Needed American Mariner 8.0 Info.

Status
Not open for further replies.
mklein@iowatelecom.net

mklein@iowatelecom.net

.
Dec 27, 2009
82
Clipper Mariner - Mac 25 -Bayliner and 4 kayaks 21 Clipper & 25 Macgregor & 19 Bayliner classic Red Rock Lake IA
I have an opportunity to buy an American Mariner 8.0 sail boat. So far I cannot find much information about it. What good features as well as bad features does she have? How much is she worth with no sails or motor? Has been sitting for about 10 years outof the water. What specifically should I look for? Anybody have any literature, owners guide, or good interior photos?
Thanks, Mark
 
BobM

BobM

.
Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
http://members.cox.net/sholley1/ is an owners page. Seems like it would be a very roomy boat for a lake, but perhaps not very seaworthy. My old L25 had a similar design to this, where head room is gained by walking down a trench in the sole floor where the keel stub is. Helps, but really not as comfortable as having headroom throughout or a pop-top.
 
BobM

BobM

.
Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Regarding worth...with no sails or motor and a crappy trailer free sounds like the right price to me if she is neglected. If there is no trailer he should probably be paying you LOL.

If the trailer is serviceable I might go $1000 (basically whatever the trailer is worth to you, as you will need one and they are tough to find). If she isn't full of water and the cushions were kept inside and are serviceable perhaps a little higher.
 
BobM

BobM

.
Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
http://www.sailingtexas.com/samerican26100.html has photos of an American 26, which is probably an 8.0 using the non-metric designation. The trailer is pretty heavy duty for this boat. You can see he was asking $5900 for a boat that had the hull restored and was selling with sails and a ten year old, but serviceable outboard.

If you back calculate from that and knock of the $1000 for a new suit of sails and $800 for a used long shaft outboard and consider the condition of the boat you are looking at that might help you put a value on it. Note that the ad in question expired and it isn't clear the boat sold at this price. The owner apparently gave up during the restoration of the interior and before painting the decks.
 
richk

richk

.
Jan 24, 2007
495
Marlow-Hunter 37 Deep Creek off the Magothy River off ChesBay
mklein@iowatelecom.net said:
I have an opportunity to buy an American Mariner 8.0 sail boat. So far I cannot find much information about it. What good features as well as bad features does she have? How much is she worth with no sails or motor? Has been sitting for about 10 years outof the water. What specifically should I look for? Anybody have any literature, owners guide, or good interior photos?
Thanks, Mark
Click to expand
An American was the first boat we had. As an introductory boat it was great; we learned a lot.

Positives: tons of room down below, an approx 2 ft draft will let you get up close and personal to many shores

Negatives: very tender, very heavy for a 26 footer, rudder gudgeon tends to pop of the transom pintle when rudder bottoms out (personal experience.)

What's it worth? Whatever deal you and the owner agree to. I'd be leary of going above $2K for it, boat w/o trailer. I paid $4500 in 1998 for boat, motor, trailer and was told by friends it was too much.

I ended up donating the boat (no one wanted to buy it...I advertised locally and in DelMarVa region.) I kept the trailer and made $500 on it...trailer was more valuable than the boat.

Be careful about the trailer; look for no rust near welds and good tires (street legal ones, not car/pickup truck ones that fit.) These are all bargaining points, but make sure the trailer itself is sound...last thing you want is for it to fracture during a haul to the water.

Sails won't come cheap, at least new ones. Check out bacons.com.

Any more questions....email me through this site.

We truly loved our American. We could entertain or bore a crowd for hours with stories about lessons learned and challenges overcome!

Rich in a snowy Annapolis
 
Sumner

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
BobM said:
http://www.sailingtexas.com/samerican26100.html has photos of an American 26, which is probably an 8.0 using the non-metric designation. The trailer is pretty heavy duty for this boat. You can see he was asking $5900 for a boat that had the hull restored and was selling with sails and a ten year old, but serviceable outboard.

If you back calculate from that and knock of the $1000 for a new suit of sails and $800 for a used long shaft outboard and consider the condition of the boat you are looking at that might help you put a value on it. Note that the ad in question expired and it isn't clear the boat sold at this price. The owner apparently gave up during the restoration of the interior and before painting the decks.
Click to expand
Nice looking boat, but would require a steep ramp and/or a tongue extension or to get it down and into the water with the fixed keel. Heavier than I would want for how far we tow. Might be the right boat for the right person.

I think the most enduring feature of our Mac is the combination of enough room inside for the two of us to go out for a month or more, she sails nice and was easy to learn on, she tows easy which allows us to comfortably pull her any place in America and beyond easily. The last feature we would not want to give up, but if you are going to sail close to home most of the time the towing part is not quite as important.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Bottom