To buy or not to buy: neglected Catalina 27

[Sailorpants]

Hey Sailors,
I'm new to sailing with only a few lessons and a few more hours logged, But have wanted to sail as long as I can remember. I've recently taken on a contract working on an island, and commuting from the city daily, not too bad really, (a short bus ride and quick ferry,) but after six long days a week, I often dread the trip. As a cheap solution I was offered a couple of boats to use as floating bedrooms. One not worth mentioning, another, a rather neglected Catalina 27, seems a bit more viable. Then a third option surfaced, a 26 foot Reinell, and now I'm a bit confused. My dream of taking to the sea has firmly taken hold and now I want a project boat that I can get out of the marina and properly learn to sail. The asking price for the Reinell and the Catalina are both around $1200 CAD. The Reinell seems to be in better condition and is offered with a generator and dinghy, but needs a motor, offered from a different seller for $300 plus installation. I've done a bit of snooping online and it seems that the Catalina is a more desirable boat, but while the hull and deck seem to be sound, this one is missing batteries, needs a new throttle lever, and a gate valve in the head and the mast has fallen. Are either of these worth the time and money as a first hobby sailboat?
Opinions and info are welcome from all.
Thanks!

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I would run from both - early Reinell's did not sail well (they motor fast for a sailboat tho) - and only sold to people who knew nothing of sailing. With a "fallen" mast the Catalina would not b a good buy (and gate valve are a bad idea in a boat) - does the 27 even have a holding tank?? early models were direct discharge.

 

[Meriachee]

30 seconds on Kijiji revealed one in Nanaimo and one in Victoria. Both are more money, but considering what you're going to spend on refurbishing the 1200 dock princesses, you might want to up the bar just a bit. Just sayin'.

 

[Sailorpants]

I would run from both - early Reinell's did not sail well (they motor fast for a sailboat tho) - and only sold to people who knew nothing of sailing. With a "fallen" mast the Catalina would not b a good buy (and gate valve are a bad idea in a boat) - does the 27 even have a holding tank?? early models were direct discharge.

Thanks for the response! I don't know the model year, but there is a holding tank. I've now been approached with a Ranger 23 on offer for $6500. It's a bit over my intended budget to buy, but looks in great shape and will likely cost less in repairs/restorations...

 

[rgranger]

I've bought and sold a few boat in my days. For $6K you can find a boat that might need some bleach and a few cushions replaced but otherwise in very good condition with a few electronic toys to boot. You are kind of in a remote spot but look on eBay Craigs List and sailboatlistings.com

If you can expand your search to Seattle, WA ... I found 61 sailboats for sale under $6K and over 25ft long using Sailboatlistings.com. You can limit by state, price and length.


Here are a few in Vancouver on Craigs List...

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/boa/6015190077.html
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/boa/6004143158.html
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/boa/5968210734.html
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/pml/boa/6010992429.html
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/boa/6013286491.html
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/boa/5972878885.html .... catalina 27
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/boa/6005670500.html

You get the idea.... I found about 50 sailboats on Craigs List in the Vancouver area ... all under $5K.... many in the $2K - $3K range. The link in red above is a Catalina 27.... ready to go listed for $4900. Probaly means you can get it for $4K. None of them have a "fallen mast". A new mast will cost you $2K .... so I'd just walk away from that. You would still have to pay someone to install it, and run all of the rigging. You would be in at $10K before you could go sailing. For $10K you could buy a really well laid out, and provisioned boat. The dream can bite you but you really can find a fantastic boat, ready to move in (as a floating bed) and ready to sail today for less than $4K.

Don't forget to check out eBay also. And then negotiate the price a little. Once you find a good deal, come back here and ask current owners of that model what to look for.

Happy hunting,

r

 

[shemandr]

Thanks for the response! I don't know the model year, but there is a holding tank. I've now been approached with a Ranger 23 on offer for $6500. It's a bit over my intended budget to buy, but looks in great shape and will likely cost less in repairs/restorations...

Ranger 23 is one of my favorite boats. $6500 is way too high. Offer him $3000 and walk if he doesn't accept. $3000 is generous.

 

[rgranger]

Ranger 23 is one of my favorite boats. $6500 is way too high. Offer him $3000 and walk if he doesn't accept. $3000 is generous.

shemander has the right idea.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I found the V berth in the Catalina 27 to be rather small and I have spent a lot time on one. They sail well and they are good boats. You will have to be concerned with a lot of issues on older boats too.

How old is the rigging?
Does the deck have de-lamination and moisture in it? Check by the Chain Plate especially
What shape are the sails in?
What type of engine do you have in it and what shape is this in?
With a Catalina 27, Does it have the Catalina smile, blisters, and a birdbath where the mast step is located?

There are a lot of considerations. You also need to determine what your goals with your first boat before you buy one. Do you want to spend the night at the dock or at anchor? How long are the cruises that you want to take?

My Compac 23 is tough boat, I can haul it on a trailer, and it has a big V-berth. Still, it doesn't have a separate enclosed head and other features that I find desirable. It is a compromise of a lot of things and it works for me, now.

Find someone with a little experience to go with you when you look at boats. Look at a lot of them before you make an offer too.

 

[Sailorpants]

Thanks so much to all for the quick replies, this is very helpful. I have been watching some sites like kijiji but don't really know enough to identify which ads are worth scoping out. These boats mentioned are just offers that have come to me as people in the small island community find out that I am considering such a purchase. I'll definitely expand my search and keep checking in here for more advice. Thanks for the time!

 

[Meriachee]

I have been watching some sites like kijiji but don't really know enough to identify which ads are worth scoping out.

Costs nothing to go look at them. Scope two or three and you'll quickly get an ideas of what's good and not - you're 1/2 way there with a price range in your back pocket.

 

[Skipperdan]

I got a Catalina 26 and a Cal 26 for free. The Catalina had a brand new 9.9 merc. Keep looking. Keep in mind the owners are paying a dock fee or a lot fee so each month they keep it, it costs them money most of the time.

Dan

 

[Scott T-Bird]

We seem to be having this discussion quite often. You may have to adjust your mindset just a little. A boat with a low purchase price will usually be your most expensive option. The clean boat that is ready to sail and has been well-maintained will be, by far, your most economical purchase, even at double the purchase price of the fixer-upper. Without a doubt, it is far more likely to throw good money after bad when you are looking at boats at the lowest end of the range for that particular model. If you were to find a Catalina 27 that was fairly priced at, say $10,000, it is far more likely to be a better deal than your option at $1,200. (That's a price that looks like a windfall to the owner, and not so bad that you would probably just have to shrug it off as a bad decision - that price is in the giveaway range, where the seller is just looking to "give" you his problem) Without even looking at a photo of the boat, I would speculate that it is really ready for the dumpster but the owner just hasn't admitted it yet. The mast is fallen? That's going to do you no good and I would immediately guess that it would take at least $10,000 to replace necessary components, and you will still be faced with bad problems that you haven't seen yet.

 

[Jackdaw]

All boats need a certain amount of STUFF to sail.

Cheap used boats are cheap because they need a lot of STUFF. STUFF broken or missing. This STUFF you will buy new at a high price.

Good used boats cost more but you will need to buy less STUFF, because they have good STUFF that you are buying used. The end-game cost is ALWAYS less.

If you think you are getting a boat that somehow does not conform to this, re-read it.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Costs nothing to go look at them.

Good advice.

Here's what to look for:

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/boat-inspection-trip-tips.102541/

A tad more intensive than buying a used car, but if you really want to sail, and not just sit and/or work on it, then do some homework and prepare to spend some time.

Also, look up "project boat" on this or any other boasting website and find out why the guys are telling you to avoid the clunkers.

Good luck.

 

[Captn Scotty]

I love that little spencer boat that ranger posted, and it's just up in Squamish, only 20 miles away! Those babys were well built and worth the investment if it hasn't been horribly neglected, but you'll still need to give it a thorough inspection with a phenolic hamer. don't take on someone's junk when there's lots of good boats out there for dirt cheap. You've just got to seach a little harder! Good luck!!

 

[Skipperdan]

You really just need a place to stay from your first post. So start there. If it floats your half way there. You can always upgrade to a better boat. Just like everyone says EVERY boat needs stuff. So if you buy a boat just out of your price range your not much better off. It does not take much money to gut out a boat and make a nice apartment. Slap an outboard on it and you can get around. If it sails great. Now you know what you might like in your next boat and start the search process. You have next to nothing in your (Appartment) and it tells you it is too small or too narrow or just right. So go from there and find something you like. Although not everyone can do all things on a boat most is just regular carpentry work. I am redoing a boat I just bought and had to gut it out, I have less than $500.00 in the retro fit and I can make it like I want it. Keep it Simple.
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/mi-amor-restoration.183262/ of course I am a different person. I would rather buy very low and put the $10,000 in it and Know what I have than buy something expensive and start adding things. Kinda a reverse mortgage.

Dan

 

[jssailem]

snooping online

SailorPants... you are doing value research not snooping. It is a common misconception.

 

[wsmac]

Having already created a post similar to this well before you... I qualify as an Internet Expert on the subject.... HEED MY POSTS!
.
I have to say though... rgranger is trying to sell you all the boats he originally tried to sell me! I feel so betrayed!
(edited to add that I'm in error... I'm not sure rgranger offered any boats like the list they gave you... but I did get a similar list from jssailem... now... if HE offers you the same I WILL feel betrayed! hahaha)
(I am easily confused at times on these forums.... )
.
In interest of learning off your experiences while I continue on my search... I'll ask these questions...
.
Since you only need a place to stay on the island for convenience... if you bought a cheap boat you could live on comfortably for that time... do you think you could sell it quickly (even at a bit of a loss) once the job is over?
.
If you only need sleeping/living accommodations... plus... you want an opportunity to sail on your 1 day off (sounds like a fun schedule.... not!), would you do better for now to get into a floating bedroom cheap and find yourself something like a 15' sailboat or cat so you can have fun sailing when the opportunity presents itself?
Just figuring you can get the best of both worlds while staying in your price range... all the while, scouring the marinas, the internet, for THE boat you feel could take you out on the voyages you are currently dreaming about.
.
For those who have been aiding and abetting me on my posts... SEE? I'M LEARNING! LOL

 

[Meriachee]

The last time we wandered the docks while waiting on the ferry at Bowen suggests that there are a number of floating bedrooms available.

 

[Captn Scotty]

Go look at the spencer, it's -2 at night right now and that baby has a diesel heater, all the gear you need, and a yanmar diesel in a 31ft boat! You can cruise anywhere on the coast with her