Thinking of Buying a 1981 Contessa 26

[chromaticbum]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post on the forums. I am new to sailing, I have my first lessons on a dinghy planned for the weekend two weeks from now, and I am planning on taking lessons a keel boat shortly afterwards. I am also looking at buying a cruiser for travelling (eventually) from San Francisco, where I currently reside, to Ithaca, New York via the Panama canal and the Erie canal way, I'm not sure if the entire journey is possible, but that is another question I need to answer... I may just end up in Boston. Anyways, I have been looking at the Contessa 26 because it has proven itself capable of offshore passage making, it's small, and within my budget, of about 40,000.

The listing is here: http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi..._id=14024&url=

I have spoken with the broker and I am setting up a time to take a look at the boat sometime in the near future. I have a few questions, the first being...

1. Assuming that the condition is very good, as is claimed by the broker I spoke with, does this seem like a good deal to some of you who have owned your own boats before? Looking at the boat and list of upgrades/care that has been taken, this looks like a fine deal to me, but I am very inexperienced when it comes to buying a boat.

2. If I were to buy this boat, I have been told that the standing rigging would probably need to be replaced... How much can I expect to spend on this?

3. My budget looks like this (I don't need to move the boat or launch because I am planning on sailing it to it's resting spot in the bay)

I also realize that slip space is probably cheaper than 300 dollars a month, but overestimating adds some padding for other costs:

Monthly Payments X 12 = 20,000
Registration Fees = 1,250
Insurance = 191
Charts and Books = 500
Slip Space X 12 = 4,000
Maintenance/Repairs = 4,000
Fuel = 1,000
Total = 30,940

Standing Rigging = 4,000 (not needed immediately)

I am wondering if I am estimating too much/too little for maintenance/repairs. If the boat is in as good a condition as is claimed, I think I am overestimating, as all I can think of that I will need to do for maintenance will be to clean the underside and empty the holding tanks (if needed). Am I missing other maintenance costs?

5. Any thoughts on going from San Francisco to Cayuga Lake? I think the lochs still run in the Erie canal way, but perhaps there are regulations to keep salt water vessels out of the lakes? Or some procedures that I must go through to do this?

Thank you all for taking a look at this!
- Hollin