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Mr Mac · 26-10-2012, 10:45

Some may recall that our plan is to retire in six years and purchase our "forever" boat. That boat will be a 36' or greater in length but we differ over make at this point but are leaning towards Catalina (my preference) and Hunter (her preference) since they are so plentiful and therby less expensive than some.

In the meantime she and I are both going to take ASA classes next Spring and have been considering a small boat to learn with. Right now we have what I think is an incredible opportunity to get in on the cheap with a slightly larger boat than we had thought we would have as our first sailboat.

The boat in question is a 1977 Hunter 27 in descent condition. Someone painted the deck and cockpit using what truly looks like house paint and it is chipping off so we know that will need to be taken care of. According to the company selling her, she is in otherwise good sailing condition.

The interior seems to be in good condition with new fabric and cushions as well as a custom-made 6" deep mattress in V-berth. The boat also has with it a bimini top, a genoa, jib, and full-color spinnaker and the diesel inboard "runs great."

She is very similar to this boat but with wheel steering.

Thoughts?

MarkSF · 26-10-2012, 10:48

I have sailed Catalina 27s and they are good boats. You can pick the up for not much money. Would be my choice over a hunter. You should be able to get one that looks great and has been well cared for.

Bash · 26-10-2012, 11:14

While I agree that the Catalina 27 is a great boat, I commiserate with your problem.

For me, having a wife who wants to spend time with me on a boat is far more important than what brand of boat I own. I'll never forget the time I took Wonderblond to look at a used Swan 41 that I had fallen in love with. She went down the companionway and immediately vetoed the idea. The boat was a man-cave, with not enough light or ventilation for her.

Once we ruled out the Swan, we started looking at new boats in the 40' range, going so far as to charter a Juneau 40 for a week to see whether it was the right boat. It wasn't.

At the end of our search, I wanted a Catalina 400, and Wonderblond preferred the Hunter 410. We ended up purchasing the Hunter because I really wanted this to be a boat she wanted to spend time on. We ended up living on the boat fulltime for eight years before we bought a bigger boat, also a Hunter.

Guys in my yacht club are constantly telling me how lucky I am to have a wife who wants to spend so much time sailing. But luck has nothing to do with it. I let her pick the boat.

Mr Mac · 26-10-2012, 13:15

Yes, but what are your thoughts on the boat we're looking at now? I have been on the phone with the dealer and he did say that the engine will need an impeller for the water pump which is a pretty cheap thing.

Mr Mac · 26-10-2012, 13:20

Here is the boat we're looking at to learn with. Again, she's a 1977 Hunter 27 and the current asking price is $2,500 (with the stand it sits on).

Khagan1227 · 26-10-2012, 13:27

Personally, I wouldn't go to the expense of getting a survey done on the Hunter 27, unless you have a friend that will do one for you for free.

There are several threads about what to check for when buying a used boat, I'd search for one of those and then use it as a guide when you inspect this boat.

Check for blisters, check for blisters, check for blisters. If it is afloat, it will be difficult. I'd also suggest looking for soft spots on the decks.

A 27' boat is a great first boat, though some will say too big. It will teach a lot of things that will be valuable when you move to the bigger boat and if you break something, it will be cheaper to fix.

Travelnik · 26-10-2012, 13:33

Looks nice!

IMHO, at that price, it's hard to go wrong.

Sumner · 26-10-2012, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsmastern

Looks nice!

IMHO, at that price, it's hard to go wrong.

I agree, but the big if is the power-plant. I'd want to know it ran even if I sprung for the impeller and putting it in.

Also the other items mentioned. I'd want to see it go in the water and a short sail if that is possible. That would be a big assurance to make sure things work or find out what you will be spending money on.

If the above is good then that looks like a lot of boat for the money,

Sum

]

Mr Mac · 26-10-2012, 13:55

When I spoke to the salesman he did tell me that the engine does run but they couldn't run it for long with a bad impeller.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

Check for blisters, check for blisters, check for blisters. If it is afloat, it will be difficult. I'd also suggest looking for soft spots on the decks.

As for blisters, there are none. My oldest son used to work at one of the marina's on the river and he has had his fair share of fiberglass repairs and he said the hull was solid, top and bottom.

I think I'll just go ahead and buy it. For what I'll spend on refinishing the top and repairing the water pump I can always get my money right back out of it and then some!

monte · 26-10-2012, 13:59

buy it

boatsail · 26-10-2012, 14:05

rip the engine out and put an outboard on! simpler to fix or replace than inboard. Plus at 27 foot, you will get so much great storage!

Travelnik · 26-10-2012, 14:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatsail

rip the engine out and put an outboard on! simpler to fix or replace than inboard. Plus at 27 foot, you will get so much great storage!

I was thinking the same thing.

If there is any real engine problem, that's the way I'd go on any small boat.

boatsail · 26-10-2012, 14:18

my cal came with the engine gone and the ob on the back. I picked between mine and another. The other smelled of an engine inside. I would have waited until the first repair, ripped it out, sold the engine and bought an outboard. very glad i have an outboard. soooooooooo much cheaper in the short and long run.

Travelnik · 26-10-2012, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by boatsail

my cal came with the engine gone and the ob on the back. I picked between mine and another. The other smelled of an engine inside. I would have waited until the first repair, ripped it out, sold the engine and bought an outboard. very glad i have an outboard. soooooooooo much cheaper in the short and long run.

Mine came with an outboard, and I'm glad it did! There is so much extra storage space in the engine compartment.
Besides, who really needs an inboard in a 22' sailboat? It's designed to do hull speed with a 6hp outboard. Cheap and easy to fix too!

I love small boats!