Possible Purchas 86 Catalina

[sparkem]

Hi,

I'm finally making the plunge and planning to get into sailing. I'm going to look at a 1986 C27 tomorrow. Text from the ad below. Asking price is $14500, NADA average price is $12900. Any pointers on what to look for would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Ray


"The perfect boat for day sailing and/or cruising. Easily single handed. Universal M18 diesel, Wheel steering, Garmin GPSMAP 492, Raymarine ST60 speed, wind, depth instruments, water heater, pressurized water, Cockpit cushions, Stern rail seats, Bimini, Full head with shower, VHF radio, AM, FM, CD stereo, Roller furling head sail, Two burner alcohol stove, Propane grill, Self-tailing winches, and all safety equipment."

 

[DanM]

Ray,

I'll comment on a couple of things.

First the Universal M18. I have one in my C30 in Galveston Bay and find it to be a great little engine. It has a two inche heat exchanger that is just barely adequate in our warm water (which I'd assume you'll have as well) so it's critical that you regularly (every few years) boil it out and also change zincs religiously (I do it about every 90 days) to keep it working at optimum efficiency. The PO of my boat was convinced the engine has some "bad problem" because it would overheat on him. Heat exchanger maintenance has solved the overheating problem and I find the engine to be reliable and fuel efficient. On the C27 I'd expect even better results if well cared for. This engine, I think because it's a two cylinder, scares off a lot of buyers but it might work in your favor if you're the kind of guy that will maintain it well.

Second, sounds like you have the same stove I have on my C30. I rebuillt mine, which pretty much meant cleaning it and replacing the old 1/4" fuel line that was dry and cracked. I use it pretty much weekly, in fact the last time I was out I lit the oven, put some left over lasagna in an aluminum pan inside, raised my sails and sailed for about half an hour and then had a nice hot lunch. I think it's a great little stove/oven for the average overnight user, if you plan to live aboard or cruise longer distances I could see the appeal of propane. This is an item that scares off buyers as well I think, and certainly you have to know how to operate it to not have problems, but that could work in your favor as well as you negotiate a price.

Good luck!

DanM

 

[sparkem]

Dan,
Thinks for the input. Funny you mentioned the heat exchanger in emailing the owner one of the things he mentioned was "I just pulled the heat exchanger for a good cleanout and installed a new pencil zinc." Seems he may keep up with maintenance, a good thing. I'm sure tomorrow after I look at it I'll have more questions hope you will check again and provide any input.

Thanks,
Ray

 

[DanM]

Will do Ray.

BTW, I finally realized how helpful it was to take pictures of every project that I do on the boat and I wish I would have taken pictures of the boat when I first looked at it, before I started doing any work.

If you have a digital camera don't be shy while you are looking around! Photo's are so helpful and even though I don't have a C27 I understand that many of the systems are similar to the C30.

Have a great time!

DanM.

 

[shipwreck66]

Sparkem, that 27 looks like a sweet honey. I have the 84 model, basically the same but w/o all the bells and whistles this one has. Self tailing wenches are about 1k apiece and the other sweet options you listed probably would cost at least a couple more grand for me to add to my girl. Personally, I'd go for it. I don't have pressurized water or the hot water heater, or Raymarine for that matter. Roller furling is awesome. The model 18 is easy to maintain and is ideally suited for the C27 at around 7000# vs 10k+ for the C30. In two years I've only burned about 12 gallons of fuel and I actually motor around a lot. Grab it and enjoy.

 

[Stu Jackson]

A contributor added a "How to look at a used boat" topic this past year. I have ti bookmarked on my desktop computer, but I'm on my laptop on the boat now and don't have it.

Maybe someone else could give you the link to it, it's a great writeup covering all the things you need to know and look out for.

I think sailingdawg wrote it.

 

[sparkem]

Went down this morning and looked at the boat. The owner took the wife and I out and showed us how everthing worked. It appears to be in really good shape. Ended up paying 12K for it, maybe a little high?, but below book value. Will finish the transaction next week and hope to be sailing by the weekend. Thanks for everyones comments and I'm sure I'll be spending a lot of time here in the future.

Ray

 

[shipwreck66]

Sparkem you made a killer deal for 12k, definitely did not overpay for what you described. enjoy many happy adventures and I am envious of the shower arrangement. What my postings concerning onboard AC, I think I found a workable solution that won't cost a fortune.

 

[sparkem]

Shipwreck66,

Yes I would appreciate the info.

 

[Time Out]

You made a great choice. I have a 87' Catalina 27 and absolutely love it. Its a great boat for day sails and weekending. It performs well and the M-18 is good engine. Ive never had a major engine problem other than routine maintenance in the 10 years Ive had it. I'd say 12k is a good deal. Enjoy the new boat!

-Eric

 

[jrowan]

FYI: For future reference, I highly recommend "Don Casey's: Inspecting The Aging Sailboat," an excellent reference guide for a potential buy, or where to look for needed maintenance. It is very thorough, has specific checklists of what to look for as far as hull, deck, rigging, sails, engine, & cabin systems. It will teach U how to sound out the deck for soft spots, find rot, bad chain plates, etc. It could save U thousands & made a useful negotiation tool for me. I work as a building inspector & this book taught me a few things. Good luck with your new boat. Sounds like a lot of nice add on gear. I've never managed to get a boat with self tailing winches yet.

 

[jrowan]

ps. I had an 1985 C 25, very similar design - watch out for cracks & leaks in the Lexan plastic portholes. Notoriously leaky. I'm sure U already checked the shaft seal stuffing box & keel bolts already. If the boat was in the water at time of sail, its hard to really inspect the hull or keel.