First Boat Purchase

[amistret]

Hey folks! Looking to purchase my first used sailboat (dinghy) <16ft. Don't have a ton of money. I am 33 and in pretty good shape. I have been hitting the craigslist finds etc pretty hard. I have found used Puffers, Catalina Capri Omega, Lido 14s, Coronado 15's, and some Clark C-Larks. I am hoping to do some local sailing on lakes mostly, maybe some joy rides with a couple friends. Just trying to find a boat that would be good for a beginner, be able to get a couple others on board, and good to learn on. I would love any advice. Sorry if this is not posted in the correct area, I am new to this. Thanks!

 

[shemandr]

We don't know your age or physical ability.
But, some of those designs are familiar and would be good trainers given the right venue. I don't know the Clark C-Lark.
I think it's a good idea to try to find a design that is popular in your area. Some areas have fleets of this or that design and it's really good to to buy into that. There's usually a reason that a design has been successful in that area. And you have the support of the fleet and local sailors.
Go around and see what others are sailing.

 

[amistret]

great idea, thanks!

 

[Tally Ho]

We don't know your age or physical ability.
But, some of those designs are familiar and would be good trainers given the right venue. I don't know the Clark C-Lark.
I think it's a good idea to try to find a design that is popular in your area. Some areas have fleets of this or that design and it's really good to to buy into that. There's usually a reason that a design has been successful in that area. And you have the support of the fleet and local sailors.
Go around and see what others are sailing.

33 and relatively good shape…in original post…


Greg

 

[Johnb]

I had a capri omega and loved it.
It would plane in a decent wind, which made it exciting to sail.
It was self bailing. That made it dry underfoot and in the event of a capsize it would come up empty.
Sometimes I wish I still had it.

 

[jssailem]

I had a Montgomery 15. A trailer boat lowers your monthly costs. It was easy to rig. Very stout design that held up well to PacificNW weather. Sailed in the lakes, rivers, bays and the Sound. A pretty dry boat, which allowed me to sail without a dry suit in our chill waters. I could a camp in it over nights. Though it has a stub keel and center board, in most places you can run it up on a beach or at least into the shallows. A great boat to learn on and share rides with a friend. About 5 knts average speed in a good breeze. Not a racer but quick and agile for her size. On a nice night the cockpit was long enough to stretch out in and sleep under the stars (as long as your not 6’2”). They made a Montgomery 17 as well.

To prove its strength, a guy outfitted the 15 and sailed it from LA to Hawaii in 36 days.

http://www.msog.org/yarns/hawaii15.cfm

Worth a look.

 

[amistret]

I had a Montgomery 15. A trailer boat lowers your monthly costs. It was easy to rig. Very stout design that held up well to PacificNW weather. Sailed in the lakes, rivers, bays and the Sound. A pretty dry boat, which allowed me to sail without a dry suit in our chill waters. I could a camp in it over nights. Though it has a stub keel and center board, in most places you can run it up on a beach or at least into the shallows. A great boat to learn on and share rides with a friend. About 5 knts average speed in a good breeze. Not a racer but quick and agile for her size. On a nice night the cockpit was long enough to stretch out in and sleep under the stars (as long as your not 6’2”). They made a Montgomery 17 as well.

To prove its strength, a guy outfitted the 15 and sailed it from LA to Hawaii in 36 days.

http://www.msog.org/yarns/hawaii15.cfm

Worth a look.

You really just painted such a rad picture there! sounds dreamy! thanks

 

[amistret]

I had a capri omega and loved it.
It would plane in a decent wind, which made it exciting to sail.
It was self bailing. That made it dry underfoot and in the event of a capsize it would come up empty.
Sometimes I wish I still had it.

Thank you, sounds pretty great as a starter boat! I appreciate the insight

 

[amistret]

I had a capri omega and loved it.
It would plane in a decent wind, which made it exciting to sail.
It was self bailing. That made it dry underfoot and in the event of a capsize it would come up empty.
Sometimes I wish I still had it.

Another thing I am wondering is what the difficulty of finding parts would be for some of these older boats? I am obviously new to this all and not sure how universal some parts are vs. custom to the boat. Definitely don't want to buy a cool old boat and get stuck if a piece of hardware needs to be replaced. Thanks!

 

[jssailem]

I am wondering is what the difficulty of finding parts would be for some of these older boats?

A great question.
First lets discuss how boats get built. Old - boats are referred to as being feminine - Mature boats were designed and built starting with the Hull. Some interiors were then built into the hull. As the industry developed some designers modified the interior build using a prebuilt pan that was inserted into the hull. This gave the builder the bones to then start adding the "parts" you asked about. Not being Ford or GM, the builders searched about for parts from various manufactures, many still in existence, who provided the quality and price point they desired. Parts were added to the interior to provide the luxuries of living on a boat: Toilets, Stoves, cushions, beds, hot / cold water etc. The deck was laid on top of the hull and the same approach was used to add the mast and all the rigging.

If one of the winches breaks or a block explodes, there are 5 or 6 manufacturers building modern blocks to be used to replace the one that has failed. The new equipment maybe named Harken or Lewmar and not Barient (as was popular in the 60's-70's) but it will be functional and often be greatly improved over the OEM product. You will also find new gear that does a better job at sailing the boat.

Parts choices are about function not original equipment.

There are still some European boat designs that use high end special parts, but in the boat market you are exploring, there should be no problem finding something to work and keep you sailing.

 

[jssailem]

If you were trying to build a replica of a Square Master you might search for something to replace this

you could take it apart, and make the wooden parts out of a block of wood,
or you could purchase one of these to serve the same purpose.


On a boat like your considering, the old and new versions might look like this.
and.

Lighter weight easier, to wash clean, higher quality bearings. smoother running.

 

[rgranger]

33 and relatively good shape…in original post…
Greg

LoL

 

[rgranger]

Another thing I am wondering is what the difficulty of finding parts would be for some of these older boats?

If this proves to be a major concern, you might want to consider the Catalina 22. There have been over 15000 of these boats built and they are still in production. New parts and salvage parts are readily available. And you have to ask, why so many.... they are a good bargain.

Here is one close to you

Catalina 22 - boats - by owner - marine sale

Yes, I know this is much more than you expect to pay for a 46-year old boat. This is an extremely "well-found" boat. It is a sailor's boat. Every part of this little vessel has been assembled so...

seattle.craigslist.org

 

[stickinthemud57]

I had a Hunter 170 for a while and loved it. Roomy cockpit, so plenty of room for friends. Roller furling for the jib, makes sail handling a bit easier. Open transom makes it a swim platform with sails. Only downside is the pre-2005 hulls were made from Luran, and dealing with cracks is part of the joy of ownership.

Hardware for this boat was made by Dwyer Aluminum, still a going concern.

 

[amistret]

A great question.
First lets discuss how boats get built. Old - boats are referred to as being feminine - Mature boats were designed and built starting with the Hull. Some interiors were then built into the hull. As the industry developed some designers modified the interior build using a prebuilt pan that was inserted into the hull. This gave the builder the bones to then start adding the "parts" you asked about. Not being Ford or GM, the builders searched about for parts from various manufactures, many still in existence, who provided the quality and price point they desired. Parts were added to the interior to provide the luxuries of living on a boat: Toilets, Stoves, cushions, beds, hot / cold water etc. The deck was laid on top of the hull and the same approach was used to add the mast and all the rigging.

If one of the winches breaks or a block explodes, there are 5 or 6 manufacturers building modern blocks to be used to replace the one that has failed. The new equipment maybe named Harken or Lewmar and not Barient (as was popular in the 60's-70's) but it will be functional and often be greatly improved over the OEM product. You will also find new gear that does a better job at sailing the boat.

Parts choices are about function not original equipment.

There are still some European boat designs that use high end special parts, but in the boat market you are exploring, there should be no problem finding something to work and keep you sailing.

Thanks for this awesome overview, very informative and helpful for a newbie. Makes me feel good to know the universality of these parts

 

[amistret]

Anyone have knowledge of these Coronado 15’s by chance? Seen a couple bargains but not sure if it’s because they are subpar. Thanks

 

[jssailem]

@amistret it is impossible to answer based on just the boat make and size. You will need to provide much more info and pictures. One that is beat up, showing wet decks, poor hardware, and stained torn sails qualifies as "subpar". Find one that has a solid hull, good functional hardware, new sails at a bargain price could be a steal.

 

[shemandr]

I don't know the Hunter 170 or Coronado 15 but in looking at designs like this it is good to consider that they were successful designs by virtue of the fact that we've heard of them. For instance Catalina built 3,800 Coronado 15's according to Sailboatdata.com. I couldn't find the number for the Hunter 170 on that site. But 3,800 builds definitely does not mean subpar. That was a successful design. Dated, but successful.
Boat building is a competitive business. There was and is intense competition to win the contest to get a design into the racing sailing class game. When the Tartan 10 came out the Pearson Flyer appeared. Some designs flew others didn't. It doesn't mean that the cover was a bad boat - it just didn't take off in the market. I'm guessing SBO posters can name dozens of these examples. I can only do a few.
You can sometimes pick up a cover boat for a smaller price than the famous version. For some of these older boats it may not matter.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@amistret

As a former dealer, I asked my customers what they wanted to do with the boat as there are too many designs. I asked questions so the customer could answer what they wanted to do. Then made recommendations

Capri was bought out by Catalina and that included Coronado. Frank Butler was a respected sailboat manufacturer.

Hunter designs of daysailors was good but those built in plastic, need to be inspected. Those built out of fiberglass were decent.

Take a look at the Precision daysailors which were well built too.

whatever you do, have someone go with you to inspect a boat you are considering seriously to buy

Crazy Dave Condon
American Marine & Sail Supply Inc

 

[amistret]

Thanks for the help all. I picked up a Capri Omega 14 on Monday! Excited to get rolling!

I have a question for anyone that can assist. my driveway is a slight uphill gravel and can't get my truck up it to get the boat/trailer all the way, its a pain in the butt to push the trailer into the space. anyone had this issue? i've been looking at some trailer dollys but not sure which would actually be able to get up the gravel. Thanks!