Hi all,
My wife and I are relatively new sailors, with a couple of years of instruction under our belts, living in New England. We've fallen in love with sailing, and are looking for our first sailboat, with a few criteria:
We've been searching for a few months, and we're getting close with what we think may be the right boat: a 1967 Columbia 26, moored in Maine, on her second owner, fairly well maintained, and actively sailed. We looked at her in person last weekend; this is the video of my walkthrough:
We have put down a small, refundable deposit to hold her through the end of the month. We're having her short hauled and inspected by a surveyor next week.
Asking price is $7,500. According to her owner, the following has been done, and all records are available:
• 2010: Yamaha 9.9hp, 4-stroke, long shaft OB engine (less than 80 hours)
• 2015: new fuller
• 2016: new sails (Main + Genoa), dodger, sail + tiller covers
• 2017: rigged for single-handing
• 2019: new battery, new radio, new wiring, installed bilge pump
• 2020: new cushion covers
Full listing here: Perfect First Sailboat: Columbia 26 Sloop
I noticed and asked about the stanchions, which need to be rebedded; that's happening on Saturday, on the owner's dime. The gelcoat has some cracks, but they've been evaluated by the current owner's maintenance guy as superficial; I'll be asking the surveyor to back that up, and evaluating cost to have it professionally resolved. The brightwork needs attention, as well, but I am comfortable doing so myself as a hobbyist woodworker/cabinetmaker.
Am I missing anything? Anything to evaluate that I haven't thought of, or should be scared off by? Thanks, all!
My wife and I are relatively new sailors, with a couple of years of instruction under our belts, living in New England. We've fallen in love with sailing, and are looking for our first sailboat, with a few criteria:
- Small enough to single-hand / manage with just the two of us
- Comparatively simple -- I'm fairly technical, but we'd rather not inherit a systems-heavy boat initially
- Under $10k, if possible, to leave budget for upgrades, maintenance, mooring, and storage as needed
- Ready to sail, ideally with an owner who actively does so
We've been searching for a few months, and we're getting close with what we think may be the right boat: a 1967 Columbia 26, moored in Maine, on her second owner, fairly well maintained, and actively sailed. We looked at her in person last weekend; this is the video of my walkthrough:
We have put down a small, refundable deposit to hold her through the end of the month. We're having her short hauled and inspected by a surveyor next week.
Asking price is $7,500. According to her owner, the following has been done, and all records are available:
• 2010: Yamaha 9.9hp, 4-stroke, long shaft OB engine (less than 80 hours)
• 2015: new fuller
• 2016: new sails (Main + Genoa), dodger, sail + tiller covers
• 2017: rigged for single-handing
• 2019: new battery, new radio, new wiring, installed bilge pump
• 2020: new cushion covers
Full listing here: Perfect First Sailboat: Columbia 26 Sloop
I noticed and asked about the stanchions, which need to be rebedded; that's happening on Saturday, on the owner's dime. The gelcoat has some cracks, but they've been evaluated by the current owner's maintenance guy as superficial; I'll be asking the surveyor to back that up, and evaluating cost to have it professionally resolved. The brightwork needs attention, as well, but I am comfortable doing so myself as a hobbyist woodworker/cabinetmaker.
Am I missing anything? Anything to evaluate that I haven't thought of, or should be scared off by? Thanks, all!
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