Purchasing an Old Garden Style Island Trader (51'/56') - provide guidance!

[MarsRover]

Hello All,

I am under contract to purchase with the seller of a 51' Marine Trader Island Trader (William Garden style ketch).

Link is here to the listing: https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/198...ketch-3704321/

The seller also happens to be a broker and the owner of the marina housing the vessel presently. Super nice fellow. He decided to get his own rigger/rigging inspector, Boyd Jordan, to take a look at the rigging the other day. Looks like there are some issues to address with the lower swages on the standing rigging (waiting for the report). The seller/broker offered to make the repairs to the standing rigging, or split the cost of all new standing rigging with me. The seller said his rigger/rigging inspector Boyd guestimated would cost $10k-$15k-$20k, but Boyd said he doesn't give firm quotes on these types of jobs as it would put him out of business. He first needs the vessel on the hard, and all rigging taken down so he can take stock before he can tell me how much it will be to replace.

Before I do anything, I have my own full survey w/sea trial with the local surveyor Chris Mills and haul out scheduled for the 7th october.

Going to also have a marine diesel mechanic/inspector check out the motor as much is possible at the same time (please provide any recommendations in that Panama City area!).

If all the inspections don't reveal any serious issues, my plan is to sail this vessel home with a crew, from Panama City, FL to Baltimore, MD.

I'd like to hear from folks on here who are familiar with these old vessels and everyone else, a few things:

1. Your opinions on the path forward with the rigging: Do i just have them make the repairs needed to safely get me home and replace the rigging in MD for a more reasonable price range? (I was planning to go synthetic rigging when this steel rigging needed to go anyway....)
   
2. How much do you think a full standing rigging replacement for this vessel would typically cost?
3. What other problemed areas should i look for during the survey?
   

Other things observed while i went to look at the vessel/problemed areas the seller pointed out to me:

• Motor turned over and was idling before i even realized it. Pretty sure it starts faster than my 2018 subaru does.
• Seller noted that two of the stanchions leak some through the deck and need to be repotted. Evidence of this inside was found.
• About half a dozen soft spots in the parquet flooring where the subfloor needs to be replaced
• Soft/rotting wood interior where it covers the interior walls/in the back of some lockers. Looks cosmetic to me, but will find out more definitively when i get surveyed

I'll post a little later the photos i took of the things i found that i'd consider off-nominal, and i'd love your all's comments on it. as well as anywhere else i should stick my head and eyes when i go back on the 7th.

Thanks everyone!

[woff]

Hi Marsrover, two years on, how did it go? Best Andrew