OK. Let me start by stating Im looking to buy my first sailboat, a 1982 Hunter 27. The survey and sea trial were done today. Everything was looking good until the surveyor sounded the decking just foward of the mast. His survey revealed damage to the core on the cabin top foward of the mast for about 2-3 feet. The damage apparently tappers down the cabin top on both sides and goes back to about 1-2 feet aft of the mast. The surveyor said this could be a major problem in 3-4 years but is repairable. He suggested the obvious which is to use the information to renegotiate the selling price. My question goes a little farther; should I even consider buying this boat? I need advice.....
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R.W.Landau
Your thoughts
Joe, Are you a person that would tackle the job your self? Are you buying the boat due to the low price? Do you have the money to have the repair done? Are you afraid of this boat? Mull these questions over for a while and you will have an answer. There are alot of boats out there. good luck on your boat buying. r.w.landau
Joe, Are you a person that would tackle the job your self? Are you buying the boat due to the low price? Do you have the money to have the repair done? Are you afraid of this boat? Mull these questions over for a while and you will have an answer. There are alot of boats out there. good luck on your boat buying. r.w.landau
Unless they are going to fix it.....
Joe: Unless they are going to fix it or give you the boat for something less than the market value and an adjustment for the repairs, why would you even consider it. There are plenty of boats on the market. The last thing you need to do is get into something like this. If you have a significant other, you should not even consider something like this. This gets the whole deal off on a bad footing..... (why are you spending so much money on that frickin' boat. I could have had a new kitchen......). Either have the owner repair the problem/problems or find something that check out AOK! Being a newbee, you don't need these kind of problems. This is just my opinion (and maybe my better others words)!
Joe: Unless they are going to fix it or give you the boat for something less than the market value and an adjustment for the repairs, why would you even consider it. There are plenty of boats on the market. The last thing you need to do is get into something like this. If you have a significant other, you should not even consider something like this. This gets the whole deal off on a bad footing..... (why are you spending so much money on that frickin' boat. I could have had a new kitchen......). Either have the owner repair the problem/problems or find something that check out AOK! Being a newbee, you don't need these kind of problems. This is just my opinion (and maybe my better others words)!
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Bill
Core
If the boat is otherwise in great condition, I would negotiate with the owner to have it fixed and then throw in a little extra and have the whole deck painted if it needs it since th eboat will be in the shop.. I would not be afraid of buying a boat if was repaired correctly. There is nothing wrong with walking away from a deal but you are the one who has to make the final decision.
If the boat is otherwise in great condition, I would negotiate with the owner to have it fixed and then throw in a little extra and have the whole deck painted if it needs it since th eboat will be in the shop.. I would not be afraid of buying a boat if was repaired correctly. There is nothing wrong with walking away from a deal but you are the one who has to make the final decision.
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Ray Bowles
Joe, my wife put it in prespective for me....
.."are you buying a boat to sail or fix? It damn sure better be to sail or suited for you to live aboard." Enough said for my decision.
.."are you buying a boat to sail or fix? It damn sure better be to sail or suited for you to live aboard." Enough said for my decision.
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Melody Miller
Don't Even go There
Hi Joe: There are wayyyy too many boats out there for you to seriously consider this one. Just because a boat can be fixed, doesn't mean you should own it. Keep looking. Melody
Hi Joe: There are wayyyy too many boats out there for you to seriously consider this one. Just because a boat can be fixed, doesn't mean you should own it. Keep looking. Melody
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Ed Schenck
On the other hand. . . .
and from experience, you will have a difficult time finding a boat in that size and price range with NO moisture content. Some surveyors seem to have moisture meters that are more sensitive than others. A boat I looked at failed the moisture test. Someone else bought that boat and has been sailing it for three years without any maintenance. But also from experience, it really is more fun to sail than to do fiberglass work.
and from experience, you will have a difficult time finding a boat in that size and price range with NO moisture content. Some surveyors seem to have moisture meters that are more sensitive than others. A boat I looked at failed the moisture test. Someone else bought that boat and has been sailing it for three years without any maintenance. But also from experience, it really is more fun to sail than to do fiberglass work.
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Steve W.
based on your despcription, it sounds like a huge
area to repair..."forward of the mast 2-3 feet then tapering down both sides to behind the mast" Wow! I guess anything can be fixed, but this sounds like a many thousand dollar repair. I would pass, regardless of the price concessions, and condsider the survey money well spent in avoiding a big headache and lots of worry. Sooner or later, someone is going to have to deal with that repair and the costs...do you really want that grief? Good Luck in your search.
area to repair..."forward of the mast 2-3 feet then tapering down both sides to behind the mast" Wow! I guess anything can be fixed, but this sounds like a many thousand dollar repair. I would pass, regardless of the price concessions, and condsider the survey money well spent in avoiding a big headache and lots of worry. Sooner or later, someone is going to have to deal with that repair and the costs...do you really want that grief? Good Luck in your search.
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LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners
Depends on your committment level
As someone else asked, are you a DIY type, do you have the $$ for the project, etc. Once that repair is made, it sounds like that boat will be really really sound. Perhaps the seller would be willing to have the repair made and slightly INCREASE the price?? Sounds strange but as someone else stated, you'll be hard pressed to find a boat of that age without moisture/coring problems. If the seller fixes the problem, you'll have a boat WORTH more than others. Just a thought - probably crazy! LaDonna
As someone else asked, are you a DIY type, do you have the $$ for the project, etc. Once that repair is made, it sounds like that boat will be really really sound. Perhaps the seller would be willing to have the repair made and slightly INCREASE the price?? Sounds strange but as someone else stated, you'll be hard pressed to find a boat of that age without moisture/coring problems. If the seller fixes the problem, you'll have a boat WORTH more than others. Just a thought - probably crazy! LaDonna
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Joe Dickson
It Depends...
Depending on the extent of the damage, I'll agree with LaDonna on this. Our survey revealed a soft spot in the non-skid area just in front of the mast on the port side (mast plate screw). This was the only real issue our survey revealed. There was no apparent leakage inside and the compression post was/is sound. We worked out an arrangement with both the seller and the broker (written into the contract) to have it fixed for a very small amount out of our own pocket, and the balance of the repairs to come out of theirs. In our case the boat suited both the wants and needs of our family better than any of the others we looked at, and the extra dollars were nothing in the big picture. The new deck is now a hard as a rock, they repainted all of the non-skid areas on the deck to match the area repaired, and we love our boat. Hope this helps... Safe Boating, Joe S/V Charis
Depending on the extent of the damage, I'll agree with LaDonna on this. Our survey revealed a soft spot in the non-skid area just in front of the mast on the port side (mast plate screw). This was the only real issue our survey revealed. There was no apparent leakage inside and the compression post was/is sound. We worked out an arrangement with both the seller and the broker (written into the contract) to have it fixed for a very small amount out of our own pocket, and the balance of the repairs to come out of theirs. In our case the boat suited both the wants and needs of our family better than any of the others we looked at, and the extra dollars were nothing in the big picture. The new deck is now a hard as a rock, they repainted all of the non-skid areas on the deck to match the area repaired, and we love our boat. Hope this helps... Safe Boating, Joe S/V Charis
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David
Core
If the rest of the survey turned out well you could consider arrangements with the seller to have it repaired to your surveyors recommendations. You will probably have a boat that is better than others for its age when completed. Most of these boats this age are soon going to experience delamination due to water intrusion. If completed properly you won't have to deal with hidden potential problems of other boats.
If the rest of the survey turned out well you could consider arrangements with the seller to have it repaired to your surveyors recommendations. You will probably have a boat that is better than others for its age when completed. Most of these boats this age are soon going to experience delamination due to water intrusion. If completed properly you won't have to deal with hidden potential problems of other boats.
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