Advice

[Dhmosier]

Am looking to buy a Catalina 25. I live near Clarks Hill lake (Augusta GA). I an new to sailing and was planning to have the boat surveyed prior to purchase. However I have not been able to find anyone here. Any advice on how to have someone look at the boat without doubling the 5k purchase price.

Thanks!

[ssanzone]

i can not help you with finding a surveyor in your area but you should expect to pay about $15 a foot for the inspection plus 2-400 for the haul out unless you have a diver do the bottom survey in which case you should add about 150 for that.

i would prob head to a local marina (ideally one you will sail out of) and either look on the notice board or just ask around. boaters are friendly and helpful.

also, you may want to get the current owner to agree to direct future interested parties to you to buy the survey from you (so u can recover the survey costs) in the event you dont move forward with the purchase.


gl.

-steve

[pillum]

Hmmm... (15*25)+(say 300 for the haul out) = $675. If you were buying a car for $5000 would you pay $675 extra for an inspection?

Call me a cheapskate but for a $5000 purchase I'd read up on the type of boat I was purchasing, and do the inspection myself, if I didn't feel up to it I'd ask advice from friends who know sailboats.

[unbusted67]

Yah totally. At that level I would just find a buddy with more sailing knowledge than you and go over the boat with a fine toothed comb. It is nice that we American's live in a world where $5000 is not a lot of money. At that price, if the boat doesn't have a gaping hole in the bottom, it is hard to go wrong.

[knottygurl]

call a home inspector that has thermal imaging, they can scan the boat and it should show if there is any delamination or water in the core and make sure the inspector also has a moisture meter and have him slide it over the hull and deck, interior. they should charge 100 - 150 for the hour or so they would bbe there.
Have a more knowledgable friend as well so he can point out the rigging, interior bulkheads as well as .... well he'll know.
I remember seeing somewhere a checklist here on doing your own inspection, remember saftey items included yes then check dates of expiry.

[GordMay]

See also ➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...vey-54296.html

Good luck!

[nautical62]

Another thing to check is whether or not your insurance will require a survey. I agree a survey may not be cost effective on a boat that size, but it makes no sense to forgo that if you need to get it done later to insure the boat.

Odds are if you will only be doing lake sailing, you won't need a survey, but it's worth looking into.

I've purchased two 26-foot boats and didn't survey either prior to purchase. One later required one for insurance. One did not.

[Randyonr3]

there is not alot that can go wrong with a catalina 25 that would need an outside inspection.. for 5k it an older 25 if I'm right.. the only major concern is if its a swing keel model and the pivot pin for the keel.. they can wobble out and have to be repaired.. and you should be getting a trailer with the boat to haul it out on..
If not, losen up the locking pin on the keel and rase it about half way with the winch.. go in the water and grab the rear of the keel and try to shake it or move it from side to side. if its sloppy and moves around, it might be a concern, but if its tight, no worries............
If its a fixed keel, disreguard all above info and go sailing...........
If the boat is in the marina, as a few people how the guy has treated the boat, and just have a basic look around.. if the boat is clean and tidey and looks like its been taken care of, little damage to the rails, its probablly a good boat..
But if you see the rub rails and the deck cracked at the sides, he's probably done a share of busting the boat up.. stay away from it..
Another good sorce, call "Catalina Direct" out of Sacramento and ask them what to look for when buying.. Great people and will have all the asessories you can think of for the boat

[Curmudgeon]

I'd get the survey. Quite apart from insurance issues, the survey will be a pretty good roadmap of what needs to be done to the boat and how much more you will have to spend (above the purchase price) to make the boat seaworthy and to meet legal requirements. A surevy costs around $500. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by nautical62

Another thing to check is whether or not your insurance will require a survey. I agree a survey may not be cost effective on a boat that size, but it makes no sense to forgo that if you need to get it done later to insure the boat.

Odds are if you will only be doing lake sailing, you won't need a survey, but it's worth looking into.

I've purchased two 26-foot boats and didn't survey either prior to purchase. One later required one for insurance. One did not.

good point. I think usually though on smaller, and especially trailerable boats it's not required. But Check! Usually your auto insurer will cover those boats real cheap.