Buying a '70s or '80s sailboat - what to look for

[S/V Serenity]

We are just such a vintage boat. If you are looking in this age range, suggest you focus on a few boats which have an established user group. Follow the groups and you will soon learn what are the particular areas of concern to keep a look out for.
Plan no insurance, as others have said. We put aside in savings every year the money we would expend on insurance were we able to get it.
Happy shopping!

[knutmi]

Boats from 70-80, you have to watch out for everything.....

[Pegu Club]

Condition, Condition, Condition!

We own a 1977 Bristol, it’s a fine boat, it does everything we want it to do, and is capable of far more.

The key things are:

1) the hull and deck condition, this includes all hull and deck fittings, and very importantly, the hull to deck joint.

2) the standing riggings condition, mast, boom, chain plates, and shrouds.

3) the engine/ transmission condition, to include the prop shaft and bearings.

4) the other systems condition, such as the head and all related parts, to include the holding tank valves and hoses, etc etc. this is not a place you want surprises,

5) the interior layout and condition.

If those things have been properly maintained by previous owners, you are good to go.

This does not mean you won’t have maintenance costs such as required to have a sea worthy vessel, all older boat are quite likely to have needs as it were.

If you feel inclined, have a look at our blog, (Link is below) we list all the work we did and costs, some of the tasks we did may be relevant to what you may need to consider on your future boat.

Good luck with your search,

Fair winds,

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Stewie12

Hull, Engine, Tanks and Sails. Those are the main and expensive items to look at when buying a boat.

Yep. I'd also add the state of the exterior canvas and the interior upholstery.
Unless you have the knowledge and access to a heavy duty sewing machine, these are expensive to replace.

You can usually save Sunbrella canvas items (including roller furler UV covers) by overstitching rotted thread, even if you do it by hand. Do it before they tear off in a wind

Interestingly, the foam in interior cushions is usually more expensive than the fabric covering it, but you can usually reuse the foam unless it's completely sagged.

[thomm225]

I bought a 1974 Bristol 27 in 2011 and have been sailing it ever since.

I have yet to do any structural repairs and have not as of yet replaced the rigging.

[GrowleyMonster]

My current boat, a 1979 built Bruce Roberts Offshore 44 aft cockpit fiberglass sloop, cost me less than $10k with a few sails and a Westerbeast 4-107 that runs pretty good, just smokes a bit when first starting. Great design, incredibly overbuilt hull, used/recycled engine, poorly done wiring which I am slowly replacing, steering in need of rebuilding because the builder basically used home depot hardware throughout, and this is a big boat with a big rudder. A few other things wrong with it, but no regrets. Bought her and sailed her straight home with a Norther blowing, sailed like a locomotive except when I had to fix the steering three times, docking in a too narrow slip with no steering control at all. I got my money's worth.

My past previous boat was a 1976 Cal 2-27 that I bought for $2k with I think 10 sails and lots of tracks and poles and racing stuff, and an Atomic 4 that would turn but not run. The day after I signed and paid, I bought an outboard mount and a 6hp 4 stroke, drilled and bolted it on, filled the portable tank with fresh gas, and went sailing. I lived aboard for 7 years. Got my money's worth there, too. I eventually got the A4 running, but the aluminum fuel tank had been sitting on steel screw heads for all that time, and electrolysis ate a big hole that sent 20 gallons of gasoline into the bilge. That sucked, and to get the tank out and replace it I had to pull the engine, so I took that opportunity to just go electric. I really liked having electric drive and I managed to repower her pretty darn cheap. EP is not for everyone but at the time it worked nicely for me. I tore out the port side berths and built a shower stall, moved the head in there, and put a 25 gallon tank on the port side. The old head/vanity area I used for an office nook. I would do it all over again, yeah.

I did have some spongy deck issues and had to fix that. Balsa cored decks don't last forever. No hull blisters. Another somewhat overbuilt hull. Reasonably fast, very capacious, standing headroom, and I could sleep fore & aft, or crossways, either one, in the vee berth. Easy sailer, self steers fairly well on a reach with the tiller tied down. Nicer, better kept examples of this boat can go for quite a lot more than what I paid. This one was half sunk following Katrina and with the raw water cooled gasoline engine, it was destined to sell cheap.

A 70's boat is most likely going to be about ready for re-power. If it is a day sailer, mostly inland or inshore, an outboard is the way to go. You don't really want to rely on an outboard on a long sea voyage. Get pooped, and the engine gets a soaking, something outboards don't take well to. Be sure you have a way to get it up well clear of the water if you go that route. Electric? There is no better option if you will mostly be day sailing or making short hops and docking at marinas where you can charge the batts. You realistically can't rely on regeneration with a small boat. Install a diesel generator and there went your budget, and you may as well have simply installed a diesel main engine instead. Carry a portable gasoline generator and you have some significant safety issues to deal with. It is almost impossible to mount enough solar panels to charge a 10kw/hr+ propulsion bank on a small boat. Shore power charging works nice though, for day saliers and marina hoppers. I could motor across Lake Pontchartrain, no problem, if I kept the speed low.

Your biggest concerns will be spongy decks, elderly or dead engines, and SS rigging that looks fine but needs replacing. And props and shafts that have gone years without zinc protection. Let's see... dry rotted wooden bulkheads and compression posts. Here in Louisiana, Formosan Termite infestations. Leaky fuel tanks especially aluminum ones. Leaky head and sewage tank. overhead leaks that soak carpet, bedding, clothes, food, etc. Propane stove/bombs, particularly those without modern safeguards. Mold caused by condensation. Carpenter ants. Lack of isolation transformer or galvanic isolator on the shore power circuit. But the show stopper is the engine and the deck core integrity. And the dry rot. and the.... oh well you will figure it out. The owner should be willing to take you for a sail. If he is too scared or too busy to take the boat out, maybe you should be, too. Don't buy a boat on blocks until you see it in the water. It is hard to totally avoid project boats on a small budget, but my Cal I was still able to take sailing the next afternoon. Don't get a boat you can't immediately get some enjoyment out of, even if it is given to you for free. Sbout it. Enjoy.

[scareygary]

I'm a retired teacher, and not wealthy at all. I have owned a number of older, used boats, and I think I sold ALL of them for more than I paid for 'em, after taking good care and upgrades. I've done some of my own upholstery and canvas (Sunbrella). I've owned a 70s model Tartan 30, a Yankee 30, a Catalina 25, and have now downsized to an Albin 7.9 meter. It's only 26', but this Swedish boat is built very well, and may be the driest boat i've owned. I paid $4,900 for her sitting on a double axle trailer (great for doing my own maintenance and avoiding boatyards). This boat was an 'off-brand', so many people seemed afraid of it, but I think I got a heck of a bargain. The decks were dry and solid, the single cylinder was already replaced. She has a Yanmar with only 500 hours on it when purchased. It had a good roller furler, and many other extras. I've replaced the main, jib and spinnaker, and added a few amenities, but feel like I'm sailing on the cheap. Except for ROOM and tankage which are limited, I'd take this boat almost anywhere. She has an encapsulated keel, a skeg hung rudder and is a far cry better than inexpensive American models, imho. They are out there! Do some homework and don't shy away from 'brands' you may not recognize. My boat is from Sweden, but I've never had an issue with supplies or 'parts'. Think and look outside the box!