Want To Buy: 30-36 sailboat

[mrlee]

I'm looking for a cosmetically deficient boat with good sails, rigging and a descent motor in Fla.(hopefully on the west coast. I'm looking for a wife- a boat I can make my own. Being new to this, I would like the rigging to be in good shape. Thanx...I love this site. I have read and learned SSOOOO much in the year I have had this burning desire...I appreciate ALL of your input. Trust me, it helps us novices DRASTICALLY!!

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by mrlee

I'm looking for a cosmetically deficient boat with good sails, rigging and a descent motor in Fla.(hopefully on the west coast. I'm looking for a wife- a boat I can make my own. Being new to this, I would like the rigging to be in good shape. Thanx...I love this site. I have read and learned SSOOOO much in the year I have had this burning desire...I appreciate ALL of your input. Trust me, it helps us novices DRASTICALLY!!

I have a Pearson 33 1974 model that I would like to sale...It is in NC but I could go back and sail it to FLA. if you are interested...It is in good shape,only negative is it has an atomic 4 gas engine...It runs great and sails great..recent bottom paint and new thruhulls...pm if interested...DVC

[mrlee]

Can you give me an idea of what it will need and $$$$$$

[roverhi]

FYI, the rigging part of a rehab is probably the easiest and possibly the cheapest part of getting a boat in cruising condition. You can do it yourself with Norsman/StaLok terminals and wire. Chainplates can be fabricated with a $100 drill press that you can sell when done.

Rebuilding or replacing an engine is a MAJOR expense so that should be #1 on your list of concerns.

Electronics are basically worthless as a plus factor in buying. They are so unreliable and progress is so rapid that what is state of the art today is obsolete tomorrow and unrepairable the day after. If they come on the boat and work, fine, but wouldn't pay a nickel extra for them.

Sails are a big expense if you need new. Check those out carefully. A sail that's had lots of use will usually have rotten stitching as well as being blown out. Cost to rehab. is not economically feasible. Sails that may be a little stained from sitting under a sail cover with light, if any use, shouldn't be a problem.

The cosmetics of buffing out the gelcoat, paint and varnish are easy and can double the value of a boat. Doing a competent job of repainting the boat with LPU paint is costly in either time and/or money and is no small task. Chalky gel coat can be brought back but if it's damaged and/or there a bunch of holes to be filled from old hardware, costs will go up. Doing a half assed paint job is worse than not doing it on a cost for value basis. Cosmetics usually don't effect the use of the boat but do in pride of ownership and resale.

Wet and rotten coring in the decks is a major job to repair but actually relatively easy, skill wise, for an amateur. If you don't mind being covered in fiberglass dust and working with epoxy, it's a repair that most can do. That is if given enough time. Rotten coring in the deck is a value killer in a boat. Have seen otherwise excellent boats sell for a 1/3rd the value of other boats without the issue. For a lot of hours of labor but not much money, they can be fixed.

The big advantage of buying a fixer upper is getting a boat the way you want it. It usually isn't the cheapest way to get a boat in the end, however. If I had a choice of getting a challenged boat now or waiting 2 years till I'd saved up more money to buy a better boat, I'd buy the boat now and get started sailing and working on it. Not the economically responsible thing to do but way way better for mental state.

[mrlee]

Hi Pete,Thank you sooo much for the input! Here's my idea...I have built everything from custom Corvettes and race cars, custom built homes and custom Harley Davidsons...I'm pretty handy. I know exactly nothing of sails and rigging, although with the help of guys like you, I'm rapidly learning the ins and outs of them. Nothing is better than experience. I want to do just what you said, buy it now, cheaper, learn how she works, and make her to my dreams and ideals standards. As for the motor, I have done extensive research and reading, and when the time comes, I would like to make her totally electric with solar and wind to recharge the batteries. The turning prop is even used to charge the batteries...I really like the idea of letting mother nature do the work for me.($$$) I can do any and all interior work as well. So, This is why I have the rigging and sail issues..I am CLUELESS!!
I'd really like to say thanks for the info. If you can remember when you were at this primitive stage of sailing, you understand my concerns...let's talk again sometime..Have a great day, and God Bless!

[roverhi]

Sounds like what I've done except without your skills at the start. I'm not a fan of electric boat power, however. Because of the loss of a single loose bolt, had to power nearly 200 miles back to SF to fix the aftermath. If I'd had an electric motor, there is no way I would've made it without some fossil fuel burning backup. If I'm going to have to bring along a motor to charge batteries, might as well do away with the need in the first place and just have the motor as primary propulsion. There is no way that diesel/electric hybrid is as efficient as just one or the other. Given electrickeries inherent unreliability in the marine environment, can't see using it for that issue alone. If it makes you feel good, go for an electric boat, it's not for me.

Good luck in your project. There are a ton of essentially abandoned boats out there because of the economic climate. A little dirt does wonders to drive the price of a boat down. Have heard of people essentially giving boats away because they liked the person who was interested. For many people who own boats, it's not an essential part of their wealth and they may be willing to let it go just for the thought of the boat being well cared for. Sold one of my boats for no money down to an earnest young couple because I knew they'd do right by the boat. They'd just lost a beautifully restored H-28 when their mooring failed so I knew what they were capable of. I'd built the boat from a bare hull and had a lot more invested in it than just money and wanted it to go to a good home.

[mrlee]

Pete, good input, thanks...I hope I can find the right project for me and my desires..I want to, one day, be able to do a Jimmy Buffet and head south. In the meantime...work, for money, and to try and fullfill this burning desire within me...I know you can relate to that! Thanx again and God Bless

[gjordan]

Mrlee, your intent and your skills sound good but the electric power for a real cruising boat is unrealistic. They are good for the people who sail from a marina and back, but for long distance cruisers it is not yet realistic. The EBOAT people will chime in now but most (not all ) have never crossed an ocean or lived away from a marina for years with their electric boat. Maybe in the future, electric boats will be the best thing ,but for this time and place a reliable diesel is a Godsend. I know, I did 8000 miles with no motor or electrics.______Grant.

[mrlee]

Grant, You guys are making me rethink my motor issues. I hope one day to live on my boat, be it thie first one I buy, or an upgrade later. I can probably remove and rebuild a diesel for less than the cost of all the components for the electric conversion. I just like the idea of being totally self-sufficient. Maybe the technology will improve...one day. I did read a comment(quite a few) in forums about a new battery a guy is testing...sounds pretty good and he had a lot of interested sailors...
Thanx for the help Wil

[RabidRabbit]

Mrlee for what its worth the high point of my Oday is the diesel, low hours (1800) its age ('76), runs like a top. It runs 12 or 14 hours a day without any issues and only burns .75 gal an hour. I'v been offshore and had it run for over 4 days straight with 5 minute break to check fluids. Old but solid and very simple too. New starter, batteries, voltage sensing battery combiner, Racor 500 filter, dual tanks, all new. You have my number, I won't bother you again.

[Steve W]

C & C 321, - 32' - Sailboat priced to sell!

This boat on Craigslist in the Tampa area might work for you. Owner needs out of it asap.

[mrlee]

Hey Rapid Rabbit, I tried to call you yesterday but the connection didn't work,,I could barely hear the ringing of your phone. I'll try you again later around 3...thanx

[mrlee]

Hey Stevie, Man, nice boat...A little pricey for me. I can only dream.....Thanx, God Bless

[mrlee]

Hey tropicalescape, clear your inbox...Thanx

[JRM]

Originally Posted by gjordan

Mrlee, your intent and your skills sound good but the electric power for a real cruising boat is unrealistic. They are good for the people who sail from a marina and back, but for long distance cruisers it is not yet realistic. The EBOAT people will chime in now but most (not all ) have never crossed an ocean or lived away from a marina for years with their electric boat. Maybe in the future, electric boats will be the best thing ,but for this time and place a reliable diesel is a Godsend. I know, I did 8000 miles with no motor or electrics.______Grant.

Heh. Keep telling yourself that. I am an electric boater, and I'd advise the OP against electric for different reasons. He has the wrong expectations. Not because they're wrong for "this time" but because the math just doesn't work out for solar, wind, and regen.

I have a 30 footer, and I can make 4 knots motoring with 1.5 KW roughly in the open ocean against typical Santa Barbara Channel conditions. If I motor for two hours at around that rate for a typical island cruise, I burn 3 KW hours (out of 10 I have in batteries). A huge solar Bimini on the boat would be 500-550W. And wind generator maxes at 400 W. As you can see, I would have a 3:1 ratio of discharge to max charge on the solar. For typical output solar with that array I'd get somewhere near 2 KWh per day. I'm a bit under my (albeit short) typical 3 KWh trip, before I figure house loads.

Wind is silly, they produce nothing and if it's windy I'm sailing anyway. Solar is expensive and great for house, but it would take a week of sunny days with the biggest array I could fit to cover a single way full electric channel crossing of 25 miles. Regen is a can of worms. It's not practical at the low speeds we sail. You'll be lucky to get 50W. I wish certain EP vendors would stop exaggerating it to people, it's caused a lot of heartache and disappointment.

I carry a Honda portable genny for recharge, and though I've never needed it, I can motor with it as well. Besides, the admiral needs her hot water...

The real secret to electric propulsion completely escapes the diesel crowd. It's motor sailing. We call it "electric sailing." For about a 50-100W output, I get at least an additional knot of boat speed in light air. I can point higher, and tacking is a sure thing. I'm basically always motoring when I sail now, just enough to remove the prop drag plus a pinch. Did I mention it's super quiet? I can motor all the time because it doesn't rattle my fillings out and ruin the sailing.

So when one of these crusty old salts tells you it isn't worth the money or complexity for a hybrid system, just smile and nod and quietly enjoy how wrong they are. They'll never get it because they want to use the electric motor just like their old diesel. You have to change your mindset. You certainly aren't going to change theirs.

If the OP is willing to look at electric for realistic reasons, and not for "free fuel" then I think it's a great solution. There are tons of great reasons to employ electric drive technology. Unfortunately cost savings is not among them.

JRM