Might be moving up

kenn · Apr 28, 2013

Not that much to go wrong with a small boat. Look for hull damage, keel damage/corrosion, keel mechanism, signs of water damage inside (rotten bulkheads - tap or stab them with a dull screwdriver to check). Check the sails for wear, tears, damage.

From the description I'd bet that the boat is in good condition, and could be immediately sailed while you plan your upgrades.

Tom G P-21 · Apr 28, 2013

This was recently asked over on the Precision forum. See link to thread below. Hope it helps. If you have any questions specific to the 23 this would be the best place to post it.

http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/precision/index.cgi/read/107546

Eddie7045 · Apr 28, 2013

Do yourself a favor. Get a survey done. The money

that you spend is worth the peace of mind alone.

Ray Bowles · Apr 29, 2013

A survey is usually money and effort unneeded on a small trailered boat. If the boat shows that it has been well cared for, has not been left uncovered to the weather and demonstrates care of the sails then she has answered 75% of the basic questions about value. Hull delaminations can be checked for with a small hammer. Lightly tapping the suspect area will give a soft weak thud sound rather than a solid thwack if delamination or water is present. ( How is that for a made up description of quality?)
The trailer should present a clean appearence with good tire tread life. The trailer should be jacked up so each wheel bearing set per wheel can be checked. Your mechanic can check this for you if you can't. Simple top to bottom tire movement can demonstrate wheel bearing snuggness and by spinning the wheel and listening for bearing noise tells the tale of the wheel bearing condition.
A rusted trailer is usually an indication of poor condition and added expence down the road.
Raise the mast with the boat on the trailer and check the sails as they would be while sailing. Do they look good, have stiffness and don't appear all wadded up? Is the rigging good?
All these items are something you can do yourself without a surveyor. Enjoy using your knowledge and skills while looking at this boat. Review your + and -'s and make your offer. You can do this.
Good luck and enjoy your buying voyage.
Ray

Crazy Dave Condon · Apr 30, 2013

Dave;

I use to be one of the top dealers for Precsion beside many others but now retired. First, if you have any questions, call Bart at Precision and he will answer you as he is one of the most customer oriented people I have ever known and to be blunt, I trust him which is something I generally never say but have the most high respect for him.

Over the years of selling the Precision 23, there was not much that went wrong with them. The only thing is to make sure the cover plate at the shroud chain plates were removed and old caulk removed and replaced with new silicon liberally and then screwed back into place with wiping off the silicon that oozed out. As for the center board or swing centerboard that is easily removable and I hope I am right on this but you will see two black plastic caps on the cockpit floor and if you will remove them, they are the bolts that hold that into place.

Although this is a minimal cost sale, I agree it would be costly to pay for a surveyor but someone with great knowledge of small sailboats thay you know would be good to take with you when looking at the boat. It will take two people to raise and lower the mast but I do not think you are trailering all the time anyway so that should not be an issue.

Call Bart at Precision in Florida and tell him Crazy Dave sent you to himl

crazy dave condon

Ross · Apr 30, 2013

When I do my own inspecting on anything I pay particular attention to the details that were they bad would be deal killers. It best way to probe for rotted wood is with a sharp pocket knife point. It does no damage when used discretely.
Just one followup point on the use of silicone caulk. Alcohol is the best clean-up solvent for fresh silicone.

rardiH36 · Apr 30, 2013

Hi:

For great "DIY Survey" information, the short book Inspecting the Aging Sailboat by Don Casey can't be beat. I obtained a copy before offering on my current and first and only boat (a 1980 36' Cherubini Hunter) in 2007. After spending an afternoon by myself following the checklist/descriptions/illustrations of Don Casey's book, I made the offer. Several days later, the surveyor I recall found only a couple of insignificant items that I had not discovered by myself. (Mine is a bigger boat than you are looking at. And with a couple of $10k at risk in my case, a survey was needed.)

Although people on this forum have a wealth of experience and information, any reply can't possibly be as comprehensive as covered in the book.

Here is a link to the book. If you are in a boating area, your local library might have a copy. Or your local Barnes&Noble.

http://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Aging-Sailboat-Don-Casey/dp/0070133948

redhead78 · May 3, 2013

Also if the gent is truly giving up sailing, there is less chance of a really bad boat, usually when this happens the boats r mostly been taken care of. Ask the marina operator if he is older more than likely they may have helped him with any issues he may have had....Red

Rich (P303) · May 4, 2013

Buy the biggest boat you can afford!

Might be moving up

DAVA390

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kenn

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Tom G P-21

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Eddie7045

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Ray Bowles

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DAVA390

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Crazy Dave Condon

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Ross

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rardiH36

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DAVA390

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redhead78

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DAVA390

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Rich (P303)

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