Hi everyone, first post here, looking for some advice on the condition of an early 80s Catalina 30 that I'm considering buying. It would not be my first boat, but would be my first sailboat and the first one that is enough money to care about.
I've done quite a bit of searching both here and general Google and haven't found real consensus answers, if I've missed something please point me to some links or search terms that will help me find some answers.
I've been out to see it once, both my wife and I felt like this is "the one" so it definitely passes the emotional test. It's outwardly in great condition with near new sails, rigging, dodger, and interior upholstery and woodwork. It has the M25 engine. The broker showed me the findings from a previous survey and there's a couple of things that I don't know whether to be concerned about or not. 1. Elevated moisture readings near the port windows and mast. All port windows have been replaced and are said to be leak free now. No soft spots or delam. Recommendation from the survey is to reseal deck hardware and monitor.
2. Catalina smile shows evidence of repair. Recommended to monitor the condition and use as is.
Other than that the boat appears to be in really good shape and checks all the boxes for us. I'm planning to go back in a couple of days and go over it with a fine toothed comb, run the engine etc and decide if it's worth paying for a survey and moving forward.
Any advice on whether those are deal breakers? I'm willing to take on maintenance, but I don't need another project. Is it reasonable to expect to find a boat in this price range (low 20k) that doesn't have these issues?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
I've done quite a bit of searching both here and general Google and haven't found real consensus answers, if I've missed something please point me to some links or search terms that will help me find some answers.
I've been out to see it once, both my wife and I felt like this is "the one" so it definitely passes the emotional test. It's outwardly in great condition with near new sails, rigging, dodger, and interior upholstery and woodwork. It has the M25 engine. The broker showed me the findings from a previous survey and there's a couple of things that I don't know whether to be concerned about or not. 1. Elevated moisture readings near the port windows and mast. All port windows have been replaced and are said to be leak free now. No soft spots or delam. Recommendation from the survey is to reseal deck hardware and monitor.
2. Catalina smile shows evidence of repair. Recommended to monitor the condition and use as is.
Other than that the boat appears to be in really good shape and checks all the boxes for us. I'm planning to go back in a couple of days and go over it with a fine toothed comb, run the engine etc and decide if it's worth paying for a survey and moving forward.
Any advice on whether those are deal breakers? I'm willing to take on maintenance, but I don't need another project. Is it reasonable to expect to find a boat in this price range (low 20k) that doesn't have these issues?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!