What should i expect of a 34' 35 year old $25k boat?

[hawk232]

I have found a boat that I like but there are some things about it which im not sure on. The boat is 35 years old and appears to have been well kept, has new wiring, autopilot, GPS, wind instrument, air conditioning etc... The sails are of unknown age but still feel pretty crisp. the engine doesn't have an hour meter but is serviced regularly and is reported to be in good condition by the yanmar representative. The boat also has crazing/light cracking on hatches and port holes, the original teak/holly floor was removed and the fiberglass painted and most importantly 3 of the stanchions feel looser than they should with one having some flex in the deck right around it. The rest of the deck felt solid (I haven't crawled all over to thoroughly check it yet though). I am no stranger to fiberglass and can fix it pretty easily but I am questioning if I am out of line for thinking a $25k boat shouldn't have these problems?

Ultimately the problem is that I haven't looked at enough boats in this price range to know what I should be expecting. I will be spending next week doing just that but until then, I would like to hear your thoughts.

 

[Justin_NSA]

a "34' $25k boat " doesn't mean much by itself. You don't say what it is. Is the price comparable to similar make, model, year boats? It should be easy to find "comps" online and see if this is high or low. The age doesn't excuse the deck problems you see. It might be lack of maintenance or a design flaw.

 

[dlochner]

More information would be helpful. Make and model would be a good start, an old boat from a well respected builder will command a higher price than a boat from a less well respected builder.

You won't find a 35 year old boat without some issues. Just like you won't find an old sailor without some issues. Wet core on decks is pretty common, 35 years ago they were just beginning to think that old fiberglass boats don't die and rot away like wood boats. Sealing compounds were as well developed as they are now.

It is also worth noting how do you intend to use the boat? If you plan on crossing oceans, there will be more work to do and things to consider. Weekend coastal cruising is less demanding.

The crazing and cracking on the hatches and ports is from UV exposure. The lens can be usually be replaced.

Sails don't last forever, so unless you know the vintage of the sails, plan on new ones within a few years.

Stanchions get loose for several reasons, age is one. Also if the boat has been raced, the rail meat often leans against the life lines putting a lot of force on the stanchion bases (remember it is a 2 foot lever). These causes the caulk to fail and water seeps into the core. The other big stanchion abuse is grabbing the lifelines to wrestle the boat in to a slip or against a dock. Same issue, it loosens the bases. Again, this will be a fairly common problem.

The value of the boat is ultimately what you and the sell agree upon. An asking price is just that, the first point in negotiations. Check Yachtworld.com, the SBO classifieds, and the Good Old Boat magazine classifieds for asking price comparisons. If you use a buyer's broker, the broker can look up recent sale prices of this model and similar models.

 

[jssailem]

@hawk232 I applaud you for asking what we think about your prospective boat. But as Dave has shared your keeping the info to yourself puts us in a difficult position. It is as if you asked us to share our thoughts about your blind date on Saturday being the girl of your dreams.

Yes a 35 year old boat will have issues. Rigging, sails, hull, motor, equipment, appearance, boat sailing nature. All are factors influencing a boat being the one.

 

[hawk232]

I was already worried my thread was getting to long! Nobody likes a long winded post!!

The boat is a 1985 Pearson 34. The seller knows the boat very thoroughly and seems to take pride in her, but he only owned her for the last 6 years. My plans will be day sailing and light coastal cruising with (hopefully) occasional hops to the Bahamas.

In researching the P34 specifically, the stanchions are one of the known problems. Pearson used a gasket under them and it failed in short order.

Pricing seems comparable/slightly better than others I have seen online (only because of equipment included). There are no other P34s for sale within any reasonable driving distance. Tomorrow Im going to go look at a Cherubini Hunter and I will be trying to look at as many as I can to get a feel for what I should expect for the $. I really want the Pearson to work out though!

 

[LakeOntario270]

Get a professional survey. You won't be able to buy insurance without it.
However, bar any soft spots in the deck or hull, I think that is a good deal.

 

[dlochner]

Pearson made solid production boats. Generally well designed and well built. Pearson was one of the early fiberglass boat builders and were an industry leader for many years. TPI Composites is the direct descendent of Pearson Yachts. http://www.tpicomposites.com/English/the-TPI-family-honors-the-memory-of-our-founder/default.aspx

Assuming the boat is in average shape for a boat her age (and from your brief description, it sounds like it is) I would put her on my short list.

Consider getting a survey from a good reputable surveyor. It will cost you a few bucks, however, the advice a good surveyor can provide is worth every penny.

 

[hawk232]

Assuming the boat is in average shape for a boat her age (and from your brief description, it sounds like it is)

It is this right here that is the intent of this thread. I have no clue what "flaws" I should be accepting, and im hoping to gain some insight! I truly don't know whether I am expecting to much out of a boat at this price point or if a boat as nice as im expecting would be much more expensive.

 

[dlochner]

I truly don't know whether I am expecting to much out of a boat at this price point or if a boat as nice as im expecting would be much more expensive.

This! Old boats take time and work to maintain, even well maintained new to you boats.

 

[hawk232]

Well all of this is just making me want the Pearson more...

 

[dlochner]

If you are going to embark on owning a plastic classic, there are some good resources. Good Old Boats magazine caters to those of us who own old boats. Lots of information and ideas.

These forums are also a good choice. And of course Howtomarine.com

 

[Gunni]

A Pearson 34 is worth working on and maintaining. Very solid construction. Put your earnest money down and get a survey. You will want a seatrial to confirm all systems. Survey will help you find the important repairs.

 

[shemandr]

Try to forget the bells and whistles. What you are basically looking at is a 1980’s 34’ boat from a respected builder. 1980’s boat can have issues as builders from that time had to deal with resin changes. You’d most likely see this on the bottom. You should expect a smooth bottom. You should expect a fundamentally sound deck. You should expect sound standing rigging. You should not expect upgrades in running rigging, or other systems such as plumbing, electric, ventilation or sail handling. The extras are nice but often are dated and may need replacement anyway. The engine is a huge item. At least $10,000 to repower.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Really, nearly everything depends on how well it has been cared for. I'm a fan of Pearson yachts. I owned one for 11 yr--a 1979/80 Pearson 30. It was a great boat when I bought it, and still a great one when I traded it in on the Bavaria 38E in 2004. It might be noteworthy to mention--the broker took my P-30 in trade toward purchase of the Bavaria 38E. It is a bit unusual for a broker to take a 24-yr-old boat in trade. However, once they saw its condition, they knew they could sell it for a profit after allowing me a "wholesale" trade in value. And, they did sell it for about $18,000 within 3 or 4 months after I turned it in--a 24-year-old, 30-ft boat. That was very close to what we had paid for it in FL in 1993!! Obviously we had gotten a very good deal when we bought it. BUT--it did have some issues. There was a stanchion or other leak somewhere on the std side that I never found. The steel fuel tank corroded at its seam to the point of leaking diesel into the bilge. I had one rebuilt from the original drawings and installed it myself. Not easy. The deck-stepped mast had depressed the deck over the compression post by actually bowing out the compression post. I had a yard jack it back up and insert a new SS compression post. Good as new; not even noticeable. The rudder-post knocked some in certain seas. When sheeted hard on wind, I did notice torsion weakness. That is, the boat twisted some along its stringers, such that the hatch boards could hardly be installed into the companion way. Never problems on the hull; no blisters. Thru-hulls of bronze. Port lights that could be fully dogged. Good safe boat.

I'd say--tough to go wrong with a P-34.

 

[hawk232]

I appreciate all of the responses! So with the mentioned deficiencies, still worth a go at 25k? Obviously this is his asking price, survey and negotiations will surely change that but if its nowhere close I don't want to waste my time/money with the survey. I am almost certain that one of the stanchions has about a 6" diameter of rotten balsa under it (which means more like 10-12" once opened up) but I can not feel anything on the deck itself. I am going sunday for a more technical look

 

[Kings Gambit]

In my opinion, the approach should be to decide how much work/dollars you think you will NEED to put into it, and back up from there. If you see $3K in fix-it costs coming your way, then offer $22,000 and begin your negotiation there. BE FAIR; don't try to sandbag or low-ball the guy. If he is proud of the boat he will not like to see it nit-picked for its imperfections and you might LOSE OUT on a good deal for a good boat.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Just like you won't find an old sailor without some issues.

Dave, didn't we agree that you wouldn't describe me in public anymore?

 

[Stu Jackson]

It is as if you asked us to share our thoughts about your blind date on Saturday being the girl of your dreams.

And without telling us if she's a blonde, or...???
It's really hard to impart years of experience with as description lacking important details. what you've said means there's nothing that can't be fixed with a little elbow grease.

 

[Stu Jackson]

So with the mentioned deficiencies, still worth a go at 25k?

We simply don't know. No photos and vague descriptions make it hard, and few of us are going to do the homework YOU need to do to find comps.

Try this in addition to yachtworld:

I found a few more including some at a very low price on a site called "sailboatlistings.com". It looks like nothing is ever deleted since some of the ads are from 2013 and earlier.

I got this from a friend when I needed to find prices when I imported our boat into Canada last year.

Good luck.

PS I have a 32 year old 34 foot boat. I found LOW LOW LOW comps which I wantred to reduce my tax on the import. Most good ones are going for twice what the lowest comp I found there was ($22K vs. $35-40K of real "value" in a well cared for example).

 

[Kings Gambit]

The asking prices on Yachtworld.com for a mid-80's P-34 range from $29,500 to $24,900. As I said, careful work might take 10% off asking; covers the sales tax!