this spring?
milan ramaiya wrote:
Preferably by spring or summer. My biggest constraint is price.
Yep. That's everyone's biggest constraint!
... If I
could afford it, sure, I'd get a 30-35 footer.
Getting it isn't the problem. Florida has always been one of the
nation's cheapest boat markets, now after the hurricanes it's a
give-away market.
Outfitting, maintenance, and overhead of simply keeping the thing, all
go up exponentially as the boat gets bigger. So IMHO it's smart to focus
on the smaller end of the scale.
... So far, I've seen the
Sovereign 23, for $2000 which he said is in good condition,
Well, sure. He's selling it, of course it's in *GREAT* condition!
Here's the way to de-code boat-seller's description-
Turn-key, better-than-new condition: the boat is currently afloat and
it's major systems are somewhat functional.
Great condition: The boat was floating last time the seller saw it. It
needs new sails, new running rigging, minor re-wiring, and the engine
can be got running if an expert mechanic tinkers with it for a couple hours.
Professionally maintained: Seller owes lots of money to the boatyard and
cannot reduce his asking price.
Good condition: Boat is scruffy and needs refitting. Engine might run if
you're really lucky, but needs overhaul.
Has full safety equipment: Boat comes with two dry-rotted life jackets
and a packet of out dated flares.
Needs TLC: the boat may be floating, but there has been a family of
pelicans camped out on it. Needs all new rigging and while you're at it,
a new spar or two might be in order. The hull has only a few small
holes, all wiring & plumbing needs to be replaced.
A fixer-upper: you could get it floating if you rent a couple of
gas-powered pumps and a work barge. Boat should have been landfilled
years ago but seller abandoned it to marina and has now been tracked
down by the state.
... an O'Day 27
for $4000, which is in okay condition, but the engine needs work
(replacement?), and an O'Day 23 for $400, which is in bad shape, has no
sails and no engine. (It's got some hurricane damage.)
I'm considering buying the O'Day 23, and figure if I have a few months
to work on it, I can feed some money into it over time, and make it
really nice. If nothing else, I can turn around and sell it for much
more, and look at something else.
Hah! You migh look at the price of sails & running rigging before you
try that. Also, flip through a West marine catalog and run up a little
shopping list of equipment you'd consider necessary.
The saddest, and most common, story is that of the guys who buy boats at
a 'bargain' price and then discover that by the time they've done a
little cleaning, painting, minor repairs, and added some equipment, that
the boat is worth only a fraction of what they've got in it. Remember
that the deal of a lifetime comes along about twice a week.
I'd like the O'Day 27 but I don't exactly have $4000 in my bank account
right now, and the Soveriegn is right in my budget, so it's looking
better and better.
Okay, I just found a '68 Star 23 for $1800. I'm gonna go look at that.
I'm not too concerned about the size of the boat. I'm actually looking
forward to some hairy experiences. Hell, that's what makes it
interesting, and it'll make me a better sailer.
Great attitude. The main suggeestion I have is to go to the library and
read some books on boat inspection & repair. The one to start with is
Ian Nicholson's 'Surveying Small Craft' which is dated but very thorough
and written so that a layman can grasp it all. My concern would be that
you come up with a boat that will not fold up on you in mid-adventure.
Because of the nature of what you're looking for, most of the boats most
suited to your adventure are not going to be on the internet. Instead,
go to boat yards & sailing clubs and poke around. Talk to people on the
docks. If you get invited aboard or to crew, go! It's a learning
opportunity!
Places to look
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/index.html.en
http://www2.boats.com/listing/cache/...src=header_bfs
pair of Seafarer 28s for cheap
http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/7/5/77285675.htm
http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/7/7/77252377.htm
Morgan 27- a relatively fast and well-built boat
http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/3/0/56175130.htm
Here's a serious cruising vessel
http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/7/9/75546979.htm
Another good one, priced higher but sounds good
http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/0/8/52080308.htm
Remember that it's a buyer's market big-time. If the seller acts
offended at an offer, laugh and wish him luck.
Hope this helps.
Fresh Breezes- Doug King