Should I buy?

[Corey]

I have been shopping for a boat for 2 years now. a 1988 22' wing keel has popped up in my area for sale. its in great shape, other than the front hatch has a crack in it. the guy is asking $3500 for it. it comes with an outboard and trailer. this would be my first boat. it sounds like a good deal, but im unsure if this is the boat i need to learn on. i went and looked at it and it just needs to be cleaned out and maybe bottom paint? he's had it in the water for the past two years. $3500 is a lot of money to me, but i can swing it if its truly a good deal. can anybody help me make a decision?

 

[Pete Peterson]

Sounds good

A Catalina 22 is a great boat on which to learn to sail, and the price sounds good too. Spend a couple of hundred dollars more for a survey. Also, given that this is a lot of money to you, keep in mind that this money will not be the last you will spend on sailing. You can save quite a bit trailering it, but there are still annual maintenance, taxes, and registration fees to pay. Check whether you need a rider on your home insurance policy. Most costly, the boat will surely become something that you will want to improve with extras over the years, unless you have an iron will (or a spouse veto). Join the fun!

 

[Randy]

Excellent Deal

$3,500 for a 1988 wing keel C22 with trailer is an excellent deal. So good, in fact, that I would have someone with more experience check it out. Plus Pete is right, it is hard not to want to make improvements once you own the boat. Also, you will have moorage fees unless you just trailer it and in my opinion you are less likely to use the boat if it has to be setup and launched for every use. Have fun!

 

[Corey]

well...

i've found a slip for it already. i can afford it if there are no other major repairs needed. i do want to fix the hatch though, i wonder if i can just replace the plastic/plexiglass/whatever it is. other than that, the guy kept the boat at the same marina i would be putting it, and he seems like a honest guy. what problems could exist that i wouldn't be aware of? the bottom is the only thing that concerns me. but right now it seems like a no-brainer. or maybe i'm just really ready to buy.

 

[Randy]

Too good?

The reason you should be cautious is that the deal is close to "seems to good to be true" status. My quick research showed that a 1988 wing keel C22 with trailer can fetch $5,390 - $6,820 without a motor. I don't know if yours has a motor or not. Even if it doesn't you are getting quite a deal. It could be that you are a lucky fella or the boat could have a problem such as a rotten deck core that would be expensive to fix. The archives of this site have lots of useful things to look for in a used boat or you could hire an expert or just ask a knowledgable friend to take an inspection tour. I'll attach the web site that I used to look up values. It is the one that my credit union uses to value boats for loans.

 

[Barry Lenoble]

good deal

Hello,If the boat is in good shape that is an excellentdeal. I just bought a 1982 22 for $4500. Mine hasa 1994 trailer and 6 HP Nissan OB. The sails arefrom 1993. The boat is in very good condition.I think I got a good deal.If the boat is nice then buy it!Barry

 

[Gagews]

re: Should I buy

I purchased a 1973 Catalina 22 w/trailer for $2900.00, which after looking at two others and researching is about right. If you can, have the seller take you out on the boat and check for water leakage and walkaround barefoot on the deck feeling for soft spots. The price seems a bit fishy. When I was looking, the best late 80's price I could find was around 4500.00 without the trailer.Good Luck,Gagews