My wife and I are looking at a 96 270 Catalina. This will be our first purchase of a sail boat and would appreciate any feed back. We live in michigang and will plane to dock the boat all season. In and out would seem to be a lot of work. I'm looking to make a offer contingent of a survey and mechanical trial. My two biggest concerns is the keel which is a wing and should I be concerned about the Catalina smile. And the Westerbeke 18 hp diesel motor. The rest of the boat showed very well but as a novas I my be missing other things. This is my first posting of a question and any helpful criticism would be appreciated if needed.
Sail Boat Purchase
- Thread starter Bedwards
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I can't talk about the Catalina that you are looking at, but I can talk about the process. I am closing on my first sailboat tomorrow afternoon. It a process I started in January. I am buying a 1977 Endeavour 32. This is after looking at a lot of boats in the size and price range I was hoping for. The first thing I did was determine what I wanted for a boat. I also spent a lot of time reading everything I could find about boat inspections. I knew that didn't want to spend $600 on a inspection unless I knew for sure that it was the boat for me and that there wasn't going to be any big surprises with the inspections. I started with a book called Your First Sailboat. It has a lot on information about what to look for. It also has a section called the 30 minute inspection. It tells you how to inspect a boat and what to look for. There are also a lot of inspection tips in the forums. The bottom line was, when I stepped on this boat, the first time, I just knew it was the boat for me. It just felt right. I then read everything I could on Endeavour 32. I got a review from Practical Sailor. So I knew what owners and reviewer were saying about the pros and cons and how it would sail. I also went over every inch of the boat, doing my own hammer test, checking every compoinit, looking for water intrusion. Once I was satified, I made the offer. The first offer fell flat. I knew the boat was already priced low, but just needed to get that better deal. I went back with a new offer, this time meeting the sellers price, but asking the amout to escrowed, in the event that issues came out of the survey or shakedown cruise. The seller went for that. I ordered the survey and it came back with only minor suggestions. Stuff like hose clamps needing replacing. That's my story. If you want more information feel free to ask.
Is there a Catalina smile or are you just concerned about what you hear about it?
The smile was common in mid-80's and earlier models and is caused by the wooden insert at the keel-hull joint rotting. With a '96, it probably won't be an issue.
There are a few schools of thought on how to fix it, ranging from drilling and filling to replacing the support. Catalina will give you instructions on how to repair it. In my '79 C30 it was present, but the keel bolts were in good condition, the torque was kept within spec and there was never a leaking problem.
I was told by numerous sources that if there was no leaking and the bolts were good, then not to be overly concerned about it so I kept an eye on those things. I just did the easy "fix" with a Dremmel and some MarineTex. You can always use it to your advantage in your negotiaitons on price of the boat
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As far as the motor goes, I am just learning about the diesel myself since the old boat had an A4. Go to the Westerbeke website and they have all of the manuals available so you can read up on the engine. Also search this site for the "smile" and the engine and I'm sure there will be tons of information for you to read to prepare yourself for your purchase. This is probably the best resource out there.
The smile was common in mid-80's and earlier models and is caused by the wooden insert at the keel-hull joint rotting. With a '96, it probably won't be an issue.
There are a few schools of thought on how to fix it, ranging from drilling and filling to replacing the support. Catalina will give you instructions on how to repair it. In my '79 C30 it was present, but the keel bolts were in good condition, the torque was kept within spec and there was never a leaking problem.
I was told by numerous sources that if there was no leaking and the bolts were good, then not to be overly concerned about it so I kept an eye on those things. I just did the easy "fix" with a Dremmel and some MarineTex. You can always use it to your advantage in your negotiaitons on price of the boat
.As far as the motor goes, I am just learning about the diesel myself since the old boat had an A4. Go to the Westerbeke website and they have all of the manuals available so you can read up on the engine. Also search this site for the "smile" and the engine and I'm sure there will be tons of information for you to read to prepare yourself for your purchase. This is probably the best resource out there.
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In water year 'round in Michigan? Does that work?
Fiberglass hulls absorb some water -especially in fresh water. Its generally thought it's better to let them dry out from time to time.
I agree about learning everything you can about the particular boat so you can do the best inspection possible before survey. You won't be happy if you engage a surveyor only to have him reject the boat before he gets the ladder up.
Fiberglass hulls absorb some water -especially in fresh water. Its generally thought it's better to let them dry out from time to time.
I agree about learning everything you can about the particular boat so you can do the best inspection possible before survey. You won't be happy if you engage a surveyor only to have him reject the boat before he gets the ladder up.
Hauling your boat each season is not that much work and you have the benefit of a good yard there in Pentwater. while some object to storing mast up, most people do it. I think it is a good idea to take a trip up the mast each season to inspect the rigging. I think the 27 is a good choice for a first boat. It is large enough to take cruises, certainly sea worthy enough for Lake Michigan, yet small enough to learn how to handle. I have never owned a Catalina, but have sailed them and I like them.
Hey guys, just to point out: he said leave it in all SEASON, so I assume he's talking about hauling out in late fall rather than "dry slipping" and launching every time he sails.
My last boat was a '94 270 with a fin, there should NOT be a smile, this was a problem on older boats. I can't speak to a wing, I've sailed them but never owned one. Some people think (I'm one) that if you retorque the keelbolts on a Cat at 8-10 years of age and then leave them alone you should be good for the life of the boat, no smile. I'd be concerned about cracks anywhere in the keel structure.
Try to raise the stainless covers of all turnbuckles on standing rigging. If not moved the stainless cover of a closed Catalina turnbuckle will weld itself to the soft brass body underneath. You end up having to chisel them off to replace.
My boat had 6 quarter size blisters which I repaired when I bought it, 6 years in saltwater fulltime and 6000 miles later no new blisters when I sold.
I put an extra layer of glass on the leading edge of the rudder because I'm battling OCD, (Admiral advises I'm losing).
Fun boats, you can point a little higher than other boats because of the inboard shrouds. I liked a 150 genny best, you get most of your power from the headsail. water tank is a little small, forepeak is small, the admiral slept there, me and the roll-up dink slept in the aft.
Try to raise the stainless covers of all turnbuckles on standing rigging. If not moved the stainless cover of a closed Catalina turnbuckle will weld itself to the soft brass body underneath. You end up having to chisel them off to replace.
My boat had 6 quarter size blisters which I repaired when I bought it, 6 years in saltwater fulltime and 6000 miles later no new blisters when I sold.
I put an extra layer of glass on the leading edge of the rudder because I'm battling OCD, (Admiral advises I'm losing).
Fun boats, you can point a little higher than other boats because of the inboard shrouds. I liked a 150 genny best, you get most of your power from the headsail. water tank is a little small, forepeak is small, the admiral slept there, me and the roll-up dink slept in the aft.
Thank you everyone for all your input. I'm sure all the good tips will help me make a good purchase.
Well good luck. The two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy her and the day you first sail her. Don't believe anything else anyone says on that subject!
Keep us up to date. We all love the boat buying process and it's great to live vicariously through someone else's when we aren't doing it!
Keep us up to date. We all love the boat buying process and it's great to live vicariously through someone else's when we aren't doing it!
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