Chrysler Sailors Forum

Well, I went to take a look at this O'Day 30 that's for sale locally, and I'd like to get some input from the captains with more experience buying bigger boats.

I guess I could do a pros and cons list:

Pro: Good price, the guy wants to sell it. He's been paying yard fees for the past 3 years.

Con: The boat has been sitting on the hard for that long.

Pro: Space. It is big. I'm 6' tall, and I fit in the cabin.

Con: Water damage. The front hatch leaks, and the wood inside needs to be replaced.

Con: I don't know the status of the engine. I didn't get to take a look. To be honest, when I saw the water damage, I just kinda walked away.

Pro: It is a Yanmar diesel (I saw the instrument panel)

Con: almost no electronics, and the electronics on board are old. Also no dodger or bimini.

The guy wants 6K for the boat where it is, and as is. The brother is in charge of selling it, and he told me to make an offer, he won't be insulted.

I don't really know what to do. The boat seems solid as in deck and hull. I'm going back this weekend to talk with the guy face to face, and I will take some photos.

Thanks for any input!

Gus

Three years is a long time without love, I'd be a little weary of the boats condition. If you have the time, patients and money it might be worth it if the price is low.

For apples to apples, oranges to oranges, this web site is kind of neat.
http://www.image-ination.com/sailcalc.html

You'd mentioned a Catalina 25 in another post. I've owned a 1984 for two and a half seasons now and I really like the boat for Lake Erie and the area that I sail in.

1.You need to run the engine
2. old electronics are usually bad, figure on at least 1500
3. A dodger will run 2K or more for that boat
4. how are the sails? 1500 each to replace
5. tap the decks for water damage
6.What year is it? an early 80 oday goes for around 5k in rweasonable condition

Thanks for all the advice. I am planning on meeting the brother of the owner this weekend, and hopefully we can come up with a game plan.

I guess the engine is the main thing. Old diesel is probably left in the system, so that needs to come out, the impeller most likely needs replacing, batteries are probably dead.

It's got the new cabin style, so I'm guessing 83-84.

I really need to take a better look. I found an Albert 30 in the water for about 8K too, so boats are out there.

Have you checked Craigs list? There are a lot of 30' boats, a 28 may do well also. Remember there is always room to negotiate. An asking price of 12k may be had for 8 or 10. I had a Hunter 30 and an O-day 27. The 27 was an excellent sailor, the Hunter had a lot of creature features compared to the o-day.

I found this boat on Craigslist. I need to take a better look at it. I can always walk away. He's asking 6K, which for a 30 foot sailboat might not be much, but I do have to think about the amount of work involved. The fun never ends...

BOAT Bet On Another Thousand

....and Bring Out Another Thousand.... and 'whole in the water where one throws money' ... and... I heard them all

For a lot of us the reworking of a good old boat is haft the fun, for me I needed and wanted too for I had and have a lot to learn. I do feel however that in the long run I would have saved a good amount of money and time if I had just held out for a boat in better shape. No crying here, I needed to cut my teeth on something... but next time!

Terrence
Wilmington N.C.
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandora (for now)

I know the feeling. My first boat was a Mac 23 that needed A LOT of love. I used that boat to learn how to patch and work with epoxy, and how a boat is constructed. Eventually I found Halve Mae, and she needed more work than I originally though. After a few months on the hard, she was back in the water. I sold the Mac 23, and the new owner did a very nice restoration work, even to the point to install a sail-drive. He sold the boat a few years ago.

Eventually, it gets to the point in which you have to decide what's more important: sailing or working on a boat.

Gus

hp18carr wrote:For a lot of us the reworking of a good old boat is haft the fun, for me I needed and wanted too for I had and have a lot to learn. I do feel however that in the long run I would have saved a good amount of money and time if I had just held out for a boat in better shape. No crying here, I needed to cut my teeth on something... but next time!

Terrence
Wilmington N.C.
Chrysler 26' 1980
Pandora (for now)

seems very expensive to me. Low ball if you are going to do it. Really low, you can always work your way up. Its a buyers market, especally this time of year.

Yeah, 6k for a project boat is a bit too much. I would love to help the guy, but the only way I could do it is taking the boat out of his hands, and take over the boat yard payments. The boat needs A LOT of love.

I found an Alberg 30 locally, and the owner hopefully will give me a call tomorrow. I spoke with his wife, and he was out sailing with a friend

Gus

Padiunka wrote:seems very expensive to me. Low ball if you are going to do it. Really low, you can always work your way up. Its a buyers market, especally this time of year.

Meeting up with the Alberg 30 owner next week!

He wants to get some sailing done too, so hopefully the weather will cooperate!

Albergs are Nice !! Good Luck!

EmergencyExit wrote:Albergs are Nice !! Good Luck!

+1 here!

Good luck!

Scott

Well, today I went to take a look at the Alberg. I got lost big time, so after driving around for 2 hours, I found the marina. Turns out he's got a slip right smack in Oriental, and I was in Brown Creek, several miles north.

The boat is very solid. The engine runs like a clock, and he did a bunch of things here and there. I got the feeling the owner didn't really want to sell the boat (which is a good thing in my opinion). I fit inside, plenty of headroom (I'm 6'), and overall I was impressed with the quality of construction. For a 48 year old boat, it's holding on strong.

The boat needs some love, mostly cosmetic stuff, like paint and varnish. I'm not going to lie, it is a bit intimidating. I'm so used to sail my C-22, that the Alberg seems mammoth! The engine (Westerbeke 30, 27HP, diesel) is as big as my truck's engine!

I think tomorrow the weather is going to be really cold, but he invited me to go again, and hopefully go out for a sail since today I got there kinda late. I don't know yet, cold AND wet, me don't like

Me no like cold and wet either Gus. First time I took a C26 out I compared it to driving a Lincoln Town Car but from the trunk ! Now anything feels small...

It is also a bit scary the whole maintenance thing. Compared to the C-22,
everything is BIGGER. I was impressed with the construction of the boat, very solid, and having a almost new (2008) diesel engine it is a good selling point (I told the owner that).

I guess I have a lot of thinking to do. I'm going to Europe for 3 weeks in December, so hopefully I can make a decision.

Hey Gus,
do not let her intimidate you!

You will adjust to her way faster than you think!

Good luck!
Scott

One thing I forgot to mention, and this is by far in the 'top ten' list: a 1960's depth finder, in working condition! When the owner told me he was still using the original, vacuum tubes depth, I couldn't believe it, then he turns to show me that in fact, it is working

I was gonna go meeting again today, but turns out I woke up with a really bad sore throat

The saga continues... I never knew buying a boat was so complicated! I went to see an S2 8.5 last week. I tried calling the seller again, he never answer the phone or return my calls, so I went back to search, and I found the same boat, newer, for less money, but it is in Virginia, so road trip this weekend to see it, and probably buy it!

Thanks for keeping us updated!
I enjoy reading the posts!

Scott

Nice!

This thread is great. Even though I am not in the market to buy a boat, I am taken back to the days when I was. Boat shoping is FUN! Keep us posted.