. If fitted with Volvo sail drive check the age of the seal as this has to be renewed every 7 years.
I eventually sold the boat as I was more interested in racing than cruising and bought an out and out racing boat.None the less the performance was adequate for club racing and at the Scottish series when I had good fun sailing against Ruffian 23's and Trapper 300'S.

 

[ozdreamer]

Thank you all for your feedback. We had a look at the boat but weren't able to see a copy of the actual survey or take it for a sail.. so we've decided to leave it, get a bit more training and then revisit the boat buying in another year's time (or until we see another one we like!)