1980 US 305

[sailing11]

Hey,
Wondering what folks think of the US 305. I’m looking at buying one with a yanmar diesel that looks to be in good shape, quiet, and doesn’t leak oil. I love the headroom (I’m 6’2” and it appear to be 6’4” in a lot of places) and the cabin layout seems nice.

These boats seem to have a convoluted and bad reputation along with the buccaneer boats built by bayliner. I’m not going to race or anything, just looking for a reliable comfortable summer cruiser for the PNW.

Any insights would be appreciated!

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Are you looking at Misty Blue? She is priced pretty high for a 40 year old boat! Perhaps the PNW market dictates higher pricing .... That's the only negative thing I'll say about her. She looks immaculate and comfortable in the ad. Since it appears that you currently sail a Catalina 27, I'll assume that you are aware of the performance differences that you should expect. If the rigging & engine are in good shape, that's a big bonus. Displacement and keel seem to speak about sea-kindliness. What are the electronics? Up to date? What you like? That would play into the price tag. She looks like a pretty good find to me. If she is well-cared for and you are more interested in comfort than performance, I wouldn't worry about the reputation. I don't know what negatives are thrown around. If it's about build quality, then you should be able to form your own opinion. If the negatives are about performance, maybe that's not so meaningful to you. She is worth the interest, I think.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

I'd also be interested in the bottom. I suppose this boat is predisposed to blistering? Has anything been repaired or can you get comfortable that there aren't any expensive bottom issues to address?