Purchasing a 1989 Catalina 27

[Tim]

I would appreciate any advise that you might provide on problems to look for in a Catalina 27, 1989 yr. I have identified a Catalina 27 that appears to be in excellent condition with 210 hrs on the diesel engine. This model has a wing keel and a wheel rather than a tiller. I owned a Catalina 22 for over 10 years and was very pleased with the quality of the boat. Any special problems I should look for before I buy a 27?? Thanks for sharing you experience. Tim

 

[John]

Used 27

Tim,I can not respond directly to the 89 model. However, there were a couple of things my surveyor missed on my 85 when I purchased it in 97. The first was bad hoses conneting the cockpit drais to the transom discharge. This allowed water to flow into the boat when the stern was low in the water. Second, my boats previous owner did very little in the way of "quality" maintenance. I got a really NASTY shower when I opened the waste discharge cap at the pump-out station. There was back pressure in the holding tank caused by a plugged vent line. John

 

[Bernard]

Get it surveyed

It's well worth the money to have this boat surveyed if you're serious about buying it.Watch out for blistering. This is more common in warm fresh water lakes. Some people like to have the boat hauled and repaired, which can cost hundreds or even a couple thousand to repair. Others believe that for boats over 5 or 7 years old, it's blistered all it's going to and if there is no structural damage, live with it, but use this as a bargaining point to negotiate down the price of the boat.Good Luck.