Want To Buy: 25' to 27' sailboat

[Futuresailors]

Hello hello,
My boyfriend and I are currently looking for 25' to 27' sailboat hopefully under $2000. We are not looking for anything too nice, just something to get us out there. We have always lived more in nature and have always loved the water. We have conquered the Nolichuckey River in Tennesee, so we are now ready to conquer our next great adventure. If you know anyone or any great places to have a boat in our price range please please send them our way. We would prefer one on the East Coast below Maryland but are willing to go anywhere in the states for a good boat.


Thanks for your time,
Futuresailors

[a64pilot]

Very inexpensive boats are usually found on Craig’s list or best by walking the docks and taking to people. Sometimes there are boats that yard managers would love for you to just take away.

Transporting a significant distance can be expensive, trailers often don’t come with inexpensive boats and are in poor condition etc.
Not saying you can’t of course, just it adds difficulty and cost.

[boatman61]

Here ya go.. looks reasonably tidy..
https://eastnc.craigslist.org/boa/d/...891745035.html

[thomm225]

Here's a Cataliona 25 on Maryland's Eastern Shore for $1900 that looks good in the picture and has an almost new motor which is usually helpful for new sailors.

https://easternshore.craigslist.org/...920290262.html

[stewie]

I owned a Coronado 25 a long time ago. It was a lovely little yacht and sailed very well. Had a small outboard in a well a the back, but it spent most of its time in a locker. Maybe you can buy one for $2,000 here.

https://www.sailboatlistings.com/sailboats/Coronado

[Mlp48]

The Watkins shown is a terrible joke - "won't take much to get the engine goin'" but a burnt valve, head gasket... SHEESH

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by Mlp48

The Watkins shown is a terrible joke - "won't take much to get the engine goin'" but a burnt valve, head gasket... SHEESH

Was pulling heads and doing valve jobs while still in my teens. It's an easy job that is about 75% labor and the rest machining and parts. As long as the head isn't warped or cracked it is an easy and cheap repair. Of course it's a crap shoot as you wouldn't know what's involved till the head is off and at a machine shop. The boat at $2,000 is a decent price even if the engine is a total.

What is really stupid about the boat is a wheel on a 27' boat. Colossal waste of money for a totally unneeded complication.

[Tillerjockey]

Poke around some marinas and boat yards. Ask at the office if they have any boats that they either own because the owner hasn't paid his bills or the owners have walked away. Each yard usually has a few of these diamonds in the rough. The advantage of this is that the yard most likely knows the boat and knows what's wrong with it and what it needs. Good luck and have fun.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Mlp48

The Watkins shown is a terrible joke - "won't take much to get the engine goin'" but a burnt valve, head gasket... SHEESH

Want your cake and eat it huh..

[Mlp48]

I'm sorry ya'll and esp. sorry for what harm may have been done to Mr. happy boat seller and then to Mr Moderator, our engine prodigy, Sir -- but the picture of a boat tied up with what looks like 20 extension cords gave me a negative start. It's true what's said of "curb appeal" and I fell prey so that I couldn't help then but question that a 38 year old 27' model of that marque would be worth $2000 with even a very highly recommended engine and perhaps a nearly new one.

[Mlp48]

This poor fellow's boat looks a whole lot less scary in another advertisement venue, and so different that perhaps it is another boat. See: https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/79931

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, 'sailors.

[FTS]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Here's a Cataliona 25 on Maryland's Eastern Shore for $1900 that looks good in the picture and has an almost new motor which is usually helpful for new sailors.

https://easternshore.craigslist.org/...920290262.html

Oddly enough I took a look at that boat the weekend before last.

For her age I'd rate the fiberglass above the waterline as above average. Unfortunately Southern Comfort has a pretty bad problem with water intrusion on the port side, and the port bulkhead is completely delaminated, and has some pretty gnarly issues with rot in the dinette. Another major issue is the rudder is split open about 1/4" above the waterline.

Futuresailors, the short version is I decided this boat is outside my skill set, but I'll be happy to share my notes if you're interested.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Mlp48

This poor fellow's boat looks a whole lot less scary in another advertisement venue, and so different that perhaps it is another boat. See: https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/79931

Looks like the same boat.. stick a 6hp ob on her and she can go anywhere N or S.. its is only the ICW FFS..
Easy enough the make her liveable in..
Bought an H22 for £3k in the UK that was worse than that and sailed her 700nm to Portugal and she had a Honda 5hp.
So much negativity.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by FTS

Oddly enough I took a look at that boat the weekend before last.

For her age I'd rate the fiberglass above the waterline as above average. Unfortunately Southern Comfort has a pretty bad problem with water intrusion on the port side, and the port bulkhead is completely delaminated, and has some pretty gnarly issues with rot in the dinette. Another major issue is the rudder is split open about 1/4" above the waterline.

Futuresailors, the short version is I decided this boat is outside my skill set, but I'll be happy to share my notes if you're interested.

Bummer.

Maybe you or the OP would be interested in this boat then. I think it's the boat that was next to mine all Winter over at Cobb's Boatyard. The guy built the wooden dodger himself.

The question is why is he selling it now unless he found another larger boat? Or maybe he didn't want to buy a motor for a small boat and wanted to apply that toward a larger one he found. They (he and his wife) were out there a lot working on making it look this good. I saw it before he bought it also. It was in the water over at Bay Point.

He said he'd owned a Bristol 27 in the past and liked it's size for what he wanted to do.

The boat has a well for an outboard and the one that was on it looked a bit battered. I think he had trouble with it when he moved the boat across the creek.

I believe he painted the bottom with a hard paint. I did mine ablative and after a month or so the color changed due to the rain whereas his on the Cape Dory did not. He painted the topside hull also and did a much better job than I did. Better paint too maybe

https://richmond.craigslist.org/boa/...901044574.html