Opinion on Cape George 36

[Benz]

Hi Pequod,

I wouldn't necessarily run from 40yr old teak decks; I'd hire a competent surveyor to try and find out what's under the teak and in what condition it's in. Thing is, deck core problems, while expensive to fix, are not an immediate threat to safety, like corroded keel bolts or a spade rudder with a rusty shaft. And considering that a new CG36 would likely cost half a million, 100k isn't bad for an older one. Same hull, after all, which is what matters. So many full-keelers are done wrong--here is a full keel done right. It's certainly worth a survey.
Ben

[Jim Cate]

Question; We have one poster saying that the decks and superstructure are timber, and another who talks of core rot in decks. These seem contradictory, and resolving the difference is important in understanding the ramifications of a degraded deck. If it is a timber laid deck with teak on top, repairing rot would be a truly essential matter. if it is a teak overlay on a typical cored frp deck, it is not so important, for it will not likely have a structural failure.

Seems an important question to answer!

Jim

[Snowpetrel]

A good friend has a Tally Ho major, at 34 feet she is the base model I think the Cape Georges are modeled from. Anyway, a fantastic design that sails extremely well. She has as comfortable a motion at sea as you could wish for, and with a bit of care will steer with a lashed helm in many conditions. Downsides are the long keel is harder to manage in tight marinas, and they need a big sailplan in light airs.

Another friend has a CG 31 that he has singlehanded from NZ around the horn. Tough boat thats done heaps of miles singlehanded.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[250224]

*MUCH* too expensive. And - subjective opinion of course - the boat, especially the cabine, doesn't look 'supernice'. For this money you should e.g. be able to get an equally old but much more beautiful Hallberg Rassy.

[robert sailor]

I can't speak for every Cape George boat ever built but the ones I am familiar with are heavily laid up hulls and typical wood boat construction on the balance. Heavy wood ceiling beams and wood coach roof construction pretty much identical to a well built wood boat. I haven't had any experience with glass on these boats from the hull up.

[Mithril Bham]

A good friend owned one of those for years and loved it. I spent a week on her. He sailed to Hawaii and back several times. One time single handed. This fellow researches everything thoroughly. Get good survey, of course.

[Cheechako]

I love the CG boats, but be aware many are owner finished. I have seen a few under construction and a few on the water as they were built up here in the PNW. Also be aware that some models do not have a moulded fiberglass deck/cabin structure. This can be a problem. There was a 34 or 36 for sale up here with deck issues a few years ago. The asking price was $15000! The boat looked good other than the deck rot. That was a bargain for sure for someone who could do the intensive repair. They are very heavy built hulls like a Westsail, unlike a WS the decks as mentioned. I'm not sure if the CG sail any better to weather than a WS or not. But you can likely find a good WS in the $35k+ range.

[ALAIN97133]

Great sailboat for TWO (2) people max ! If you expect to have friends or family on a regular basis, look for a good 40 footer for $100K... There are a lot of them on the www. The only detail I'm not crazy about is the head forward... My Ericson 34 has the head/shower/oilskin locker at the foot of the companionway & I can confirm that it's the BEST layout for any sailboat with only one head & if you can afford a sailboat with two heads, one should be there Also, with that layout, I have two (2) enclosed separated bedroom. When I took my sailboat out of the Great Lakes with my 22 year old son, we each had our own room... Nice!

[first wind]

Originally Posted by Guy

It may look nice but it needs just about everything to go cruising. Trust me, that is a lot of work and dough. You need to love it, then be willing to spend at least another $50k on it.
I wonder if having a cool looking boat is worth it. If it's about going cruising, then it really is not. For a $100k you could have a boat and all the cool stuff.

(a cape geourge is a lot more than just a cool looking boat, however..)that really depends on what you think a boat needs to go cruising. a strong, well built, well designed boat is the single most important thing you need. after that, there is a huge range of 'needs'.

there are some that go simple and there are some that want to make their boat have all the 'conveniences' of home and need to buy every new gadget on the market.

the simpler you go the less it costs and the less of your time and money will get spent fixing things that break in places where parts can be hard to get.

for instance, i just finished reading bob bitchin's book, letters from the lost soul. the book is an example of the take everything including the kitchen sink approach and, it reads like a list of repairs more than like a story of cruising fun.

there is always a cost to outfit any boat. how large that bill is depends on your approach to cruising. but, the cost of a stout seaworthy boat is far more rewarding than the money spent on all the new gadgets, when the sailing gets hard.

[first wind]

Originally Posted by pequod

Thanks for all of the replies - very helpful.

Benz - I read some of your blog and wow what a story. I am glad to hear from a Cape George owner and especially one who built one himself. Very impressive. I really like the lines of the Cape George. Regarding this 36, I should run from 41 year old teak decks, right? Is it worth a survey to find that they aren't leaking but live with the ultimate liability? Perhaps if they're not leaking I would just remove them as a precaution? Can't imagine what that would cost.

Robert Sailor - my very first post here a few days ago was about a Pretorien I was interested in (sans the listing link!). I really like the fin keel, skeg hung rudder and the heavy construction and excellent reputation. However, the boat in question needs a ton of $$ (re-power, sails, roller furler, bottom paint (blisters?), dodger, electronics etc. The list is long and they're asking near top dollar. I don't think the boat has been out of the water in years and certainly not sailed in many moons. I guess I could put in a low ball offer and see what happens?

I am definitely open to other boats. Several posts alluded to better $100k options. Please feel free to send me your suggestions. So far I have found a bunch of crappy overpriced boats around here. Should I widen my net geographically?

NGH

before you sing the praise of fin keel boats, you should read " seaworthiness, the forgotten factor".

[buzzstar]

I would not mind, but beyond my budget. Just one inane question: Is that a galley sink or an open water tank? It may be bigger than the total volume of the two basin sink in my home kitchen.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by first wind

(
for instance, i just finished reading bob bitchin's book, letters from the lost soul. the book is an example of the take everything including the kitchen sink approach and, it reads like a list of repairs more than like a story of cruising fun.
there is always a cost to outfit any boat. how large that bill is depends on your approach to cruising. but, the cost of a stout seaworthy boat is far more rewarding than the money spent on all the new gadgets, when the sailing gets hard.

Well Bob is a big guy on a big boat and he had room for all that stuff.
I see hardly any small simple boats out cruising. Almost none. I think that is more of an idea in a book than a real thing.

[Butler]

Appreciate the simple approach myself and I agree that means less to repair. This is important to me because I am not very mechanicaly inclined and I sail alone on a small boat.

Good on'em both but Bob Bitchen was able to engage crew pretty easily and so often had a handful of clever sailors aboard to help make repairs. Also the case with Donald Street whose outfitting books have plenty of great ideas but those ideas sometimes presume the presence of crew which he seemed to have had in abundance.
Would love a good sized schooner to travel in though I can't draw crew like either of those two. As it stands small and simple fit my budget and manpower.

[mitiempo]

Here is a review of the Cape George 36

The Cape George 36 Sailboat : Bluewaterboats.org

And here is the pdf of their construction. It speaks for itself I think.

http://www.capegeorgecutters.com/CGCbrochure3.pdf

[Buckanear Bill]

You may want to check with Paul Exner at Modern Geographic (Modern Geographic | Adventure Sailing, Bluewater sailing and Sailing Instruction). He built his own Cape George 31 and uses it to train people on it or their own boats. He also writes for Ocean Navigator. I met him at Strictly Sail Chicago a few years ago.