Dufour 30 opinions?

[Dakartimm]

I'm very seriously considering this as my "last boat" .I figure it would take at least two years before it was splashed again. I would be paying cash for it and still have my 25 Oday to sail until the Dufour was ready to be launched. I am able to keep it at my home .does anyone have any first hand expperiance with one ? thank you in advance Timm

 

[cmorin]

lotta work

I don't know much about these boats but from the picture (I hope the picture does not do it justice), I would suggest you sell your other boat too because you will not have time to sail, you will need to dedicate all your time to the Dufour. I would suggest looooooow balling that price down another few bucks. At least it is on a trailer and you can haul it out of the industrial park.Good luck.

 

[Tim R.]

Neglect kills boats

I would still have it surveyed. You may think under 10k this is a great deal but you may be paying to take out someone else's trash.

 

[TimCup]

I'm reminded of Patrick...

He ignored alot of warnings, and bought his fixer-upper anyway. Judging from his updates, he's not sorry. I've got to believe that for every Patrick there's a hundred failed projects, though. There's a breed out there that is willing to work months or years to bring their boat back to glory, but it's a rare breed indeed. For some, a bond forms with your boat like raising a child. The level of pride rises with the time invested. To each his own.I enjoy, no, make that tolerate, the work a boat demands to remain seaworthy, and I take pride in doing, rather than paying to have it done. But frankly, I'd rather sail.Good luck either way.Cup

 

[bffatcat]

Dufour 30 restore

The Dufour 30 was a good boat in its day, but it sounds like this one has been truly neglected. If the boat was sound and sailable it would be worth maybe mid teens. Apparently this one is not sailable. first of all the boat is going to need a new diesel. This is about 14K at todays prices. Than mostlikely itsgoing to need rigging sails, deck work, cabin work, paint ect: get the picture,Listen to MaineSail he knows what he is talking about. Unless of course you are one of that rare breed that is not that interested in sailing and gets their kicks out of restoring things and working with their hands. If thats you go for it.If not forget it. Just down the street from where I live there is an early 70`spearson 30 sitting in a yard. Its been for sale for the last 3 years. Last Iheard it could be had for under 10K This is a good salable boat. Its clean and has decent sails and rigging. Those old pearsons are bullet proof. I should knowI own one. The only thing wrong with this boat is its got a 36 year old saltwater cooled atomic 4 in it. Get the picture.

 

[Ross]

I have rebuilt a boat and will be the first to tell someone

that it will take all of the skills you wish you had and enormous amounts of self dicipline and money to make it happen. There is a lot of mention about bunks but none about the galley or storage space. If you plan to sleep six you better plan to feed them also. My boat came with a servicable suit of sails and a lot of rotten interior wood. You are the only person who knows your skills and persistance. Basically you will be starting from a bare hull and building a new boat. For a 30 foot boat at 6000 pounds it seems to me to be on the light side of the weight of 30 foot boats. My thinking is that there are better boats to be had for the same price.

 

[Dakartimm]

Thanks

These were the type of feedback I ws hoping for.I'm looking for a two year project.Part of the reason this one caught my eye was that it had a trailer.THe second plus was that it is fairly close.About 300 miles.Now let's say that I give up a weekend and go look at at. How do I approach the broker to get the absolute last bottom dollar? In the past I've just gave them a dollar amount I was willing to spend and left them my number to call if they changed their mind. What would be a reasonable amount?

 

[Ross]

I will answer your question with some more questions.

Have you a budget figure in mind for the whole project?How far will you have to travel to work on it when it is yours?How far will you have to travel to sail it?Do you have most of the tools and equipment that will be needed for this project? If you could get this boat for five thousand would that be more or less incentive to finish the job when you get well into it?Do you know anything about the seller?Can you get a clean title?For the boat and for the trailer?Is the trailer road worthy?

 

[Maine Sail]

I was not..

I was not being facetious or a wise guy when I said free. Start there and work up. Most likely the broker is buddies with the yard guy who says get me what you can and we'll spit it..! Just by looking at the pictures, and knowing past history of descriptions like that, I'm thinking she's a $1500.00 - $2500.00 boat with a minimum 12k - 20k re-fit...If the yard owner can't get anything at least the yard does not have to pay for disposal..Again I was being very reasonable and not kidding when I said that abandoned boats many times are given away and the negotiation should begin with "I'll take it off your hands and get it out of your yard in X amount of time."If you give us a total max budget we can give you ideas of what things cost to help you find a boat to fit those parameters..

 

[higgs]

Pearson 30

I am familiar with that boat and, while a good boat, i would disagree that it is "bullet proof". That designation goes to the Alberg designs. I believe this is a George Shaw design and would have to be classified as a coastal cruiser. It is, however, a great boat. The A4 can be rebuilt by a handy person for around 1k. The salt water usage may mean the water jacket is crudded up, though.

 

[Ross]

Bullets come in many sizes and velocities. Maybe a

.22 cal. rimfire short? But not a .300 Winchester magnum?

 

[Tim R.]

Higgs

That would be Bill Shaw. Pearson 30s are bulletproof compared to many boats built since.

 

[higgs]

Bill or George

I was close. The 30 is a well built boat, but not like the older Pearsons. It is certainly not built strong enough to be an offshore boat, but the fact that many are still around and in very good condition speaks for the quality of the work. We have one at our club who cleans up in the white sails division - no one can touch the boat.

 

[sailaway78]

Wise ones have spoken

The wise ones have spoken, and they speak from experience. These guys on here, such as Ross, have been there, done that, got the shirt. I have never gone to those lengths to restore an older boat. I value my sailing time too much, plus it almost always ends up costing much more than if you find a decent boat to beging with. No matter how close you look, how much you inspect, there will be problem areas you did not see. And money you did not plan on spending. Just goes with the territory. So, if you are interested in this boat for the joy of the rebuild, then by all means go for it. On the other hand, if you are looking for a cheap boat, that will only require your labor, and your primary interest is sailing it, look elsewhere.

 

[LANCE ON CLOUD NINE]

An unwise one speaks

I am a semi-reformed fix-it-up-aholic. Any lonesome old boat,car,truck or motorcycle with decent bones, yells out to me for rescue. I have proven to myself and family many times that it is seldom worth it either financially or emotionally. In most cases the finished product costs more and does not perform as well as expected. The exception to the rule as stated by others, is if you TOTALLY LOVE THE PROCESS then you are lucky but uncurable by us. ( I myself actually get a mini-high when I look at projects and consider what I might do with them. Usually I can now walk away but if I "fell off the wagon" I would no doubt look up at the wagon chassis and under estimate the time and money needed to turn it into a gem! One last thought, If you worked on the boat 20 hours a week for 2 years and put a low value of 10 dollars an hour on your time,you would have over 20,000 in labor before any parts and supplies. Happy sailing either way ya go.

 

[higgs]

compromise

If you are willing to spend 15k on an older boat, you can get a lot for your money. There is a big difference between elbow grease and a rebuild. I think you can find an older boat that needs elbow grease, but is solid. That is the way to go.