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ssullivan · 15-10-2006, 06:46

And let me say also... well put, David. Thats how I saw it as well.

AnchorageGuy · 15-10-2006, 10:43

We have lived aboard and cruised our Mariner 40 Sea Trek for 15 years now and have covered tens of thousands of miles. She is a 26 year old "Chinese built" fiberglass ketch that we have meticulously maintained and upgraded over the years. She has survived offshore gales and 14 named storms without any problems or damage. As a marine service tech and Yacht Broker by trade we have had the availability of many boats to choose from when we first started looking for a liveaboard/cruiser. We chose this one for it's sound construction, livable space and available storage for our needs and we have never looked back. The price was also a consideration but somewhere near the end of the list. Would we have considered any of the more modern production boats in hindsight, definitely not. When not cruising my days are spent getting very intimate with these brand new modern boats built with the latest technology. They do not compare, in my opinion, to what we have, and to many of the "older" boat I find myself servicing. I have seen older boats in deplorable condition and boats only a few years old in the same or worse condition. That is not to say there are not new boats extremely well constructed. There still are, but are usually well out of the price range of most of us. This should drive your decision as to whether it will fit your needs and cruising requirements and not the the manufacture year. Any purchase should be preceded by a thorough survey buy a surveyor qualified for the type of boat you wish to purchase. By that I mean you don't want someone that primarily surveys power boats to do your sailboats or a racing specialist to do your offshore cruiser. Many here have contributed lots of good additional info and by putting it all together you should have no problem making a good decision.

Joli · 15-10-2006, 16:28

32 years old and still going strong. No broken tabbing, no delam, no wet spots, no flexing beyond normal, still carying 40,000 lbs on the cap shrouds when needed. Sailed form Hawaii to Italy in all kinds of weather including a cat 3 hurricane. Some of the old boats are pretty damn tough. Don't think it's gonna die tomorrow.