considering an 87 272; first sailboat

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richard holt

I'm looking at an 87 272 w/ wheel, 10 hp westerbeke(372 hrs) with what appears to be the standard package. the boat shows signs of cabin leakage like stains on wall coverings and needs some cleaning. i noticed that most of the deck plates and hull fittings were heavily caulked so the previous owner must have been dealing with this. the bottom is heavily painted and needs to be cleaned and repainted. i haven't met the owner cause its being sold by a broker who took it on trade. theyre offering it for $14,000 including $1000 for a trade on my old beatup larson runabout (which is a hassle to sell). question is: does this model have a reputation for this type of leakage, is it a problem and is this a fair price? Is there anything else I should know! Thanks to anyone who can help.
 
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web

272

Richard - Nada quotes an average retail of $16k with a low of $12.5. This puts you at the lower end of the price range. On the other hand, its tough to tell what's really going on with that boat from the details you've provided. If you decide this is the right model boat for you, its sounds like its worth negotiating a contract and having a survey performed - I wouldn't want to touch any boat without the survey. Others may disagree but I think at a couple of hundred bucks its cheap insurance. That said - all boats leak at some point and whether or not its a problem really depends on how it was dealt with by the previous owners. If they were just squirting stuff around the fittings to try to stop the leaks, there was likely penetration in the core. If they were rebedding things then there may not be an issue. This is the purpose of the survey. The 272 is a good boat. I looked at one as a potential purchase a few weeks ago but it was sold before I could get my act together on it. Owners report generally good experiences with them. I think its pretty good looking to boot. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
 
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Thomas Ehmke

Richard-272 purchase

Richard, A couple of suggestions. First, go to ODO Home and go to Boat Reviews. Both the 272 and 272LE are reviewed there, and there are also lists of owners who may be able to help. Second, take Justin's advice and have a survey done. I own an '86 272 and have had small leaks at stanchions and at the fastening points of the head sail track, but I removed, caulked and refitted the guilty bolts and everything is ok now. This boat doesn't have a reputation as a leaky boat. It is well-built and, if well-maintained, certainly worthy of your consideration. I wonder if the boat has been raced? I don't picture the 272 as a competitive racer, but I know some folks who race against other 272's in their areas. Just a thought-- which occurred when you stated that the hull (deck?) fittings had been caulked. Sometimes the strain of tensioning shrouds and stays causes this kind of problem. When you state that the deck plates and hull fittings are heavily caulked, does that mean that caulking was applied around the fittings or that they were bedded in caulking? Do the stains on the cabin fabric look fresh? Or are they damp? As far as the bottom goes, you may have some work ahead of you if the paint is thickly coated. If it were me making the purchase I would strip the paint and start over again. That way I would be able to inspect the bottom and know what the it looks like. Then I could decide what bottom paint to use for my own peace of mind. Again, take a look at the reviews. If you have other questions, you can e-mail me at home. My name is on the owner's list for the 272. Tom Ehmke
 
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Bob

272 Purchase

Hi Richard, I purchased my 1987 272LE last August. I went through this thing from one end to the other, inside and out. If I had come across anything that looked out of the ordinary, I would have gotten a survey. However, unless you have some experience in boat construction or restoration, I would highly recommend a "Buyer's Survey". There is a tremendous difference in cost between a buyer's survey and an insurance/mortgage survey, usually 50% less. The difference is that the buyer's survey is for YOUR peace of mind, not the insurance/mortgage companies and carries no liability. As for the boat itself, I love mine. Handles nicely and looks good at the dock to boot. One thing to check on these boats is to ensure the chainplates have not buckled the bulkheads. Owners had a tendancy to overstress the rig on these things. There is a repair for this so it is not a terminal problem. However, it would play to your advantage in negotiating. Hope this helps. Good luck. Cheers, Bob
 
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Barry Barnett

O'Day 272 Leaks

I own a very dry 1987 O'Day 272. Here are the leak points outside of the stuffing box: 1) rub rails will trap and carry water along the hull-to-deck joint. The water enters past the screws along this joint. Then depending on the attidute of the boat, water will enter at the low points. A thin line of caulk along the top of the rub rail will completely eliminate water intrusion. 2) Stanchions require re-bedding (so do most external fittings) every few years. You need a gasket for the stanchions. Sheets can be purchased from any auto parts store. This was recommended by O'Day for this boat. 3) side port lights (windows) need removed and caulked likje any other fitting. Tip: Use dental floss with a sawing type motion to remove stuborn installed fittings. Have fun, it's a great boat.
 
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