Should I walk or reduce offer?

azguy · Feb 9, 2014

You never said what you are thinking of paying or boat..?

Would you fix the blisters with a new bottom job..?

A new main would be $2,000+...a 20 year old main is probably ready to be retired IMHO

I'd have a real god mechanic check the whole engine out since there are a couple of problems being presented...

dj2210 · Feb 9, 2014

MH not sure I can say what you should do because a lot depends on what you already negotiated. I paid 22k for a 1990 two years ago with 500 hrs on the engine and a nice hull with only a couple of small blisters. I did replace all running rigging, lifelines, engine mounts, fuel tank, and eventually will do the the plumbing, new sails, engine panel and maybe refrigeration. My full batten main while worn still works as does the genoa. Blisters 2-3" sounds rather large. Figure $2k for new main, $2-3k for bottom job.

Stu Jackson · Feb 9, 2014

Looks good with maintenance records is pretty revealing, in a good way.

1. Blisters - sounds like a DIY fix, many blister repair posts here and elsewhere on the web. Drill 'em out, fill 'em and go.

2. 1000 hours is pretty good, we've got 2750 on our '86 boat. Either a linkage issue or bend the throttle lever a bit, not an issue. If you need engine info, we have tons: http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Diesel_Engine

3. Alarms - simple fix

4. Head - maybe the holding tank is full. Easy to check and fix.

5. Old sails on an old boat, how unusual...

Your call on this one.

Sounds like a fine boat. Most folks figure out the cost of fixes and bargain with the seller. I don't think sails would be part of it, but time & effort to fix the blisters would be.

Good luck.

PS - since you've looked for two years, this sounds like "the one." We spent a year looking for our boat, and saw some really sorry hulks. My eyes popped when we saw the one we bought.

centerline · Feb 10, 2014

negotiate....

if the boat is the type and size you want, and it looks good but has a few things that are reasonably repairable, its not a boat that you should just walk away from without negotiating....

a boat that has been let go a couple of years can be brought back. one that has been let go several years is a bit tougher, but can be done....
a large area of wet core, a damaged engine, damaged rigging/mast or a soggy/trashed interior are things to walk away from, but an old sail and old rigging are a natural part of an old boat, so you cant hardly negotiate against these unless the asking price is unreasonably high to begin with.

as for the head not working, there are rebuild kits available, but it could be the plumbing.
the other items you mention are just little things that have been neglected.... nothing a bit of tinkering wont cure.

as for the issues you mention, the BLISTERS are the only thing that I would think twice about... not because they are so difficult to fix, but because the boat has to be out of the water long enough to fix them.... but no matter what boat you get, you will have to deal with blisters sometime, so its only a matter if you want to deal with them at the next haul out, or keep looking for a boat that may go a couple of haul outs before you need to deal with them...
the up side is, you have been looking two years and havent had to worry about hull blisters until now.... and if you keep looking long enough, you will NEVER have to worry about hull blisters.... its nice to have options

weinie · Feb 10, 2014

I'd confirm the engine problem is an "easy" fix first.

azguy · Feb 10, 2014

IMHO that seems a tad high for what could be a $4,000 to $5,000 bottom job. If you had it hauled for the survey and took pictures, I would get some bids....

kito · Feb 10, 2014

The seller must be really pleased to get $27k. I am in NC and looked at a bunch of C30's last summer. How long was this one on the market?. 1980's C30's in really nice shape were going for under $20k....some for around $15k. I passed on a mint 1984 with new sails and many extras for $19k. It was on a mountain lake and the moving cost killed that deal.

Claygr · Feb 10, 2014

My comments are below in blue.

MH said:
Made offer on 89 Catalina 30. Survey showed some issues but not of the next step. Should I keep looking, reduce offer (if so, how much)?

How much do you like the boat other than the five issues and how able/interested are you in resolving the issues yourself? If the answers to those two questions are yes, I definitely would say negotiate. The problems you identified are very common to this age of boat, so it would be a shame to let a good boat go by when you may not be able to do better.

Boat looks great with all maintenance records and pretty well maintained. Here are the issues.

1 (biggest issue for me and probably only possible dealbreaker) About 22 blisters scattered about about 3-4 inches wide. There were records where blisters were repaired in 2007.

I had a 1989 Catalina 34 and I was surprised to learn when we took the bottom paint off that there was no barrier coat. I asked the dealer, who told me they only put barrier coats on at customer requests. Catalina was selling the boats with five-year "blister free" warrantees so new owners did not put barrier coats on. I would be interested if the previous blister repair involved applying an epoxy barrier coat like Interprotect or Pettit Protect. I suspect not. Drill the blisters out, fill them with epoxy, and apply a barrier coat.

2 Engine (m25xp, 1000 hours) doesnt hit max rpm. Could be linkage adjustment or fuel delivery. Pedestal throttle lever actually hits knot meter. Could be easy fix.

Could also be a tachometer issue - tachometers are notoriously inaccurate. The better question is whether you are hitting hull speed. If not, I look at whether there is mechanical obstruction in the throttle linkage (which could be at the helm as you suggest). Fuel delivery would be a more serious problem (if it was not clogged filters) but that seems like a "zebra" compared to the likely "horses" in terms of possible causes.

3 Low oil alarm not working and no high temp alarm. This will cost about $200 in parts and can install myself.

If the 30 was the same as the 34 in 1989, the boat did not come with a high temperature alarm. As you say, it is a pretty simple fix - you'll need to buy a sender and drill and tap a hole into the thermostat housing and wire it to the alarm. The oil pressure alarm issue could be just the alarm, the wiring to the alarm, or the sender.

4 Head not pumping.

You can get a replacement mechanical head for $120 if it is a head issue.

5 20 year old main. Boom is low in cockpit and sail not going to top of mast. Learned from this forum that probably caused by bolt rope shrinking. Maybe sailmaker can get a few more years or just replace it?

Just factor that into the cost of the boat and replace it. Life is too short to sail with floppy sails.

So, what to do? Walk or offer less? Which of these things should figure into a lower offer? Thanks.

azguy · Feb 10, 2014

I'm glad someone brought up price, we have several mid to late 80's Catalina 30's at my lake for sale and they are around $15k, granted they would have to be moved. One of them has AC, a new bottom done last fall and two new sails...

dj2210 · Feb 10, 2014

MH mine is a 1990 and I had to replace the compression post block in the bilge. They are wood and have a tendency to rot. I replaced mine with stainless.

hvbaker · Feb 10, 2014

What advice did your surveyor give? The issues you raise sound reasonable for a boat of that age. I have an '89 #5693. It will cost more than you think if you want to completely refit and upgrade the rigging, sails and electronics, but then it will truly be your boat.

just lucky · Feb 10, 2014

funny how every one looks at these posts with a different eye. I guess that's what makes it work as well as it does.
I purchased a 84 four years ago, figured i paid way too much the moment the cheque cleared. Now, not so much.
i think the blisters are the largest concern mentioned. the engine not reaching max RPM has nothing to do with its condition, if it sounds OK? revs up and down ok, its a linkage issue, no question. No water in the oil, no oil in the water, neither leaking from the exterior, means no cracks.

Terry in Naples · Feb 10, 2014

I had an oday 30 that had blisters and i had them fixed. A few years later did it again. Then finally had to just about peel off the rest of the bottom that got them so in about 10 years the whole bottom had had blisters and been repaired. My feeling was that once you start getting these the entire surface is subject to them. The last time i repaired the entire bottom at about $9000 . Sold the boat with the new bottom. But my advice, pick another hull.

hvbaker · Feb 10, 2014

MH said:
Surveyor said it was better than average condition. It really doesnt need any refitting or updating other than what I listed.

Don't be so sure. Crevice corrosion can be hard to detect. I had a lower shroud chain plate fail one night 5 miles out in the ocean. Got back in, but I was scared enough to replace the entire standing rigging. Little problems $$$ will arise every time you go out. But it's only money.

mortyd · Feb 11, 2014

why would you look at a boat in the water? have the seller haul so you can take a good look nefore you hire a surveyor for big bucks. when i was looking i insisted on seeing the hull nefore i made a offer. i figured the one seller who refused was trying to hide something.