Which 50 year old in-shore cruiser?

[doug748]

I'm 8 years old again and back at school! My fault - I let the thread wander away from its original course. And you're not to know my level of awareness of the various issues involved - your advice is well meant. But for any other contributors - please no more survey advice.

Good for you. Old men despair and can get very windy. Do your homework act with common sense and you will be ok. You are not going to make a 50 year old boat into a new one, unless you are that Mads bloke on YouTube, so it is better not to throw unnecessary money at it. An old survey can be very useful, though, as you say not often available.

If your new boat was sailing and motoring last season, then it can usually do the same the following season. Any boat that has been unused for more than a winter can be a project. Avoid projects. Inspect and fettle but spend cash like old Scrooge. Making a boat like new is great if that is what you want to do, but many just want a bit of sailing.

Here is a young bloke with a typical, old, free boat. He sees it, and gets on with it:

He hopes to sail it down to Mexico and probably will.

His first boat was much smaller and similar, he sailed it across the Pacific. His second boat was similar, he sailed it across the Atlantic.

.

 

[PaulGS]

Thank you for the encouragement. Yes, I've come across Sam Sails before - just the sort of viewing that some people don't want me to be influenced by! At the same time I'm careful to avoid 'bikini' channels. The more sober advice I've been receiving isn't completely without merit; it's just that I'll never get on the water if I display as much caution as they advocate.

 

[obmij]

Some good advice from Doug & there is a lot to be said for getting out and doing it. I don't think any of the replies on this thread are trying to stop you from doing that, but you asked for buying advice and that's what you got.

Anyway - buying without a survey is a perfectly reasonable thing to do and obviously it's your call. The dilemma then is whether to view boats in the water or out of the water (I'm assuming you wouldn't want to stump up for a haul in / out for a self inspection) In the water is good for checking systems, weepy keel bolts etc. Out of the water you get to check keel alignment & condition, shaft & prop, anodes and of course the presence or otherwise of blisters. Avoid anything with encapsulated keels if you can't inspect them (that's what did for me with my first boat)

As Doug rightly points out a boat sailing this season is likely to be sailing the next but the presence of any issues will affect the value when you come to sell so hopefully you will have discovered them during the buying process and have taken them into account with your offer. On balance then I would probably go for a boat on the hard if at all possible. If it's covered in pox which you don't know about (but otherwise good enough for you to spend £8k) it'll be used as a stick to beat you with when you come to sell. You also get to antifoul in situ and only have to pay to splash.

Have you looked at any Hunters? A Horizon 232 has a load of space for 2 and with your budget you can get a mid 90's example & 20 years newer is not something to be sniffed at. Some are outboard propelled which is a benefit for some people and reduces engine worries if that's a concern. A 245 is a few grand more but even more space.

I originally suggested a centaur in best possible condition as there are loads around, and if you get a good one they are great! BUT many have issues which if present and you don't catch will lose you half your money, so in your position I would swerve.

 

[fredrussell]

…If your new boat was sailing and motoring last season, then it can usually do the same the following season. Any boat that has been unused for more than a winter can be a project.

Very much agree with that

 

[Adios]

Like insurance and crypto 'investment', a survey is essentially a bet, a bet that you can save more money than the cost of the surveyor. At my price point (under £8k) and armed with Don Casey's "Inspecting the aging sailboat" that's a bet I'm not willing to take!

its not like looking at a house with an estate agent hustling you from room to room. Make a check list and spend a good hour going though it taking notes and you'll be fine.

If you're patient you'll find a boat that when you go you'll just know someone spent an unwise amount of money on it that they'll never get back. I recently passed up on one of these, a bilge keel trident 25, would have been ideal for max 2 people. Very nice boat, about 3x spent on it than it was then worth, just a bit too small for my needs and bit too far for time of year.

 

[PaulGS]

Some good advice from Doug & there is a lot to be said for getting out and doing it. I don't think any of the replies on this thread are trying to stop you from doing that, but you asked for buying advice and that's what you got.

Anyway - buying without a survey is a perfectly reasonable thing to do and obviously it's your call. The dilemma then is whether to view boats in the water or out of the water (I'm assuming you wouldn't want to stump up for a haul in / out for a self inspection) In the water is good for checking systems, weepy keel bolts etc. Out of the water you get to check keel alignment & condition, shaft & prop, anodes and of course the presence or otherwise of blisters. Avoid anything with encapsulated keels if you can't inspect them (that's what did for me with my first boat)

As Doug rightly points out a boat sailing this season is likely to be sailing the next but the presence of any issues will affect the value when you come to sell so hopefully you will have discovered them during the buying process and have taken them into account with your offer. On balance then I would probably go for a boat on the hard if at all possible. If it's covered in pox which you don't know about (but otherwise good enough for you to spend £8k) it'll be used as a stick to beat you with when you come to sell. You also get to antifoul in situ and only have to pay to splash.

Have you looked at any Hunters? A Horizon 232 has a load of space for 2 and with your budget you can get a mid 90's example & 20 years newer is not something to be sniffed at. Some are outboard propelled which is a benefit for some people and reduces engine worries if that's a concern. A 245 is a few grand more but even more space.

I originally suggested a centaur in best possible condition as there are loads around, and if you get a good one they are great! BUT many have issues which if present and you don't catch will lose you half your money, so in your position I would swerve.

Boat definitely has to be seen on the hard! And those splayed Centaur keels . . . . I've only seen them in photos but they look stressed.

 

[Wansworth]

Get in your car witha list of a few airbandb Places and just drive from were ever you are and follow the coast,certainly from the east coast right round to the Bristol Channel there innumerable creeks and small yards where you will maybe find a gem,internet is ok but as my wife says you have to see it upclose?

 

[PaulGS]

Get in your car witha list of a few airbandb Places and just drive from were ever you are and follow the coast,certainly from the east coast right round to the Bristol Channel there innumerable creeks and small yards where you will maybe find a gem,internet is ok but as my wife says you have to see it upclose?

I maywell end updoing something like that . . . . sort of; maybe have a list of boats to look at and viewings booked in. You could spend a fortnight though and still only see a handful.

 

[PaulGS]

Good for you. Old men despair and can get very windy. Do your homework act with common sense and you will be ok. You are not going to make a 50 year old boat into a new one, unless you are that Mads bloke on YouTube, so it is better not to throw unnecessary money at it. An old survey can be very useful, though, as you say not often available.

If your new boat was sailing and motoring last season, then it can usually do the same the following season. Any boat that has been unused for more than a winter can be a project. Avoid projects. Inspect and fettle but spend cash like old Scrooge. Making a boat like new is great if that is what you want to do, but many just want a bit of sailing.

Here is a young bloke with a typical, old, free boat. He sees it, and gets on with it:

He hopes to sail it down to Mexico and probably will.

His first boat was much smaller and similar, he sailed it across the Pacific. His second boat was similar, he sailed it across the Atlantic.


My reply below . . . .

 

[europe172]

[QUOTEnice Hurley for sale on Facebook

[/QUOTE]

 

[Supertramp]

Boat definitely has to be seen on the hard! And those splayed Centaur keels . . . . I've only seen them in photos but they look stressed.

Don't over worry Centaur keels. If the hull keel join is OK and the bolts are not weeping then it's probably been looked after and will do another few decades.

More to the point is whether you want (need) twin keels.

I agree with what others have said about buying a boat in commission with everything working. You may be able to get a floating boat lifted to inspect the bottom.

 

[PaulGS]

[QUOTEView attachment 148378View attachment 148378nice Hurley for sale on Facebook

[/QUOTE]
Engine compartment reminds me of last night's spag bol!

 

[europe172]

Engine compartment reminds me of last night's spag bol!
[/QUOTE]
Lot of boat for the money with a recent survey

 

[Adios]

Get in your car witha list of a few airbandb Places and just drive from were ever you are and follow the coast,certainly from the east coast right round to the Bristol Channel there innumerable creeks and small yards where you will maybe find a gem,internet is ok but as my wife says you have to see it upclose?

I did similar when I was buying boats in Holland to sell in England (1.5 euros to a pound days). I realised that if it was a proper bargain it would have sold before it got on botentekoop. Free adds in local papers might have been good but i struggled with language with the older sellers i called, so i drove from broker to broker looking at what had just come in. Got some very nice deals that way.

I'm not sure it would work looking in yards and creeks though. You might get super lucky and hear of someone thinking of selling up but mostly that sort of place would be good for finding semi-abandoned boats that a declining into being projects. Someone who loved their boat would more likely sell it via a broker or advertise it themselves.

 

[PaulGS]

Just to belatedly round this thread off: last summer I bought a wonderfully cheap fin keel Sabre 27 without a survey (I had sight of one from 2020) - and there have been no problems!