Greetings,

I am buying my first boat, and would appreciate
your recommendations, ideas, and experiences.

The boats I am looking at are 30 year old 27 footers
in the $3000.- to $6000,- range.

I am planning to use the boat for coastal cruising
in southern California and occasional trips to the
channel islands, and maybe down to the Gulf of Mexico.

I would appreciate your thoughts on the following
issues, and any ideas, recommendations or experiences
that might help me with the selection:

- Make: I have been looking mostly at Catalinas,
Columbias, and some Newports, as these are
the boats most commonly offered around here.
Is any of these considerably better or worse than
the others?
Are there other Types I should seek or avoid?

- What are typical problem areas with these boats
that I should pay special attention to?

- Is there anyone in this group who lives in the
Marina del Rey area and who knows boats and would
be willing to look at one or two with me, or to
share thoughts over a glass of beer and tell me
what to look for?

- Inboard / Outboard: Any thoughts on inboard vs.
outboard? The inboards are mostly Atomic gas engines.

- Bottom paint: On almost all boats on the market
the bottom paint is due. On some it is overdue for a
few years. Is this a problem, i.e. is that likely to
turn a boat into a blister farm?

- Is it a cause for concern if there are a few smaller
blisters present on the boat?

- Survey: When I find a boat that I think would be a
good candidate, should I get a survey for a boat in
this price range?
How much does a survey cost, and how do I find a
reliable surveyor?

- Price: Any rules of thumb on how to determine the
price, i.e. markup/deduction for things
like inboard good / running but rotten,
outboard good / rotten,
sails good / bad / extra,
bottom paint new /due,
standing rigging new/old,
holding tank yes/no,
VHF, depth sounder, autohelm etc. yes / no
etc., etc...?

- Costs: What costs should I typically expect for
maintenance and repairs over the year?

- Timing: Should I go for one of the boats offered
on the market now (not so many), or will there be
a larger selection in spring?

I appreciate your input on all these things, and especially
the ones I must have missed. As said, my first boat.
Thanks a lot,

Chris