larger trailer sailor

Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I’m sorry to say that this boat in bad shape with lots of new paint to cover it up. NOT a cream puff. Lots of old damage to this boat. I don’t like seeing new paint over old damage. I’d guess that was a free boat that somebody has patched up and is trying to get his time paid for.

Lots of potential problems with this boat.

That foredeck in front of the hatch looks like there’s a lot of damage. All of that indicates the foredeck had rotten core, and the repair is not well done, inside and outside. I don’t know what oem Mac 25 backing plates like inside, near the pulpit, but I’ve been on hundreds of sailboats, and that looks like crap to me. those backing plates look amateurish. That square patch of rough roving on the underside of the foredeck in front of the front hatch that looks very amatueish to me. On the outside, near the bow pulpit, there are places where he slapped some resin over cracks and a single layer of glass tape., and didn’t even put a topcoat of any kind over it. Those are slapdash patches and they are seriously substandard.

On the inside, why did he paint after rebidding the hardware; that's backwards. Who knows what the new paint is hiding.

And those cracks on the rudder don’t look good. I don’t like those cracks inthe rudder that he painted or gelcoated over. He painted over the bolts, for goodness sake! That’s not a good sign.

And that crack in the sliding top hatch? It looks like another slapdash repair to me. He didn’t repair that properly either. He didn’t grind out the old glass and bevel in new laminate, nor finish with topcoat. That’s just exposed resin. That kind of repair will crack again.


Overall, I would say that boat has seen a lot of damage, and none of it repaired well. And equally scary is that there’s no way to know what’s been painted over.

Just like I warned, that trailer roller punched a hole in the bow. It looks to me like it was repaired from the outside with a squared off patch slapped on top of damaged laminate. Again, that’s not a professional looking repair. It shouldnt have sharp, squared corners, and I’d be willing to bet that if you look inside under the v berth, he didn’t grind out and remove all the cracked and damaged glass all the way through. That patch is slapped on from the outside. That patch will fail sooner or later, especially with that bow roller. Fiberglass can be repaired as good as new, but that’s not what a good repair looks like

More... The swing keel “support” isn't supporting the keel properly and will damage the pivot pin and the leading edge. And the keel looks crooked, not vetical. There are problems there.

More... That story about the bottom paint wearing off is rubbish. It’s not going to wear off without sanding... And furthermore it looks like the original bottom gelcoat has been sanded off completely in one picture,, down to the outer layer of glass (chopped mat?), which looks like dry fibers, which is not right. Hard to tell, but it looks like there was a problem with the outer layer of glass and gelcoat....

That boat is one big bucket of problems and so is the trailer. It’s not worth fixinf. The boat itself is worthless. It’s a liability rather than an asset. The seller or a previous owner put a lot of work into fixing it up, but it wasn’t worthy of the effort in the first place and he didn’t know what he was doing. I feel sorry for him. He spent a lot f time and money, but the hull was a junker before he even started. Somebody spent good money on the Outboard, the mast, new halyards and the sails. The trailer is worth a couple of hundred but it’s really not suitable as is for use with this boat.

—->>>> I’d walk away. And call it a learning experience.

I’m going to repeat that my original advice: go to a launch ramp near your intended sailing grounds, take a look at some boats and talk to the owners. Ask them to point out what they like and don’t like. They will tell yu straight because they’re not trying to sell you something. They will gloss over the flaws in their boats because of pride of ownership, but you will still learn a lot. Ask them to,show you the stress cracks (of which all older boats have a few or a lot) Tell them you’re looking to learn before you buy.

You need to get more exposure before you buy a boat. Slow down and take your time.

Judy B
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
It's pretty late for a post on this thread, but why is anyone surprised by a misreprententation on CL?
 
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Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
When someone is looking to buy without experience of what they are looking at can be a disaster waiting to happen. As for the trailer under the MacGregor, the bunk boards are not long enough to support the hull and that is based on experience. Just look at the ends of the bunk boards dimpling the hull in at the end of the bunks. I could go on but agree with Judy. Best advice is to have an experienced person going with you. Former sailboat dealer
 
Oct 18, 2019
129
Johnson 18 Weekender 4 corners marina
Thanks everyone. The search will continue. I will check out local marina as well Dr. B .
I'll post when I find another of interest. Saw a couple on here but either to high for my wallet or no trailer.
Thanks again.
 
Oct 6, 2018
113
Watkins 25 Seawolf Dunnellon / Crystal River
What you just saw proves my point (see previous post). I still say that you shouldn't limit your search by requiring a boat and trailer combo. The boat and trailer you just looked at is exactly what I found when I was looking for a sailboat/trailer combo.

Instead, open up your search for a trailerable sailboatboat and also begin looking for a good powerboat trailer that can be modded for a sailboat. You may spend a little more money up front, but you'll open up your search to a much larger selection of boats. Who knows, maybe you'll find someone desperate to sell to get out from under storage fees that it will actually save you money.

These trailers are not mine. I'm posting them because they are examples available in my area. The first is a double axel aluminum trailer for the asking price of $1700 that would be very easy to adaptable.


And this galvanised trailer is less than $300 but needs a little work.

 
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Oct 18, 2019
129
Johnson 18 Weekender 4 corners marina
So, when looking for a seperate trailer , since sailboats seem to sit differently on trailers, what size trailer is need to accommodate what size boat? It seems sailboat trailer's are shorter to the boats than power boats.
 

RussC

.
Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Not sure exactly where you are, but how about this 26D which looks much more "honest"?

 
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Oct 18, 2019
129
Johnson 18 Weekender 4 corners marina
i am in TN just south of Nashville abou 30 miles. Nice boat but dont really like the water ballast. but thank you
 
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Oct 18, 2019
129
Johnson 18 Weekender 4 corners marina
Russ, that is a nice boat. A little on the high side of my budget and I'd like a min of 24' up to 27' ish.
However, I do really like this one.
 

RussC

.
Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
Russ, that is a nice boat. A little on the high side of my budget and I'd like a min of 24' up to 27' ish.
However, I do really like this one.
I did see that it's on the high end of your budget, but it also appears VERY well equipped, so not much else would be needed to get you sailing in comfort.
I'm sure Judy and others will confirm that the Precision is a solid design and might feel bigger than many others it's size.
happy hunting!
 
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Oct 18, 2019
129
Johnson 18 Weekender 4 corners marina
very much appreciate your time and input
it is not taken lightly
 
Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
@John6275
Go over to the O'Day or Catalina forum and see if you can hookup with JRT or PM him. He is in Huntsville boat at Lake Guntersville. He may have some local leads not advertised. He has a Catalina 310 now, I think, but knows a lot of people in the area.
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Ok, here’s a question for you :

why does it have to be 25 feet or bigger? How many 19-23 footers have you actually been on? Some of them are quite comfy for two people cruising for a week ot two.

In your price range, that’s going to be hard to find a 25+ footer in Good Condition, because there aren’t a lot of them that were built and built well enough to last. If you’re willing to consider 19-23 feet LOA, you will have a much better chance of finding a decent near shore coastal-capable trailer sailor.
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
The Precision 21 and 23 are very nice near shore cruisers boats. They don’t have a compression post under the mast, so they feel very roomy inside. Precisions have a reputation for being well built and Jim Taylor is a very good naval architect, but still, I recommend you put down a deposit to hold it a week while you get a survey done. If it’s more than 25 yrs old, your insurance company will probably require a survey. Get a buyers survey, which will look at all important safety systems, not just an opinion of value for the insurance company.

Again, I can’t emphasize strongly enough that condition is the most important factor!
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I like that Precision. With trailer and motor, autopilot etc. For a 1987 the price seems a little high but you get pretty much and it appears to be turnkey. And it looks good!
 
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Oct 6, 2018
113
Watkins 25 Seawolf Dunnellon / Crystal River
So, when looking for a seperate trailer , since sailboats seem to sit differently on trailers, what size trailer is need to accommodate what size boat? It seems sailboat trailer's are shorter to the boats than power boats.
You will need to find a trailer with the proper towing capacity. Usually, the axles used on a boat trailer are rated at 3500lbs each, but sometimes you will see 5000lb. Also, the bulk of the weight of a powerboat is at the transom. The weight of a sailboat is nearer to the center at the keel. So, a trailer built for a 22 ft powerboat can haul a longer sailboat. You also want to look at the overall height of the crossrails If they are on top of the frame rails, the boat will sit high and be harder to launch.

Also, regardless if you find a boat on a trailer, or in the water, try to find one that has been sailed recently. An unloved neglected boat will likely have missing parts and hidden problems even the current owner doesn't know about.