Irwin 41 cc any good?

[fishsail]

I'm looking at a 1984 Irwin 41'cc Ketch for a live aboard and coastal cruising. Pretty much what it was designed for. Has anyone owned one? Can you give me any details what I should look for and what will be a deal breaker? Yes I would have it surveyed and sea trialed before I but it.
Thanks for yur help.

 

[capta]

In the late 70's and early 80's Irwin was building boats at a furious rate for the burgeoning bare boat industry. Like the manufacturers doing the same today, the quality of those boats suffered. I would try to find out if this is one of those boats and make my decision (and offer) based on what you find out.

 

[shemandr]

A friend once had one and he had to replace the fuel tank. It ended up being a custom fabrication i.e. expensive. So check that.

 

[SailormanDan]

I have a friend in the marina who owns one and calls it his "floating condo." I liked the interior layout a lot. He's a very handy guy and has put a lot of time and work into her. If you get a good survey that lets you know where you need to start and get a good price on it, might be worth the effort.
The counter-thought is to buy the best boat you can that your budget allows and spend your time sailing, not working on it. Of course I found that out after I bought my H27 and found out my CFO doesn't really like sailing.