Prospective Buyer Advice

[cassianov]

Hey all,
My name is Cassiano Viana and I live over here in GA. I have recently gained an interest in sailing and have began scouring the webs for a ship. I found a 1971 Catalina 27 at a very low and attainable price. I'll apologize for the long post in advance.
I messaged the seller and even I (who have no real knowledge of sailboats or even boats in general to be honest etc..) feel a few red flags..
this is the listing
"Decent condition.
The motor is an evenrude outboard which sits inside the engine well. It works fine.
Sails great!
Clean cabin,
Alcohol stove,
Grill,
It has a head, and its intact. We used it in the past, but not since we flushed it 2 years ago. I use the space to store the Genoa.
Lots of extras which include an auto tiller. (

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV-AfJNVzjc

)
It has an upgraded main sheet rig to increase the space in the cockpit.
Built in weather radio as well as am/fm stereo and speakers around the cabin.
Great interior and exterior lighting. Electric fans within the cabin.
Solar power battery charger and regulator. Brand new battery.
Ladder, Life vests, fishing rods, spot light, tool box, 12v heater.
Lots and lots of other items that make this yacht complete.
Sleeps two adults, and a child comfortably, (although it can sleep 6)
Lake Lanier is humongous with endless sailing! There are lots of restaurants and bars on the water which make for nice destinations.
I've enjoyed sailing to distant coves, throw an anchor, watch the sunset and camp out.
Great sail boat, on a wonderful lake.
Slip is transferable."
The slip is 150/mo. (wet slip)
I also have a friend who owns a dock on the lake and has enough space for me to possibly dock there instead of a marina(recommendation?)
I then asked him the following questions to which he replied -- I'm terribly sorry, I have no answers to these questions.
When was the ship last surveyed? He's never had it surveyed
If you don't mind me asking what can be expected as far as insurance prices go? (Ballpark of what you have paid?) He said he doesn't know the insurance cost.
How many hours are on the engine? he replied with -- the engine is old but reliable.
He hd mentioned the boat was in decent condition on the ad, so I asked how he determined the condition and what was the history of the boat.
"I've had it for around 5 years.
I bought it from an older gentleman who owned it for a long time. He kept it up on lake lanier.
Please feel free to conduct your own investigation on it's condition. "

With all that being said-- should I walk from something like this? Or is it truly worth investigating? Also, would anyone from the GA area be willing to maybe meet and give it a once over before i invest in having it surveyed?
As i said the price point of the ship is beyond tempting for someone with limited knowledge so any help would be seriously appreciated.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by cassianov

When was the ship last surveyed? He's never had it surveyed

On a boat that size, it is entirely reasonable that it has never been surveyed. Some people don't feel it is worth it for boats in that price range.

Originally Posted by cassianov

If you don't mind me asking what can be expected as far as insurance prices go? (Ballpark of what you have paid?) He said he doesn't know the insurance cost.

Not everyone insures their boat. Maybe he has not.

Originally Posted by cassianov

How many hours are on the engine? he replied with -- the engine is old but reliable.

Outboards don't normally have hour meters, so it is -- once again -- reasonable that he doesn't really know how many hours are on it.

I would call these things more like yellow flags, rather than red flags. If the price is right this boat might be well worth it. Read up on doing your own survey of a boat. I believe there is a sticky on here somewhere about that, but in any case a search should turn up a lot of information. Check it out with a careful eye.

All that said, don't be in too big of a hurry to buy the first boat you look at. Look around some to get an idea of what is available, and what is a normal asking price.

Good luck.

[cassianov]

Okay! Update on the ship!
We went to look at it today, the seller had just told us what slip it was on and the location of the keys. We went down and were instantly discouraged. We tried to keep an open mind in regards to the exterior cosmetics, but the main issue we had with it was the fact that someone tried to paint it but wasn't caring enough to do it right. We looked inside and we were pretty sure we were just going to turn and run away from it... At this point we saw an older(to us) guy walking by and he had just gotten off a sailboat. we asked him if he had a second to maybe take a look at what we are thinking about... Turns out this guy has 6 sailboats (3 racing, 1 45', and 2 cruisers) and actually works with boat resto. so he was kind enough to do a walk through of the boat and give us some info on how the boat seems to be(from a trained eye)
I took a bunch of pictures.
After having said all of this,
structurally, the ship seems to be in decent condition. There was a blister we were able to find on the hull, as well as 1 soft deck spot( the place used to step on in order to board the ship. ) Otherwise, everything seemed to be well on it. There was cosmetic stuff(like the teak not looking too pretty, a bit of mold and mildew on the walls etc...
i think we might try to haggle the price down or try to even it out with slip fees or something... I am going to post the pictures. Again, all and any help is appreciated on this matter.
Oh, one last thing, there seemed to be a powder of some sort which seemed to be freshly poured (maybe to deodorize it or something?) The carpet was also damp, we were unsure if the bilge was overflowing or what may have happened. anywho, here are the photos

[cassianov]

also there are these pictures as well

[cassianov]

and moree

[cassianov]

Also, I just thought of something else to add.
The ship seems to either have 2 names? the newer looking one seems to be sundance, the other being San Diego. This left me confused as I was unsure whether Catalina labeled their ships with are of origin or something of the sorts?

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy Cassiano.

From the photos you posted, the boat appears to be in average condition.

Most would say it needs some TLC or Tender Loving Care. That is a vague term, but simply indicates it needs some cleaning and basic maintenance.

The interior looks good to average.

Things like Teak wood trim can be restored with some simple sanding and oils or varnish.
A good scrub, wash, and wax and New fenders would improve the dockside appeal.

The running Rigging (the ropes you see) are dirty, but can be removed and washed. instructions on how to clean running Rigging. See what UNCIVILIZED recommends in this very helpful post:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...on-183608.html

You did not mention the Asking Price.
Catalina 27s are very common. You can look online for many photos to show you comparable boats and condition.
Older ones can be purchased for about $4,000 to $5,000.

DENVERDON answered the questions about engine hours etc, so I won't address those.

The Catalina 27 is a very common boat, and could be fun for sailing on Lake Lanier.

A good thing to consider is the condition of the sails. If I were helping a friend buy an older boat like that, one of the best things that can be done to improve the sailing experience is a fresh or new set of sails, if the ones on the boat are very old or in poor condition.

I would get rid of the carpet, and put down something that provides a nonslip surface or a covering that breathes (has holes or rubber mesh).

The fact the carpet was wet is probably due to a leaking hatch and rain.

Good luck on your decision.

[cassianov]

Update, We are going to go see the ship again tonight and meet the current owner. We will have him take us on a test sail on the ship to ensure everything works well.