may have found 1st boat...BUT...

[Rol1964]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

It never ceases to amaze when some people look to completely unknown internet jockeys for advice in making purchase decisions.

Get a reputable marine surveyor unless you would prefer taking advice from strangers who haven’t even seen the boat.

Wow, tough crowd. I figured it might be a good idea to get any inside scoop from others on this forum who may have 1st hand experience with this particular model and vintage before I spend ANY money including a professional surveyor.
So thanks folks. I do appreciate the comments and I am leaning away from this boat as it appears to be more of a project than I have interest in signing on for.
It's the weekend...time for rum

[odonnellryan]

Originally Posted by Rol1964

Wow, tough crowd. I figured it might be a good idea to get any inside scoop from others on this forum who may have 1st hand experience with this particular model and vintage before I spend ANY money including a professional surveyor.
So thanks folks. I do appreciate the comments and I am leaning away from this boat as it appears to be more of a project than I have interest in signing on for.
It's the weekend...time for rum

Never a bad idea to take advice where you can get it as long as you take it like everything else with a grain of salt.

[flitemdic]

There are subforums in both sailinganarchy and sailboatowners dot com websites that deal specifically with the Catalina 27. Tons of good info. Good luck with your search.

[LittleWing77]

The boat sounded okay until the potential keel issue(s). For me,my first priority is a boat that will float and sail. Maybe my perspective is overly cautious, but I feel that red flags like a keel impact or new keelbolts are sorta like restoration work on an old house where you open the wall thinking that it's just something cosmetic and relatively simple, but suddenly you're into something structural and your initial estimates have gone all to hell.

I, sadly, would walk away.

Good luck finding YOUR Catalina 27.

Warmly,
LittleWing

[Rol1964]

Thanks all. I get it. My running shoes are "hot" as I have taken the advice and hastily departed.....

[billknny]

I'll give you an opinion, worth every penny you paid for it.

Cracked hull, "Very rusted keel bolts", engine not installed, etc, etc.

It's a piece of junk, and will cost you far more money than you can imagine it will.

[thruska]

All good advice...
Put on those running shoes.
Then later, a touch of rum perhaps...

[Red Sky]

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the compression post support being rotted. If I remember correctly from my C30 days, there’s wood under the pan that supports the mast compression post. Are there cracks around the base of the mast on the cabin top?

I don’t know if it’s appropriate for your situation, but for a little more $$, 3’ more length gets you a lot more boat in a C30.

[Rol1964]

Thx for the tips but I’ve moved on from that project. The marina that Im willing to start out with has a 30’ limit. So I have to stay within that dimension.

[gmakhs]

Catalinas are famous about his kind of issue I wouldn't buy one .

[siamese]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

It never ceases to amaze when some people look to completely unknown internet jockeys for advice in making purchase decisions.

Get a reputable marine surveyor unless you would prefer taking advice from strangers who haven’t even seen the boat.

That's a nasty comment. I turn to forums dedicated to sailboats, guitars, cameras, travel trailers, and motorcycles for all sorts of advice. I don't know if I talk with any "unknown internet jockeys", but I certainly hear from a lot of helpful and knowledgeable people. And a few nasty ones.

Of course you have to separate the wheat from the chaff, but most of the time, I find myself very well served on the forums I frequent.

I'd say the OP was well served in this thread. I see nothing wrong with giving him the benefit of the doubt, with regard to his ability to sort through the responses and reach a decision, even if the decision is to investigate further. In particular, the advice about the stuffing box access on an inboard C27 was well worth the price of admission.

[john61ct]

Yes of course an at least informal survey by an experienced professional is good advice, IMO especially when the buyer is on a tight budget.

But that does not preclude also going onto forums asking for advice and opinions.

[thomm225]

I'd stay away from driveway project sailboats and maybe find one at a boatyard on stands or in the water with the engine mounted and ready top run

Btw I've heard many good things about the Atomic 4 engines but new parts for them can be very expensive

[LeGe]

Originally Posted by gmakhs

Catalinas are famous about his kind of issue I wouldn't buy one .

So how do you really feel about Catalina's?

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by LeGe

So how do you really feel about Catalina's?

For a first time owner, a Catalina 30 with an M-25 engine is a very good choice. They didn’t sell over 7000 hulls because they were fooling people. Great boat to get comfortable with owning, sailing and repairing. Any problem the boat has usually happened to another owner and the solution has been posted on the internet. Parts are more than available. You can spend the night in relative comfort and there’s usually a fleet of other 30’s to race against. Is it the be all, end all? No, but it’s an easy boat to own and have a lot of fun with. And...you might even sell it for what you paid for it when you move up.

I’ve got a Caliber 40LRC and when I go back to just around the bay sailing, I wouldn’t discount buying another 30. It’s like the difference between driving my Suburban and my wife’s little Mercedes.