Hello, I am looking to purchase a used sailboat and have been looking at a couple. The '74-'83 30' Hunter seems a good choice for what I will need. Two adults and two small kids going for weekends to the keys from Miami. I have not owned a large boat for a while and have a couple of questions. First, I have seen some very reasonaby priced boats (low teens) that seemed in good condition but cosmetically a bit of a mess. Especially the interior seems very run down on these older vessels. How big of a project is it to get an interior from rough to nice and most important impeceably clean with a pleasent smell? Besides making sure the engine has some life left in it, what culd be the biggest problem with a 25 year old boat? I am planning on a thourough sea trial and a survey. But what should I look for and which ones should I turn down? What's the best or worst case getting a used fairly old sailboat? Reading some of the reviews many owners seem to have issues with the "i-beam". What is involved for repair and how to look for problems? Thanks a lot, regards, Sab.
Purchasing a used boat - What to look for?
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Darrel
Buying aGood Old Boat
I suppose one of the first things to look at would be the kind of care the boat has had from its previous owners. A boat that has been lovingly cared for would be high on the list. You will know almost immediately upon setting foot on board how the owners feels about his boat. Clean, maintained teak, fiberglass that has been polished and waxed, fittings that have been properly sealed. The absence of leaks around hatches, portlights,and toe rails. How is the boat equipped. Speed, Depth, Wind, batteries, VHF radio and such. Sails, are they in a crumpled wad, or are they flaked neatly. How about all the canvas? Is it clean, all stitching intact or is it falling apart? Look in the engine room. Has the owner taken steps to keep it clean or is it just a mass of oil, grease, and fuel smells? All of these preliminary observations can tell you a lot and help you decide if the boat is worth taking the next step and having it surveyed. Take your time, look at lots of boats, and you will find one that is worthy of your loving care on into the future.
I suppose one of the first things to look at would be the kind of care the boat has had from its previous owners. A boat that has been lovingly cared for would be high on the list. You will know almost immediately upon setting foot on board how the owners feels about his boat. Clean, maintained teak, fiberglass that has been polished and waxed, fittings that have been properly sealed. The absence of leaks around hatches, portlights,and toe rails. How is the boat equipped. Speed, Depth, Wind, batteries, VHF radio and such. Sails, are they in a crumpled wad, or are they flaked neatly. How about all the canvas? Is it clean, all stitching intact or is it falling apart? Look in the engine room. Has the owner taken steps to keep it clean or is it just a mass of oil, grease, and fuel smells? All of these preliminary observations can tell you a lot and help you decide if the boat is worth taking the next step and having it surveyed. Take your time, look at lots of boats, and you will find one that is worthy of your loving care on into the future.
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Andy
Spend time thinking to avoid spending $
The number of ways for choosing a boat are probably more than the total number of sailors. I suggest, for what it is worth, spend more time planning than looking. EXACTLY, what do YOU (family)need? The more flexibility you have increases the number of boats to consider and the more specificity will, of course, decrease the number. The trick is to he hard-headed and honest. You have to lived with your decision. There seems to be quite a few 30 foot Cherubini designed Hunters available. How much work can you do? How much do you want to do? We have an 82 27, and from what I have read there are similar concerns. Hulls and engines are usually in good shape but can be a financial disaster if they are not. Darrel covers a lot of stuff and I would echo all especially sails. Sailboats don't nickel and dime you, they hundred and thousand you. Specifically to this model are the hatches and ports. They seem to have a life of at most 20 years. I have looked at the 30 and what concerns me is the location of the chainplates. They would be somewhat in the way working the deck and after seeing a through deck chainplate give out on a smaller hunter I would look closely at how they are anchored. Maybe an owner can comment on this? The mast support also should be inspected but depression on deck and or cracks, etc. can give you a quick idea. Interiors are a personal thing. Beyond the structual necessities, beauty is in the eye of the sailor. Many seem to love the modern "just like home" look. If I had my way, I would have the interior of a 19th-century vessel, very functional and adaptable. Again, how much work can/willing to do or pay for? I would again echo Darrel in saying that there is a difference between 20 years of wear and 20 years of neglect. There are also regional things. On the Great Lakes, biminis and A/C are nice add-ons, in your waters they can be necessities. A/C brings the electrical system into focus. Often these have been jury-rigged to accomodate add-ons and then I have it on good authority that a salt-water environment can add all sorts of fun. Determine your personal specification, do price comparisons, and walk away from (don't compromise) anything that does not fit into your plan. Andy
The number of ways for choosing a boat are probably more than the total number of sailors. I suggest, for what it is worth, spend more time planning than looking. EXACTLY, what do YOU (family)need? The more flexibility you have increases the number of boats to consider and the more specificity will, of course, decrease the number. The trick is to he hard-headed and honest. You have to lived with your decision. There seems to be quite a few 30 foot Cherubini designed Hunters available. How much work can you do? How much do you want to do? We have an 82 27, and from what I have read there are similar concerns. Hulls and engines are usually in good shape but can be a financial disaster if they are not. Darrel covers a lot of stuff and I would echo all especially sails. Sailboats don't nickel and dime you, they hundred and thousand you. Specifically to this model are the hatches and ports. They seem to have a life of at most 20 years. I have looked at the 30 and what concerns me is the location of the chainplates. They would be somewhat in the way working the deck and after seeing a through deck chainplate give out on a smaller hunter I would look closely at how they are anchored. Maybe an owner can comment on this? The mast support also should be inspected but depression on deck and or cracks, etc. can give you a quick idea. Interiors are a personal thing. Beyond the structual necessities, beauty is in the eye of the sailor. Many seem to love the modern "just like home" look. If I had my way, I would have the interior of a 19th-century vessel, very functional and adaptable. Again, how much work can/willing to do or pay for? I would again echo Darrel in saying that there is a difference between 20 years of wear and 20 years of neglect. There are also regional things. On the Great Lakes, biminis and A/C are nice add-ons, in your waters they can be necessities. A/C brings the electrical system into focus. Often these have been jury-rigged to accomodate add-ons and then I have it on good authority that a salt-water environment can add all sorts of fun. Determine your personal specification, do price comparisons, and walk away from (don't compromise) anything that does not fit into your plan. Andy
h30 concerns
These vessels are known for problems with the iron mast step and fiberglass blisters that could be serious. Next I'd be concerned about rudder problems and rain water leaks. The gelcoat may be very tired and ready for a paint job. If it has a lot of original hardware it may be time to replace it. Could be a good value if you find a nice one.
These vessels are known for problems with the iron mast step and fiberglass blisters that could be serious. Next I'd be concerned about rudder problems and rain water leaks. The gelcoat may be very tired and ready for a paint job. If it has a lot of original hardware it may be time to replace it. Could be a good value if you find a nice one.
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Mike Collier
Good points
made by Darrel of Fla. and very sound advice. I would add that in my search I found that boats tend to sit a long time waiting to be sold. When a prospective buyer contacts the seller it is easy to do a little cleaning to make a boat presentable. Further, a 25 year old boat will probably have had many upgrades. All of the tanks (fuel, fresh water and holding) should have been replaced by now, or their replacement considered in the purchase price. The same thing pertains to everything regarding the condition of the vessel. It is past its service life. If it hasn't been replaced it will need replacing or upgrading soon. However, the survey should point out these deficiencies. Then, you haggle the price remembering that one man's gold mine is another man's worthless shaft. Specifically, The seller might be asking retail, but you offer wholesale and be prepared to walk away. With the purchase of a good old boat, you must consider sweat equity into ownership. My opinion is that maintenance is half the fun of ownership. Murphy's Soap, Old English polish, teak oil, sandpaper, Cetol, lemon scented dishwashing detergent, Magic Eraser and lots of elbow grease will bring a boat back to life. You can clean, paint, polish and replace as much or as little as you want. In the final analysis, you ask yourself is the price you are willing to pay and the amount of time you are willing to invest in maintaining the boat balance with the time you will be able spend on the water sailng. After all, that is why you are considering buying a sailboat. I have a 1979 Hunter 30 that I bought last summer. The wife and I contend that we made a good investment in an older boat. It sat for two years while it waited for a buyer. However, it was in resonable condition and the price I paid for it reflected its age and condition. Regardless, I have been sailing the boat from the day I bought it. Meanwhile, I clean, paint, polish and replace. Good luck to you. You can't go wrong with a Hunter 30 Cherubini.
made by Darrel of Fla. and very sound advice. I would add that in my search I found that boats tend to sit a long time waiting to be sold. When a prospective buyer contacts the seller it is easy to do a little cleaning to make a boat presentable. Further, a 25 year old boat will probably have had many upgrades. All of the tanks (fuel, fresh water and holding) should have been replaced by now, or their replacement considered in the purchase price. The same thing pertains to everything regarding the condition of the vessel. It is past its service life. If it hasn't been replaced it will need replacing or upgrading soon. However, the survey should point out these deficiencies. Then, you haggle the price remembering that one man's gold mine is another man's worthless shaft. Specifically, The seller might be asking retail, but you offer wholesale and be prepared to walk away. With the purchase of a good old boat, you must consider sweat equity into ownership. My opinion is that maintenance is half the fun of ownership. Murphy's Soap, Old English polish, teak oil, sandpaper, Cetol, lemon scented dishwashing detergent, Magic Eraser and lots of elbow grease will bring a boat back to life. You can clean, paint, polish and replace as much or as little as you want. In the final analysis, you ask yourself is the price you are willing to pay and the amount of time you are willing to invest in maintaining the boat balance with the time you will be able spend on the water sailng. After all, that is why you are considering buying a sailboat. I have a 1979 Hunter 30 that I bought last summer. The wife and I contend that we made a good investment in an older boat. It sat for two years while it waited for a buyer. However, it was in resonable condition and the price I paid for it reflected its age and condition. Regardless, I have been sailing the boat from the day I bought it. Meanwhile, I clean, paint, polish and replace. Good luck to you. You can't go wrong with a Hunter 30 Cherubini.
My experiences
I have an 81 H30 which I bought 4 years ago (december 2000). I would look at the I beam, engine, compression post, and water leaks around ports and the companion way. When I bought my boat the first thing I did was have the cushions recovered because I couldn't stand that rough coderoy 1970's pattern they had. That was $1600. Since then I have repainted the non-skid and upgraded the traveller and mainsheet hardware as my biggest projects. Overall the boat has been very trouble free. I am pretty certain that the Yanmar QM-15 is original, and it has been very reliable. Get a good survey, and look at serveral boats. HTH!
I have an 81 H30 which I bought 4 years ago (december 2000). I would look at the I beam, engine, compression post, and water leaks around ports and the companion way. When I bought my boat the first thing I did was have the cushions recovered because I couldn't stand that rough coderoy 1970's pattern they had. That was $1600. Since then I have repainted the non-skid and upgraded the traveller and mainsheet hardware as my biggest projects. Overall the boat has been very trouble free. I am pretty certain that the Yanmar QM-15 is original, and it has been very reliable. Get a good survey, and look at serveral boats. HTH!
Good advise
I just bought an 88 30' Hunter in Ocotober. As far as interior goes, I've enjoyed spending the time cleaning and fixing little things. I will confirm what a few sailors told me when looking - double the time you think it will take to do any one project. Double the money you think it will take to fix it up. Never expect to get the money you put into the boat out of it. If you have any concerns, get a second survey - see my Hull problems that were missed - although I'm not sure that a second survey would have caught this one. The boat yard where the survey is done will not offer any help or advise. If I had to do it again, I'd take the boat to another yard on my own to have the people who work on boats go over it. All in all, I think having a family to help with the bringing her back to life is a great and rewarding day for all (if they're into it). Sounds like you are looking forward to getting into a fixer upper - me too. Make sure the projects are within your skill set. Also like you I like clean. I've discovered that the smells are from moisture and these dryer days of the season in FL are helping a lot with the aid of air dryers, Clorox, machine washing cushion covers, Pine Sol, and a multitude of air fresheners. Opening every hatch every chance I get, getting into and cleaning every tight spot to remove anything that might contribute to odors helps a lot . . One more thing, use bug foggers the first day you get it home and 2 weeks after that before you start cleaning will prevent you from having to retrace your steps. Good luck & enjoy.
I just bought an 88 30' Hunter in Ocotober. As far as interior goes, I've enjoyed spending the time cleaning and fixing little things. I will confirm what a few sailors told me when looking - double the time you think it will take to do any one project. Double the money you think it will take to fix it up. Never expect to get the money you put into the boat out of it. If you have any concerns, get a second survey - see my Hull problems that were missed - although I'm not sure that a second survey would have caught this one. The boat yard where the survey is done will not offer any help or advise. If I had to do it again, I'd take the boat to another yard on my own to have the people who work on boats go over it. All in all, I think having a family to help with the bringing her back to life is a great and rewarding day for all (if they're into it). Sounds like you are looking forward to getting into a fixer upper - me too. Make sure the projects are within your skill set. Also like you I like clean. I've discovered that the smells are from moisture and these dryer days of the season in FL are helping a lot with the aid of air dryers, Clorox, machine washing cushion covers, Pine Sol, and a multitude of air fresheners. Opening every hatch every chance I get, getting into and cleaning every tight spot to remove anything that might contribute to odors helps a lot . . One more thing, use bug foggers the first day you get it home and 2 weeks after that before you start cleaning will prevent you from having to retrace your steps. Good luck & enjoy.
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