Yorktown info

[RichT]

Hi guys,

Found a 39' Yorktown in Kemah Tx. for 29K on boats.com. Seems like a decent boat from the photos, and description. Obviously needs a little TLC, like new cushions, but overall, seems decent, especially for the money. I like the aft double berth, and the hard dodger.

Anyone familiar with these boats? Are they made well? Good sailors? This is cutter rigged with furling on the headsail and staysail, and from the cockpit photo, it appears that all the rigging is led back to the cockpit.

Advice, info, suggestions? It is a bit smaller than what I've been looking at, but may just do the trick, and it's certainly affordable, even if I have to put another 15/20 grand into it.

Thanks to all in advance,,,

RichT.

[Pblais]

A 39 ft boat at $29K has problems deeper than cushions. I would say the same for a 30 ft boat.

This one should have a once over by someone reputable that is local before you waste the travel expenses to check it out. At triple the price it would be great deal if it were as good as you make it sound and I would still sugest the same. At 39 ft there are many rat holes you could go down that could all be more than $10K each. It would not be unusual to have to put another $60K into it or more and that would be if there was nothing structurally wrong. A ready to go 39 ft boat for under $90K is a sure fire deal. If this one was, it wouldn't be listed for $29K.

There are several Yorktowns in our harbor. The owners love them. One couple has cruised Mexico extensively on theirs, and has no complaints. As for the price, the Yorktowns are just one of those boats that are deceptively cheap. They are small for a center cockpit, and not fast boats, but they are stable, and well designed in my opinion. A large percentage were sold as bare hulls and outfitted by the owners. These would be the ones to watch, as not everyone has the same idea of how a boat should be outfitted. I have also noticed a few have small rigs for a boat of that size and weight.
I do agree with Paul's advice to have the boat checked out before you spend any money on it, but that $29k price tag would not immediately turn me away from the boat.

[RichT]

Kai,
Thanks for the input, that is what I was looking for. I don't expect it to be a cream puff, but if it's sound, and just needs some tending or TLC, well, I got time and some energy left. I would obviously have it surveyed and looked over by a qualified person before moving forward, but a ticket on southwest to look at the boat wouldn't be that much, and I have friends in both San Antonio and Dallas that I could visit at the same time.

Paul,
I appreciate your skepticism, but hey, sometimes the stars align, and the right conditions occur to make for a good deal. Like my buddy who responded to the add for a "super clean" 88 Harley, offered at about half the expected price at the time. Turned out the husband split with the girlfriend, and the wife, whose name was on the title, was selling it to "get even". Screwed up but legal.

I have looked at a couple of 30 footers here locally, for under 20K, and both were in very good shape, just not what I wanted. One was so clean I could have eaten out of the bilges. It had obvious pride of ownership, but the elderly gentleman was just getting too old to sail, and wanted to get out of it. Heck, I'm trying to sell a house for 720K that I paid 745K for less than a year ago. Why? well, not working, can't keep paying the mortgage out of savings, dealing with the cancer thing, and just want to retire and go sailing. So, should someone not buy my perfectly great house because it's "under" the market? As I said, conditions, fate, whatever.

Thanks for the advice, and I definitely would check it out VERY thoroughly.

Rich

[markpj23]

Originally Posted by Kai Nui

A large percentage were sold as bare hulls and outfitted by the owners. These would be the ones to watch....

Absolutely true - looked at two in SoCal a few years back, they were junk. Most were "kit" boats without the quality engineering that went into others like the WestSail...

My $0.02....

[SkiprJohn]

My friend's Yorktown was built as a kit and the original owner (who I also know) did a good job. It sailed the South Pacific many years and is now here in Hawaii. It is a good sailing stable vessel.
The only way to know the value of something is to look at it, have a surveyor survey it and then decide.
The price someone is asking is in no way a reflection of what its worth is. Bargains are everywhere. Sometimes people just want to get rid of something in a hurry. For an example, there is a fellow in Kona right now who needs to move and wants to sell his fin keel Santana 22 on a trailer for $2250. I think that's a bargain. Others might disagree.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[RichT]

John, and Mark,
Thanks for the input, now I know more about what to look for. I did notice in the photos that the interior appears to be oak or ash in some areas as opposed to all teak, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't good. I would have it surveyed and looked over in fine detail, but if it appears to have been done reasonably well, it sounds like a good value, and has the potential to be a good sailing vessel.

You're right about "bargains". A fellow I worked with came in one day and said a coworker of his wifes wanted to sell "their" boat for $500. I jokingly asked him if it was still floating??? He said it was, and was in a slip at Channel Islands harbor. He, I, and another friend who has a lot of sailing experience went down the next day to look at it. Not a beauty queen, but the hull appeared okay, the sails were old but seemed in fair shape, and the rigging was reasonably sound. The interior was pretty trashed, as it hadn't been sailed for over a year. no equipment to speak of, but hey, it was a floating sailboat, 22' Columbia. I told him to offer them half price, and guess what? They took it, so he got a boat for $250. I think they just wanted to quit paying the 230 a month slip rent.

We took the boat out a few times, and it sailed well, and after some dusting and swabbing, wasn't that bad. I wouldn't take off for a cruise in it, but for knocking around the harbor, or a weekend at the islands, it is a great little boat, and he's learning to sail it himself. For 250 bucks, he's getting some pretty cheap experience.

so, now all I gotta do is wangle a job interview in Texas...

Rich

[SkiprJohn]

Rich,
I could have had a Piver trimaran (28 if I remember right) for $500. It had crossed the Pacific twice and the fellow who was selling had to move it. It didn't need anything but a different slip or mooring.
I passed on it but did save it from being bulldozed by launching it and putting it on anchor. The two guys who bought it got a real bargain.
Regards,
JohnL

[Celestialsailor]

Well...I can speak from experience here. I had a 196? Yorktown 34 that I bought directly from Hank McCune, owner of Yorktown Yachts. It had at one time been his personal boat which he built himself. After I took a chainsaw to the interior (including bulkheads), I totally gutted the thing. Everything and I mean everything had been put together with finishing nails, household wiring and inexpensive glues. Bulkheads were out of plum to the tune of 1/4" per foot
The keels are the biggest joke on these boats. The 39/40 use 1/2" threaded rods and not many of them. The keel weight is bolted onto the bottom of the boat, then a keel shell cover is slipped over it and glassed to the hull. That being said, I saw a 39 come loose off it's mooring in Santa Cruz in 1995 or 1996. The first thing that happened when it hit (sand) bottom was to shear off its keel. A week later the keel was recovered. 1/2 of the bolts had sheared, the other 1/2 had pulled through the inadequete floor timbers (2X6). Hank McCune has a dark history in the boating industry. There are a few horror stories involving him and his construction practices. That being said, it's true, many of these have made good cruising boats without incidents. But one I know of had headed from California to Hawaii and never made it. There had been fair weather all the way. Boat and crew were lost. No one will ever know what happened.
I bought mine for really cheap because I knew what it was and what to do to make it as good as I could. At the time I was a person of little financial means, so yes, it was a good deal for me. Today I can afford more and that boat had been a good stepping stone for sailing and maintenance skills. I just wanted you to know my first hand experience...Aloha

[RichT]

Celestial,

Thanks for the input. That gives me a lot of insight into what I might be up against. I'm not sure I'm willing to invest a lot of time in something that may require that much work. Especially if there are potential problems with the soundness of the design or the original build process. I prefer things that are overbuilt versus marginal. Unlike yourself, I don't have the time to gut out and repair a vessel that may be poorly constructed to begin with. I do have financial constraints, and I would not want to go into a situation where I don't know what the end tally is going to be. If the boat were pretty much ready to go, and I could reasonably estimate the additional items required, then it would make more sense. But based on your experience, this sounds like at best it still may not be the boat I need or would want.

I appreciate your sharing insight and personal experience. That is way better than speculation.

Rich

[Celestialsailor]

Rich...If I can be of any futher assistance. Contact me through a 'private message' with your e-mail and I can give you some good suggestions...

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by RichT

Hi guys,

Found a 39' Yorktown in Kemah Tx. for 29K on boats.com.

Anyone familiar with these boats? Are they made well? Good sailors? This is cutter rigged with furling on the headsail and staysail, and from the cockpit photo, it appears that all the rigging is led back to the cockpit.

Advice, info, suggestions? It is a bit smaller than what I've been looking at, but may just do the trick, and it's certainly affordable, even if I have to put another 15/20 grand into it.

RichT.

Yo again Rich,

if you don't care a whit about your investment, then you might try a boat like this. The 29K asking price did it, huh? Even the thought of putting another 20k (or more?) in it doesn't sound all that much, huh? Until you realize it will still only be worth 29K (maybe).

These Yorktowns have a reputation (sorry to those of you who own them). They are generally expected to be "home-built by amateurs". There are many better ways to prove your daring than going to sea in a jerry-built craft.

I know you feel you must hurry, but it would be wise to proceed with a bit more information.

best, andy

[BUBBAS]

I own a 1975 YorkTown 35 foot L.O.A. It is with out a doubt the best boat for me and what I could afford..The intererior is the largest that I have seen under 40 foot..It sails like full keel world class cruiser. I'm 6' 4'' and can walk all through it with no problem..The wood and trim inside is 41 years old and still beautiful...door too head opens to also close of v birth to exact door hinge position..my engine is not the stock 4 cylinder Perkins..It has been replaced with a 3 cylinder yanmar that starts every time.right away purrs like a kittin and plenty of horses..I can honestly say that I know I made an excellent choice with my YorkTown..The only thing I would change about my boat is that engine is more in the galley area than under the cockpit like I have seen on more modern expensive boats..

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, BUBBAS.

[zeehag]

my first boat was a 1966 olympian, precursor to yorktown.,
my first 42 ft boat was a yorktown i had commissioned from hank mckune mere weeks before his heart attack and surgery. he was 78.
we had long chats as he laid up my hull and i learned a lot about him and his woirk and history.
his boats are essentially bulletproof and low end market.
pblais--yorkies often sell for under 10k usd because they are mainly kit boats.
built strong to last long.
the hull of my 42 (1990) was hand painted gelcoat, 1/8 inch thick, then 2 - 2.5 inches hand laid layers of glass and epoxy--21-27 layers. turn of hull to keel was 27.
was most interesting to watch as he built each phase...until his heart attack.
hank was kinda pleased with the fact his boats donot sink, but hang just below the surface, which was a fact he didnt know until filming a movie--could not sink the boat without cutting large chunks out of it.
the yorktown 40+ seem under rigged-- up to 40 ft seem adequate.
my 34 olympian was a sweet boat--fast and sound.
i didnt get any chance to sail my 42 as my ex hubby reportedly cut it up with a chainsaw for no earthly reason

ps--yorktowns bad rap comes from folks who disliked hank.hahaha those were so many no one can count.
however--his hulls sold were excellent- strong hand laid and seaworthy. good for rtw work. he laid up his hulls by hand. nothing jerry rigged nor jerry built about them. he knew each and every boat he built and where each was.
he was proud to say he built ugliest boat.
he was also proud he didnot produce a production boat. kit yes production, no.
the interiors were either done by him(factory ) or by purchasors. same deal as wetsnail.

by the way--after the destruction of the hull mold for the 34, all of hanks hulls had encapsulated keels.