Getting back into Sailing.

[ftworthsailor]

I haven't been sailing in over 10 years (since moving to Texas) and suddenly got the opportunity to do so in Galveston. I have to tell you that it brought back some great memories of my sailing days at Marina Del Rey in California and many trips to Catalina Island for the weekend. So, I now have a chance to purchase a Catalina 27 for about $1000. The boat looks ok, but the mast is down and I am told that she has two sets of sails and an outboard that goes with her. The transom is one of those cut out type where the motor bolts right onto the transom and it looks like a gaping hole in the back..... yuk! I guess thats the way they made them, huh? The boat has no trailer so I will need to either find a home port (considering Galveston) or closer at one of the larger lakes in Dallas/Ft Worth area. I am finding alot of Catalina 27's in the $2000-$4000 range depending on condition. This one obviously has some interior issues with missing drawers and stinky bunk pads.

Since I won't be able to take this boat out and test her out on the water, what should I be looking for when buying this (or any boat) boat? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joe]

I'd pass on that boat.... there's a reason the owner is only asking $1000. If you are really interested in sailing, don't buy a project boat unless you truly understand what it will take to get it back in usable shape. Trust me when I say that it is much cheaper, in the long run, to buy a boat that is basically ready to go... you'll save a lot of money and, more importantly, a lot of your valuable time that could be spent on the water.

The older, outboard equipped Cat 27's had the motor mount in the transom, as you described. The advantage is the weight of the motor is kept in closer and is conveniet for remote control installation. RC is the way to go with these boats... whether in the transom or mounted on a bracket. A good, used remote control 10hp OB will cost more than the price of the boat you're eyeing.

Another advantage of the OB models, is that it is easy to service the motor. Many, many of the older inboard equipped models were not service consistently by their owners because accessibility was inconvenient. As a result, many inboards have locked up and become unusable.

Got to www.catalina27.org to learn more about this boat.

To restate.... if you are interested in sailing.... buy a boat that is ready to sail. Don't worry, you'll still have the pleasure of working on it and spending money on upgrades, but you'll also enjoy it on the water at the same time.

 

[mortyd]

the first thing you should look for is a good surveyor who knows what he is looking at.

 

[jrowan]

A survey on a boat in this price range will likely cost you half the asking price, or more.
If you are looking to make a somewhat educated decision on whether to buy this boat or not, I recommend the book by Don Casey "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" (for purchase). It gives you valuable check lists & pointers. Start out by sounding the decks for rot. Then unroll any sails & look for wear & tear. The original gate valve through hull valves should have been replaced by now. If not they have to go as they can sink your boat. Speaking of which, I would never, ever buy a boat without a sea trial or at least testing her in the water to see if or where she leaks. Otherwise you take an enormous risk. I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago with a C 25 swing keel that leaked like a sieve at the keel connection / trunk. A grand is bottom feeder money & not much to risk for a boat. But I agree with Joe that a boat in better shape for a lil more money can save U a ton of aggravation & more $$ down the drain of U buy a lemon. Good luck.
ps. That C 25 I bought for only $1,200 was a bargain, but I had to then spend another 2 grand on her to get her in sailing condition. I eventually sold her with a good outboard & trailer for $7,500. So I made a few bucks on her, & actually doubled my money on the next bigger boat. But that is hard to do without a lot of sweat equity. I have since doubled my money on two other boats, but U have to buy low & sell high & know what to look for.