restoring a 25 footer, value vs features questions

Jul 7, 2019
16
Catalina 25 161 Drummondville, Qc, Canada
I am restoring a new to me 1977 Catalina 25 swing keel, the boat is in good condition but in need of much love...
I am not restoring to resale it, I am restoring for myself but if I ever want to go with a bigger boat, I want to make sure I do not make the boat less valuable... (even throwing money at it!)
I love the look of wood when it is in good condition but as we all know weather is beating wood quite a bit. so I intend to replace all external wood with either metal, fiberglass or plastic...
Is wood a feature that people value or expect looking for a boat?

All hoses need to be replaced, both water reservoir are in good shape and were probably replaced not long ago.
I do not intend to reinstall the sink in the head area and will use the space for storage. The head needs replacing, i intend to use a composting head instead the jabsco that was broken, so i no longer need the black water reservoir... I intend to remove the reservoir and obviously not put the hoses and pump-out fittings...
would those modification upset any potential buyer?
 
May 29, 2018
457
Canel 25 foot Shiogama, japan
1. If the wood is teak, remove and ditch some, remove and renovate some.
You will save money because you already have the bits and if you varnish or oil them before sale it is a definite winner.
Nothing catches the eye like sparkling teak.

2, The head needs replacing, Does it? If you already have the tank and piping, maybe a Jabsco full repair kit will get it working. Again, sticking to the original gear saves money and time. Composting toilet has to be more expensive and time consuming than a repair job. Also although the composter might be attractive some potential buyers it could turn just as many away.
3, I do not intend to reinstall the sink in the head area and will use the space for storage
Unless your removal and conversion is of professional quality it will diminish the overall value of the boat.
Some people like a sink to wash up and brush teeth in the morning and there should be enough storage room aboard if you manage you gear well.

You haven't mentioned what you plan to do to make it a better or more user friendly boat.
Do what is need to make the boat safe, fast and reliable first.
All the other little jobs come a distant second.

Gary
 
Oct 10, 2011
619
Tartan 34C Toms River, New Jersey
I agree with Gary, especially on replacing the head. Have you seen the cost Natures Head is around 1K, and Air Head is around 1,600.00. That is a big chunk of change for a 25 footer.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
There are no 'concours d'elegance' events for Catalina 25s. Or of any other boat of that vintage for that matter. So you can do whatever you want, but it makes sense to do what modern thinking says.

One modern value is to lower maintenance time and costs. This is why you see less exterior wood, and things that used to be made of wood (grab rails, etc) now being made of SS, plastic, or synthetic wood.

If/when it comes time to sell, future buyers in that price range will be very pragmatic. They will be looking for working solutions, and not a time-capsule of 1970s boat technology.
 
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Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
You're not gonna get your money back. Forget about that. Think more about what you want and try to keep your costs down. I would prioritize making the boat functional and try to keep my costs down.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
Boats are a magical thing. Money goes in and is rarely seen again.

I'd personally rather see plastic instead of wood because it's lower maintenance (longevity may be another story). I'd rather have more storage than a second sink but I wouldn't pay more for it. As you can see there are a number of different opinions and desires but the bottom line is that you won't get your money back. Look up the Catalina 22 named Chip Ahoy. He did a beautiful restore that cost $50k but only got $15k when he sold it.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I think @billjoye 's perspective is valid however I have flipped two Macgregor V21 sailboats, a Macgregor V22, a Coronado 23, a Coronado 25, a Balboa 26 and I'm working on a Rhodes 22 right now. I have made a small profit (not counting my labor) on every one of those boats with the exception of the Coronado 25. Broke even on that one.

I also enjoyed sailing each of those boats. I think the difference is how you go about the restoration. If you have to buy sails, and O.B. standing rigging and a trailer, you will loose money. When I buy a used boat, I am buying the O.B. the sails, and the trailer. The rest is "free" in my mind because I can fix fiberglass, wood and do basic rigging at a relatively low cost. You have to look for a boat with "cosmetic distress" but otherwise the key systems are sound.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
A PO of Bella did a great job replacing all of the deck wood trim with a synthetic. I love it. Zero maintenance.
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Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
A forewarning about bow seats: A couple was out on their motorboat for the day. She was riding the bow while he was driving. They hit a wake and she went flying. Unfortunately she hit the prop and did not survive. I'm told that bow riding is now banned on Lake Geneva because of this incident. It is by far the best seat in the house but please be mindful when motoring.

A couple I know did a complete refit on an O'Day 25. It cost them about 10k and countless hours over the past couple of years. They launched without rigging in 10-15 minutes between the two of them
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Just a note, a friend has a Catalina 22 Sport, from the 2000's I think. Every place there is teak on my boat from the mid-80's, like say hatch sliders and drop board retainers, is either white starboard or stainless steel on his boat. I spend a lot of time varnishing my (admittedly) minimal teak trim, and he hates boat work, so he's perfectly fine not having any wood on his boat.

If you do swap out teak trim for less maintenance materials, and you're looking towards new owners as you mention, make sure to use good materials. White King Starboard is a good choice, and PlasTeak, which is similar high density polyethylene as Starboard. Azek is a PVC synthetic decking material which people have used with good results.

However, last time I saw it, Trex was a wood fiber and polyethylene matrix material. I would not use it on my boat, because I wouldn't want the wood fibers to eventually wet out and rot. But I suppose it would take pretty long for that to happen, certainly as long as it might take for the UV to ruin the polyethylene.