Boat Years Age

[thinwater]

Like me, I figure different parts are different ages. Unlike me, practically everything can be rebuilt. And like both of us, much depends on how well founded the bones are.

* knees--old
* hair--gone
* mind--experienced and better than new

* engines--newly replaced
* sails--brand new main, others vary
* hulls--old but unblemished
* running rigging--hanging on
* lifelines--ancient and rusted

[Target9000]

As far as I can tell, my boat is an ancient. But she is loved.

[Stu Jackson]

Another observation:

Many newbies question: "How do I look for a good boat?"

The answers invariably are that any obvious neglect is apparent and one should run away immediately.

I'd bet most of us, when looking for boats, have seen some that have been horribly neglected, trashed and downright scary. We looked for over a year for our boat, and ONLY looked at this particular boat, no others. Some of the ones we saw made me sit right down and cry. How could anyone do that to a boat!!! Sam thing for our previous C25.

I can't say our 1986 boat is any newer than a, well, 1986 boat. But I've seen a lot of 1986 to 1990 same boats when we were looking for our in 1997&98 that looked a LOT older than ours is now.

But if you're looking for excuses when your are SELLING your boat, then it will NEVER be anything younger than the year it was built.

The concept of condition, condition, condition when PURCHASING is the only thing to consider.

I bought a 1986 boat in 1998 that was twelve years old. It was in superb condition. We try to keep it that way with maintenance, upgrades and hard work.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I would look for 1 in good condition! That probably will equal a boat that has been lightly used over one that has been used hard or an older boat that has barely ever been used. What would you look for?

First thing I look at is the engine and hours. And I would look for a log of maintenance for the engine (and the boat). That tells me the experience of the owner. If he keeps good records, it tells me what to expect in looking at the rest of the boat.

Then hull - delamitation, blisters, stress, bulkheads etc.

Then rigging

and so on...

[a64pilot]

Speaking of that, where can you get a good boat maintenance log book? Do boats usually have two, one for engine and one for boat?

[mikeguyver]

My dad had a claw hammer he said he had owned over forty years, it had had 3 handles and 2 different heads.....how old was the hammer?....just sayin'

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Speaking of that, where can you get a good boat maintenance log book? Do boats usually have two, one for engine and one for boat?

Ummm…don't understand? Like buy a new ledger??

Up to you how you want to record your maintenance practices, including system diagrams and keeping receipts etc. The ideal is to record every detail you can. Will increase sale potential.

[a64pilot]

Aircraft for example usually have three logbooks, one for the engine, one for the airframe and another for the prop, these logbooks are columned off for things like hours etc and are of a standardized format. Didn't know if this sort of thing was done for a boat or not. If it was I wanted to start a boat logbook, because someday I might have to sell her.

[Hudson Force]

I keep a deck log that carries an account of my navigation, crew, guests, weather, etc. and an engine log ....
.......
which carries dated records of engine hours, fuel-oil-coolant-trans.fluid-hydraulic fluid checks, generator records on the right hand pages. On the left hand pages I keep a listing of all repairs and maintenance. Also, in the last pages I include a list of sizes and lengths of all the running rigging as well as part numbers for filters, impellers, prop deminsions, etc. These logs start as simple blank bound ledgers.

[SaltyMonkey]

Ok I kept three logs:
General Boat Maintenance
Engine
Cruising

[Stu Jackson]

We have a "deck log" for recording nav and writeups of trips. Ours is handwritten 'cuz I can still write reasonably legibly. I made a spreadsheet for maintenance and do that by hand, too, engine hours, date, fixits... Many folks now do theirs on computers.

There is no "best" preprinted log book. There are a handful of them, go look at them in WM and find one that works for you.

[Nicholson58]

It also matters a great deal where you sail. Based on a scenario posed by the OP, a boat on the Great Lakes may have 1/4 year per year and no salt. I have never seen standing rigging show any signs of impending failure, cracks etc. Unless a boat is raced hard, the use will be very minimal. As long as they are kept dry in the winter & covered, there is almost no stress on them.

Great place to shop for used boats.

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

It also matters a great deal where you sail. Based on a scenario posed by the OP, a boat on the Great Lakes may have 1/4 year per year and no salt. I have never seen standing rigging show any signs of impending failure, cracks etc. Unless a boat is raced hard, the use will be very minimal. As long as they are kept dry in the winter & covered, there is almost no stress on them.

Great place to shop for used boats.

Indeed, Also the NE. Short seasons. But watch for deck delimitation from poor winter storage and ice.

[DumnMad]

Boat-years age scale:
1. Young - Newish and fit for anything.
2. Middle aged - Oldish and fit for anything.
3. Aged - Old and fit for anything
4. Old - Not fit for anything but daysails.(Actual year of build doesn't count.)
5. Retired - Aged and looking for a buyer. (ditto)
6. Laid-up - Aged and in palliative care. (ditto)
7. Dead - Not worth the mooring fees.

I think mine's between 2 and 3. Plenty of boats built more recently than mine that are already 6.

[SaltyMonkey]

What are the criteria moving from 3 to 4?