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Old 20-01-2017, 08:15   #1
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What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Hello

I saw this boat for sale on Craigslist https://nanaimo.craigslist.ca/boa/5963932529.html and it's within 100kms of me (and a bit of a hassle of a ferry ride). The seller hasn't posted much info and the photos don't tell me much (except maybe the seller is in no rush) so I thought I would ask you folks with keener more experienced eyes what you think of me buying this Contessa/JJ Taylor 26 for cruising as a rookie sailor. I'd be hoping to use it until the end of March cruising around my beloved B.C. coast before putting the boat on the hard for a while to go back to work and make more money for cruising.

It looks like the chainplates have been moved to the outside of the hull which, I gather, is good for reducing corrosion and weakening, If I remember correctly the factory chainplates are somewhat buried in fibreglass inside on these boats.

I contacted the seller but he asked me to call him which I will do later today no more information was given other than what's in the ad and I'm a little concerned the boat has been used for racing since it's got a "brand new kevlar main [sail]" I don't know how suitable kevlar is for cruising but I'm going to guess not very, am I wrong? I'm guessing kevlar doesn't last very long.

Anyway, what does your critical eye see that I don't? Should I even bother going to look?
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Old 20-01-2017, 08:30   #2
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

KetoNomad,

The boat does not look bad and I had a friend that had a Contessa 26 that he cruised extensively with no problems.
After reading the ad, the halyards are Kevlar, not the sails. They make for good low stretch halyards but do not like hard bends so usually need bigger sheaves. Spectra would have been a better choice, and halyards are cheap.
The boat looks well kitted out for coastal cruising so may be worth a look.

Happy hunting.
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Old 20-01-2017, 08:45   #3
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

I concur the halyards are Kevlar, not the sails.

From the pictures is looks like a very nice boat!
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Old 20-01-2017, 08:52   #4
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Boat looks very nice. Not sure about your area, but in FL there are hundreds of 22-29 foot boats available. There are many in the 2-5 thousand range.
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Old 20-01-2017, 08:52   #5
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty Mac View Post
KetoNomad,

The boat does not look bad and I had a friend that had a Contessa 26 that he cruised extensively with no problems.
After reading the ad, the halyards are Kevlar, not the sails. They make for good low stretch halyards but do not like hard bends so usually need bigger sheaves. Spectra would have been a better choice, and halyards are cheap.
The boat looks well kitted out for coastal cruising so may be worth a look.

Happy hunting.
Oh yeah, lol Kevlar halyards. I really need to sleep one of these days, I'm reading words that aren't there haha, thanks for catching that.

I'll give the guy a call and hopefully go have a look today. So weird there are no pics though.

I checked out a contessa 26 a few winters ago. The whole situation was dodgy (owner selling via Japan, tarps over forward hatch, space heater left running inside despite being on the hard for months, cabin sole that flexed under my feet, dark black coloured water in the bilge, outer skin at the tip of the bow was notched out from a collision and further down the leading edge of the keel were small notches from a collision, this after telling me the boat "needed nothing" and "had no damage" I assumed the boat had sunk at least partially, the owner had been the subject of a huge Coast Guard search when he didn't return to work after setting out for a weekend sail. Definitely fishy.

Anyway are these boats normally really flexy on the floor? I'm only 200-220 lbs so it's not like that's an unreasonable weight to have to support. I can't imagine these boats being all that popular if that is a normal reaction to walking on the cabin sole. under one of the inspection hatches was a boxlike depression made of something with the integrity of brittle cardboard, that also seems odd. If that's normal for these boats please let me know.
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Old 20-01-2017, 10:17   #6
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geek_Guy View Post
Boat looks very nice. Not sure about your area, but in FL there are hundreds of 22-29 foot boats available. There are many in the 2-5 thousand range.
Florida is about the furthest state from me headed South. One day I may venture out there when I can afford a small, used Island Packet (love the look of them) but for now I'd be a fool to travel that far for a cheap boat, odds are EXCELLENT those 2-5k boats are going to be more work than fun and I have zero interest in fixing things; that is a perfunctory aspect of boat ownership for me.

Hope you are enjoying sunny skies and fair winds
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Old 20-01-2017, 10:27   #7
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Well I just got off the phone with the seller, nice enough seeming guy but he didn't know much about the boat, he mostly just talked about sailing, kind of makes me leery.

While the chainplates are now external and aluminum the owner doesn't know when they were last replaced (I don't know much about chainplates but aluminum seems like an incredibly poor choice given its tendency to fail catastrophically, wouldn't it get worn out, too? I'm assuming chainplates experience some friction normally where the turnbuckles attach. Anyway he doesn't know when the shrouds or stays were last replaced and figures the mast is original doesn't know the hours on the engine says the engine works well but seemed to be, shall we say, embellishing the truth (don't ask how I know, lol) doesn't know what kind of seacocks are on it or throughhull fittings and didn't have it surveyed or even hauled out when he bought it 5 months ago! Oh and it has no heater and no stove. Seems like a LOT of money considering all that. Lot of work too. Not sure I even want to go see it now. It might be decent but I'd be surprised if the standing rigging didn't need replacing.

Thoughts?
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Old 20-01-2017, 11:01   #8
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Ah KetoNomad.......


My intent was in no way for you to come to Florida to buy a boat. My intent was to let you know that there are likely LOTS and LOTS of similar boats to the one you are looking at. Likely for much less. However I do not know your market.


I suspect most on this forum would be very surprised at a 30-40 year old that DIDN"T need work.


But that is neither here nor there as I only wish you the best on your search.
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Old 20-01-2017, 11:52   #9
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geek_Guy View Post
Ah KetoNomad.......


My intent was in no way for you to come to Florida to buy a boat. My intent was to let you know that there are likely LOTS and LOTS of similar boats to the one you are looking at. Likely for much less. However I do not know your market.


I suspect most on this forum would be very surprised at a 30-40 year old that DIDN"T need work.


But that is neither here nor there as I only wish you the best on your search.
The way my search has been going I probably WILL end up buying in your state given the high number of Island Packets for sale and the fact that I have seen only 2 desireable boats for sale here in the last several months (and i go back to work in a few months from now). Maybe this is a blessing in disguise, hah.

BC isn't very good for full or 3/4 keel boats like the contessa or alberg 30. Those are so rare here that when an A30 went up for sale in the summer it was sold within 3 days, I'm a long-haul trucker when I work so you can imagine how tricky the logistics of a purchase can get given those time constraints. I'd be surprised if the buyers of that A30 even got a survey done. Anyway for some reason people seem to prefer unprotected rudders here, there are a ton of C&Cs and that sort of thing, which are fine boats but I would never buy or sail one here without a few other boats along. So many logs floating around in the water here , just a moment of inattention at the right time and wham, big problems. Not a good thing considering how remote and deserted much of these waters are.

Buying in FLA wold be like the opposite, (I think/hope) probably a TON of people around to help in case of emergency. Lots of people with lots of tips and advice too.

So why are boats so cheap there? Is it just because there are so many for sale?
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Old 20-01-2017, 12:19   #10
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

That is a Contessa 26. I had one that same color. That could even be the one I had. They are nice little boats. Well constructed and very pretty on the water. It's an old school design patterned after the Swedish folkboat, narrow and a wet ride, heels pretty fast but then settles down. It's not a lot of room for the $. But depends on what you like/want.
Certainly not a fan of home done aluminum chainplates.
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Old 20-01-2017, 13:04   #11
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

i see no interior pix. as this is a craigs list ad, i would be wary the individual didnt take pix on the fly by--- is it really his boat??
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Old 20-01-2017, 13:23   #12
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Quote:
Originally Posted by KetoNomad View Post
Anyway for some reason people seem to prefer unprotected rudders here, there are a ton of C&Cs and that sort of thing, which are fine boats but I would never buy or sail one here without a few other boats along. So many logs floating around in the water here , just a moment of inattention at the right time and wham, big problems. Not a good thing considering how remote and deserted much of these waters are.
You are imagining a problem where none exists - the rudder is protected by the keel.
Sure you can get into trouble if you try hard enough but protected vs unprotected rudder is just not a big issue for most situations. Just don't plan on motoring backwards for miles and miles
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Old 20-01-2017, 16:47   #13
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Great boat, remember its an asking price. We travelled from Nanaimo to Seattle to find our current boat. I would ask the owner to email you some photos, and the latest survey, as well as ask what he would be upgrading in the short term if it wasn't for sale.

Review it all, if you're still interested go down with cash in hand ready to make an offer. Boats like that can sit for months for sale. If his moorage, insurance, etc is coming due in the next couple months you will have some leverage on pricing.
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Old 20-01-2017, 20:00   #14
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

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Originally Posted by Jd1 View Post
Just don't plan on motoring backwards for miles and miles
Well then how am I supposed to have fun?
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Old 20-01-2017, 20:09   #15
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Re: What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

Update: I'm not even going to waste my time and money looking at the boat, everything about it seems like a red flag, the guy talked on the phone for half an hour but volunteered virtually nothing of value. I concluded much from what was not said/known.

Is "I don't know" a valid excuse in the boating world? I can see it being possible to get away with that when it comes to owning and operating cars but how do you not know the condition of the thing that could end your life if you neglect to maintain it in a timely manner? A guy claiming to not know anything about the boat seems full of it to me. And yeah, no interior pictures? Mustn't want to sell very bad, haha.
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