Buying a used boat

[Pilot2]

Originally Posted by Gary Matthesen

My nephew and his wife just bid on Ebay and won a Cal31, 1983 for under $3k. Turns out a winner, new engine has 175 hours, sails are good, full of goodies like grill, pumps, anchors. Yard maintained. PO fell, broke a hip, donated it, wanted to see what young couple got his boat, he was happy.
There are real winners out there, fortunately new sailors got a good one.

Have your Nephew contact me, I just bought a CAL 31, we can compare notes. Webbww(at)gmail

[WolfgangSeaLife]

Previous owner meticulous in maintaining the boat. Get a surveyor.
Just to learn sailing, which is the easiest and least important part of owning a sailboat, get a 20 foot day sailor, or nice 25 ft. cabin cruiser. You want it on a trailor? With retractable center board for shallow water or more stabile with lead keel.
Also, I suggest going right to your dream boat and charter it first, some where in the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Chesapeake Bay, or sail with me on the Chesapeake Bay for a weekend.

[Black Diamond]

If your plan is to eventually live on your boat, then the decision on a 25' boat is an interesting one.

In my experience, the difference between 25' and 28'-30' boats is a big one. Its the difference between inboard engines and outboards. Between carry-off porta potties and a real head system. More capable fresh water, 12V and anchoring set-ups.

Obviously cost is an issue, but if the plan is to eventually live on board, then the sooner you get experience with the systems of a larger boat the better. Experience on smaller boat heads, outboards, etc.. can help, but may not be as relevant.

You can probably find a 28' boat for the same price as a 25' boat, but it might be a few years older. Again.. it depends upon the condition of the boat and (opinion) how quickly you want to be exposed to big-boat systems and maintenance.

30 years ago my wife and I thought our next step from a 14' O'Day Javelin was to move to our "dream boat" (a Catalina 25). When we saw we could get a larger boat with inboard engine and real heads for a few K more we decided to skip that step and have never regretted it.

FWIW

[BluePeter]

Resale ability— which is largely determined by quality.

It’s easy to get stuck with a dog that you’ll never be able to sell and you’ll end up giving it away or worse.

Try to steer cleAr of what are known as “chlorox bottles”— cheaply constructed junky boats. The market is flooded with these (no pun). Look for a boat that’s built more like a walnut. If you can depress the hull with your hand, its a Pretty cheap boat.

Get someone knowledgeable to help you. I’ve traded in small boats for 30 years. It takes time to recognize quality. And also a a deal.

For example, I currently own several boats that I could sell at a profit tomorrow:
Cornish Shrimper
Flicka 20
Montgomery 17
Drascombe Dabber

“Friends don’t let friends sail junk”

[Grigory]

I know one book that can be useful for you: Barry Picthall, "Buying a yacht, new or second hand". Try to find it. It begins with general conversation - “why do I need a yacht, maybe charter better" and so on. Followed by review of boat types and (imho) more valuable part - step-by-step guide
what to look for when buying.
Good luck.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by troutmann

Hello,

I new to the forum and I am looking for some advice on purchasing a used sailboat. This would be my first sailboat but have owned a couple small motor boats. My wife an I have a goal to live aboard a 40-50' cat later in life but want to start learning now on a smaller boat in fresh water. I am looking at a few 25' mono hulls and my question is this. What are the top 5 things you would check or require when purchasing a used sailboat? This could be a feature based response or function based. Just one word answers are cool too or reference to a similar thread. Many thanks in advance for your feedback.

Suggest you look in marinas and boat yards on the Great Lakes. The boats have never seen salt. They have very short seasons and typically only go out on nice weekends.