I am in search of a new to me sailboat. This would be my third sailboat. I have run across an Irwin Citation 31. From all my research over the last few weeks, I've read about leaking portlights, chainplates, not being built well, hulls too thin, etc. Yet they are still afloat and people are sailing them all over.
I had hired a surveyor to inspect this boat and on the starboard side around the chainplates, it's soft, perhaps 2 to 2.5 feet area. The port side around the chainplates, about a foot or so is soft and not nearly as bad as the starboard side. Looking at where they are attached on the inside, believe it or not, it was solid testing with a hammer but won't know until removing them for further inspection if I decide to do so. The surveyor stated, " wow, this boat surely shows much better than I thought, but looking good of course does not make it a good boat. All of the hoses on the engine need replacing. The stuffing box needs to be addressed for sure as it is cracking. The boat is well-appointed on the inside and except for an autopilot, it has every other feature I would want on a boat but it has been setting for 1.5 years in the water and not moved since the owner bought another, bigger boat. The engine started up and ran well enough at idle but after about 5 minutes the impeller crapped out so we shut it down.
That was the bad but now the good, IMO. Very clean on the inside, from top to bottom with a little bit of water stain around the chainplates. Sails have lots of life in them, roller furling, lazy jacks, bimini, and sail pack in very good condition. Everything we touched, turned on or started worked well except for the impeller giving up on us.
I have the skills and time to do whatever is necessary with the engine except for the stuffing box. It will surely need a bottom job, but after finding what we did, I decided not to have it hauled out because I wanted to re-negotiate and we are still too far apart but not by much.
Now my questions, I have never performed a deck repair but after looking at youtube, I feel confident in doing that job as well. Has anyone in here ever moved the chainplates to the hull? Can anyone give me any advice besides run away? I do think this boat has potential, it just needs these items addressed. If I do all the work myself, except for the bottom job, 2 grand but doesn't include any repairs of blisters. I feel as though worst case scenario would be spending 5 grand or less including bottom job and still not be upside down in this boat compared to others Irwin 31's on the market nationwide.
Fire away and appreciate any productive comments!
I had hired a surveyor to inspect this boat and on the starboard side around the chainplates, it's soft, perhaps 2 to 2.5 feet area. The port side around the chainplates, about a foot or so is soft and not nearly as bad as the starboard side. Looking at where they are attached on the inside, believe it or not, it was solid testing with a hammer but won't know until removing them for further inspection if I decide to do so. The surveyor stated, " wow, this boat surely shows much better than I thought, but looking good of course does not make it a good boat. All of the hoses on the engine need replacing. The stuffing box needs to be addressed for sure as it is cracking. The boat is well-appointed on the inside and except for an autopilot, it has every other feature I would want on a boat but it has been setting for 1.5 years in the water and not moved since the owner bought another, bigger boat. The engine started up and ran well enough at idle but after about 5 minutes the impeller crapped out so we shut it down.
That was the bad but now the good, IMO. Very clean on the inside, from top to bottom with a little bit of water stain around the chainplates. Sails have lots of life in them, roller furling, lazy jacks, bimini, and sail pack in very good condition. Everything we touched, turned on or started worked well except for the impeller giving up on us.
I have the skills and time to do whatever is necessary with the engine except for the stuffing box. It will surely need a bottom job, but after finding what we did, I decided not to have it hauled out because I wanted to re-negotiate and we are still too far apart but not by much.
Now my questions, I have never performed a deck repair but after looking at youtube, I feel confident in doing that job as well. Has anyone in here ever moved the chainplates to the hull? Can anyone give me any advice besides run away? I do think this boat has potential, it just needs these items addressed. If I do all the work myself, except for the bottom job, 2 grand but doesn't include any repairs of blisters. I feel as though worst case scenario would be spending 5 grand or less including bottom job and still not be upside down in this boat compared to others Irwin 31's on the market nationwide.
Fire away and appreciate any productive comments!
