Goin from power to sail

[beau]

sailboating is very different from powerboating.
With powerboating I always found that the question was asked "where are we going today' and you always had a destination in mind.
Whenever I was asked on my sailboat "where are we going today " I would always answer "sailing" (probably because you were never sure you would get "there" anyway.)
But NO the reality is you go "sailing" because you love the water, the motion of the boat the sheer relaxation of it all. Wonderfull.
Just switch off and relax. Unless you are Racing of course.

[bigjoe]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Sailormann and every 1 else,
I found a Hughes 35ft 1985 for 40k, but just to get rid of it the woman said she'd take mid 20s. She said they bought the boat new and hadn't used it for 5 years since her husband died. She says it needs TLC and by the interiour pics she sent me it looks quite mouldy inside and outdated. It's in need of an extream interiour makeover. I would purchase new electronics anyways. Its much bigger than I was looking for but it may be a good deal, what do u think? If I'm going to pay for a survey anyways before I buy would this be a good 1 to consider?
Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated.

[senormechanico]

Is the picture current? If so, it sure looks like a deal from here.

Steve B.

[Pblais]

I found a Hughes 35ft 1985 for 40k, but just to get rid of it the woman said she'd take mid 20s.

I saw the same picture on Yachtworld for a 1980 listed for about $35K US.

Normally mid 20's won't buy a whole lot of boat. I would still do the survey though. Nothing worse than a lot of years of neglect so I would not fall in love just yet. A new interior won't be easy or cheap. It's a lot of work to put in. But lets assume you can clean up the non fabric items with minimal expense but a lot of hard work.

Check it all out as you could end up spending the purchase price again to get it back to great shape. A new interior done 100% first class is with all new fabric and foam might be expected to cost about $6K about the same for a full cockpit enclosure with cushions. That means you'll rip all the old out so you can clean out any mold and mildew and hopefully little serious damage. We are just completing that for our boat. A boat from that period can't be expected to have good quality fabric in any condition worth keeping. Might as well start with all new material. Get the good foam and best fabric you can find. Just assume for now you will do that much. It just makes the cockpit 100% usable space in all weather. The Admiral won't like a stinky boat either.

You'll need maybe more stuff too. The engine and all the mechanical stuff would also need a good going over that should come out in the survey for what it is. Sail condition may be good or not.

I assume it's in fresh water so at least a lot of the salt water problems will be far less. Fresh water isn't totally friendly either. Standing and running rigging for a boat this age would be suspect. Sails would be the last thing to evaluate too. You could perhaps spend another $20K to have all the above done well and be new.

I would expect if the full all completed cost stayed under $45K it could be a worthwhile project. In the end this boat won't be worth more than that no matter how much you spend. I really think if you want to be comfortable you really don't want a boat much smaller.

[bigjoe]

Pic is from last year, she said the marina put the boat in and out evey year, but it didn't leave the dock. She does not want to pay marina fees any more. I'm going to see it later this week.
She told me it was an 1985 but I also saw it listed on 2 or 3 boards as an 1980 for prices from 30,000 to 55,000. I thnik she may not b 2 sure.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha BigJoe,
Welcome aboard!! Looks like a great deal. Get a survey and buy it. Those kind of prices don't happen too often and it is the right size.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[beau]

At those prices it sounds like it might have osmosis. Now don't let that scare you, but it does scare a lot of inexperienced buyers and does lower the price considerably.
I doubt if it ever affects the structural integrity of a boat.
No boat ever sunk because of osmosis and I know, I have built both fiberglass boats and fiberglass swimming pools.
The only issue you will have with an osmosis boat is when you go to sell it, and all the scaremongering that goes on. ALL boats get osmosis at one time or another, the only common theme is warm water, boats kept in warm water are more prone to develop osmosis.

[Sailormann]

Hey Big Joe - that boat is listed by a broker I know. Have you talked to him yet ? He is actually pretty good as far as brokers go - although I haven't let him in on that ...

The boat has been listed for a while, I remember seeing it when we were looking for our boat.

My general philosophy about buying boats is that you are going to end up paying about the same as anyone else who is buying a boat of the same size. Let me clarify that...I believe that a 35 foot boat in decent condition costs between 60 and 90 thousand Canadian. Now, you can pay that as a 20K purchase price, and then spend the 30 or 40K on upgrades, or you can pay it all upfront, but I don't believe that you can (generally) find a good 35 foot boat for 25 thousand dollars.

The problem with buying something like that is that you need to get the work done before you can sail, and you can't know until you actually do it how much it's going to cost you. There are always things that surveyors don't pick up.

If the boat was in great shape, it would have sold by now.

As far as that model of boat goes - they are good boats, but with anything that age it is entirely dependent on how well it has been maintained. Hughes built good hulls. Find out if and when it was barrier coated. (There are likely to be problems with the deck, so make sure you get a really good surveyor - the best one around is Peter McGuire - Fastnet Yacht Surveys. The brokers don't like him much but they will all tell you he's good.)

I would recommend that you call the broker, Bill Stevenson: Tel 905-278-2628 and talk to him. He's reasonably trustworthy. But when the time comes for a survey. I would avoid using a surveyor that ANY broker recommended...

Me - I wouldn't buy the boat. It's going to be really hard to resell unless you have a new paint job done - figure that's going to run you 12 grand minimum. Also - sails for boats that size are really, really expensive - like 10K plus. Everything for boats that size is really expensive !

I would go for something like this - great boat - lots of new gear in sailaway condition !

YachtWorld.com Boats and Yachts for Sale=


Keep us posted !

[Sailormann]

If you want the Northstar - this is a better deal - has had all the work done already !
Northstar 35 - Clifts Marine Sales

[bigjoe]

Saliormann, thanks for the excellent info and links. Seems like this boat is going to be more trouble than its worth. I corresponded with a woman named Julie, guess she's tryin to sell it her self too. I'll call that broker as well, thanks. I just starting to look around, now that the nice weather is on its way I'm sure many more people will start to list boats. I not jumping at the first boat that catches my eye thats for sure. Like u said there is a lot of old junk in Ontario people seem to want a lot of money for, from what I see. I think if I look around for a few months I'll learn some of the differences between ketch, sloop, cutter, and all this sail terminology stuff that I have no idea about. I'm sure a few sailing lesson wont hurt either.

One thing is for sure, when I have my sailor friend from down south up to the cottage during the summer, ( I'm letting him and his wife stay at the cottage for the summer, while their boat is having work done) he'll be put to work checking out boats I have researched.

Cheers

[Heron]

Hi Joe,

TAKE YOUR TIME! That is the best advice I can give to you. DON'T MAKE AN EMOTIONAL DECISION, be practical and methodical about finding the right boat.

That Northstar listed has a gasoline engine. You want a diesel for safety reasons. Nothing worse that old gasoline tanks leaking fumes into the bilge....BANG.

Try finding a good Pearson 35. Many were built and many are still sailing. Other boats to consider is the Allied 32, 35 & 36. Good strong boats with adaquate tankage. The Bristol 29.9 is a large boat for her length and is another good choice. There is one listed in Yachtworld.com located in CT. This is a fine example of this boat with lots of improvements already done. There is also one listed in RI. for $29.5K.

Here is the problem with "project boats". If you can do the work yourself, plan on a year or two of renovations. If you go to a yard to have the work done, you can easily double the cost of the boat. Boats that haven't been maintained quickly deteriorate and you find one problem after another.

Buy a smaller boat that has been maintained and you can go sailing.

HERON