Mirage 24 - Looking to buy

Caboteur · Mar 10, 2021

That Mirage 24 is at the high end of the market... on boats the purchase price is of relatively little importance: all is in the condition. A trailer is 2,000$, sails can be as much as 5,000$ (main, #1 #2 #3 gennies and spinnaker), outboard 2 to 3,000$ etc plus all repairs! Overpaying the cleanest and best maintained boat is usually the cheapest route to happy ownership.
I owned two M24 and loved them both...
Check the beam & post under the maststep: they have been known to rot. The deck to hull joint loosens after time... usually tightening the toerail bolts will dry this up. You’ll probably have to rebed the ports (windows). The fron loading ice-box under the companionway is useless: you could take it out and replace with louvered doors opening up some storage area. Make sure the cockpit seats are solid... the core can rot. You’ll want to be able to fasten them shut: if they open in a knockdown water will swamp the boat! (Been there)
All in all great boats; fantastic close-hauled with a 180% genny...

shemandr · Mar 10, 2021

Why does this boat seem hard to launch?
Because of the keel. As said above you need around 5'. On many, if not most, ramps by the time you get five feet the cement pad has ended and once the trailer wheels fall off the cement pad you are pretty much screwed.
Any idea how to get these concerns met moving forward with the interest of buying the boat - like a contract contingent of x, y, z. How can I convince the owner to wait 2 months before putting it in the water.
You can do contingencies is a sales contract but as a seller I wouldn't hold the boat for 2 months unless I had my money. If you have a broker he/she can hold a certain amount in escrow. As a private sale that doesn't work. It's usually cash, "As is" and you have so long to get it out of there. What are you worried about as far as contingencies? Most if not all of the concerns can be evaluated on the hard. Are there any thru hulls? I wouldn't expect any below the water line without a head or engine. Maybe a knot meter or depth meter? Maybe you could negotiate an amount to be held back until they're proven water tight. Or maybe get the seller to have them re-bedded.

Scott T-Bird · Mar 10, 2021

It's hard to tell from one photo, but to me it looks like the owner maintained it to be sailed regularly. I think that if you can score a 24' boat with good reputation, well maintained, with a trailer that is capable for $6,500 CND, you'd be doing good. If you can take it off the trailer to be sailed without having any significant work done, other than making it ready for summer, then go for it. I'm agreeing wholeheartedly with @Caboteur that you will be much happier paying the money for a boat that is ready to sail. Don't bother over-evaluating all the improvement expenses, such as sails, standing rigging, maintenance on the trailer, etc. But I would say to wait and sail for a while before you decide where you will spend your money on improvements. If you like the boat, you will end up spending more than the purchase price (possibly far more) to provide the boat with all the features that you are interested in improving.

Caboteur · Mar 11, 2021

I sold my last M24 for 6,500$CDN, without trailer. With a recent fullbatten mainsail #1, #3 gennies and spinnaker and sundry other toys in 2008. So if the one you're looking at is in great shape go for it!
You can always look at the photos and dream a little between shoveling stints.

Caboteur · Mar 11, 2021

The bulkheads are in line with the beam supporting the mast. The fiberglass covering that beam on the inside should have a small covered hole in the center. Take the cover off and sound the wood... a screwdriver should do the job. Also if there are no cracks in the fiberglass between the bulkheads that’s a sign that nothing is moving. You’ll probably want to rebed the mast step anyways; butyl tape is perfect for the job.
These boats are easy to work on: there are no complicated sysems... no inboard engine, no plumbing and no real electricity. The only through hulls are for depth sounder and speed log. There are two cockpit drains that flow to through hulls near the companionway... there were no shut-off valves on my boats.
Therefore I didn’t have a survey done on the 1977 (bought in 2005), I didn’t think it was worth it... only insured for PLPD. The 1974 I purchased new from Dick Steffen in Pointe-Claire and watched some of the building process in the Vaudreuil factory.

Mirage 24 - Looking to buy

Caboteur

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shemandr

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Scott T-Bird

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Caboteur

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Kazimierz

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Caboteur

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Kazimierz

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