Survey on Westsail 32

[Buddygyps]

I'm potentially purchasing a 1979 Westsail 32 this weekend. Doesn't look like there are any red flags. But wanted to have someone else a little more knowledgeable put eyes on it as well. The survey was done in 2019 and it has remained on the hard ever since. The current owner has already done some of the work.

Unfortunately the file size is too big to upload here. But I can email it over!

Thanks in advance!

[Calif.Ted]

But wanted to have someone else a little more knowledgeable put eyes on it as well.

That would be a survey, a 5 year old survey has little use, is that when the current owner bought it and he's "willing" to sell at a "good" price because his plans have changed ?

[Buddygyps]

The survey was done right before he bought the boat. He was working on it for a few years until he had some personal things arise.

[MicHughV]

A 1979 boat is pushing 55 some years, which means if everything on the boat is original, you are looking at a very old engine, very old sails, very old electronics, etc.
Plus those boats originally came with a teak deck and even a wooden mast, which will require a thorough looking over.
Unless you are an extremely handy DIY-er, you will spend a lot of $$$ on this boat to get it back up to snuff and it will be $$$ with little return.

You don't say where you or the boat is from, but finding insurance on such an old boat will prove to be a challenge.

The Westsail 32 is really a throwback to another time zone. Not sure why this particular boat appeals to you, but you have a lot of options to get some thing newer.

The Westsail 32 is not exactly a speedster either. It sails slower than molasses.

You might have noticed the Westsail has a long bowsprit, around 6' long, also a stern platform, which makes for a boat about 40' long, so docking it is also a challenge and as far as marina's are concerned, you have a 40' boat and will be charged dockage accordingly.

Unless you can get this boat for $100 or so, I'd pass on it.

Finally, if you do purchase it, the time will come, when you will want to sell it, and your 55 year old boat will be that much older.

My advice to you is to pass on it as it will be a money pit. Besides all the $$$ you will spend on it, you will spend an inordinate amount of time keeping up with all the varnish work.

I get that it is a nostalgic boat and easy to fall in love with it, but you have been forewarned.