To buy or not to buy

[couple2sail]

So. New sailors and are in a bind.
Looked at all the new Shiney boats at Annapolis this weekend. Then stopped and lookEd at a 38 Morgan. The hull has been completely redone but the rest of the boat needs a lot of attention.
I have 5 years but thoughts?
He is asking 21K for the boat.

new bottom, several coats of military spec barrier coat, a hard marker coat and then the ablative bottom paint. She has a beautiful and near half inch solid fiberglass bottom better than new. Also a new three blade prop.

Just not sure......

[Sea Dreaming]

Look at a bunch of boats. Sleep on it. The market is flooded and there is much more to know than just that the bottom is good. Better to skip it for now and learn what makes a boat decent. And before you commit to anything get a survey done.
Based on your vague description you may be able to do better for the money.

[GordMay]

Which model/year?

Over 600 Morgan 38 sailboats were constructed between the late 1960s and the 1990s. There are 5 different models as follows:

Charley Morgan 38 ~ 80 built between 1969 and 1971
Morgan 382 - Ted Brewer design, ~ 300 built between 1977 and 1981
Morgan 383 ~ Taller mast, bigger rudder, traveller on deck, ~ 100 built 1982-1983
Morgan 384 ~ Slight Modifications, ~ 100 built 1983-1984
Catalina/Morgan 38 ~ Different design, built by Catalina after they acquired Morgan Yachts, Center Cockpit, ~ 60 built in 1990s.

➥ BoatUS - Boat Reviews - Morgan 38

$21,000USD would be on the low end for a decent 382 (77 - 81), and the high end for a decent original 38 (69 - 71).

[a64pilot]

You just can't compare a new boat to an older boat that the asking price is 21K, those are sort of opposite ends of the spectrum, don't ya think?

[couple2sail]

1980 Morgan West Indies 38 ft..
Wasn't trying to compare as there is no comparison. Really trying to find the boat that fits.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Bobbyewe]

Have you looked into 'Sailtime'? Before you buy a boat check out their timeshare program I found this program to be better than ownership.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by couple2sail

So. New sailors and are in a bind.
Looked at all the new Shiney boats at Annapolis this weekend. Then stopped and lookEd at a 38 Morgan. The hull has been completely redone but the rest of the boat needs a lot of attention.
I have 5 years but thoughts?
He is asking 21K for the boat.

Don't do it!

Its a buyers market. You should be able to get a boat where the hull and just about everything else is done too. Old boats are difficult to sell and usually get no where near their asking price. I just sold my 1974 Pearson 30, and thats the story from the sellers side.

Keep looking!

[a64pilot]

All I'm saying is if you can afford new, then you can afford newer than a 70's boat, or at least better than $20,000 asking price would indicate. There are I'm sure wonderful boats made in the 70's, but doubt many start with a 20K asking price.

Boats, cars, airplanes, almost everything hits a point age wise to where depreciation begins to taper off, you may want to discover what that point is on the type of boat your looking for and look at that age range, beyond that year they don't usually get all that much cheaper, just older.
The age will vary of course, some make of boats hold value longer than others.

[Pegu Club]

When we purchased our first boat it was the first boat we looked at, that said we looked at many others before deciding. The range of care given older sail boats runs the gamut, and you really should explores other boats, as has been said its a buyers market. The real important stuff is not how shiny it is, but is the hull, deck, deck fittings, RIG, up to snuff, is the engine in good shape, is the electric system sound, is the interior reasonably clean, imo those are what one should be looking at when purchasing a good old boat. Then get a survey done. Hope your search goes well, and enjoy the process.

[hamburking]

Instead of a surveyor, how about getting a competent knowledgeable friend to look at it with you. If you are anywhere near me, I'll volunteer for the job...I'm in Kingston Ontario Canada...

[redhead]

Take a deep breath and take a pass for now, it's probably going to be there for a while.

You were on a "Boatshow High". Know it well. Bad decisions on our part were made by shopping directly after leaving a boat show.

Lots of good boats out there within the $25K - $30K range. You should be able to do better than "it has a good bottom" for that money. Good luck.

[Cheechako]

One thing to keep in mind is that if the bottom was "redone", that usually means the boat had blisters. Not the end of the world, but you need to know more about what it had. A few shallow blisters? deep large problem? How was it dried out? etc etc.

[Marblehead1]

There's nothin like the beautiful lines of a classic 70's sailing vessel, especially a Morgan, however, don't be swayed by initial purchase price. After spending the weekend winterizing my 1977 forty footer, including replacing the split exhaust hose, manual bilge pump, water pump gasket, etc., my next boat will definitely be on the newer side. You should not assume the overall carrying costs of a newer boat will be significantly more than the carrying costs of an older boat that will require lots and lots of maintenance and parts replacement. Good luck and enjoy your search.

[phydeaux]

Suggest joining a sailing club. There are many out there, relatively inexpensive, with dues applying to charter fees. Sail some weekends, with and without the family, and determine if you're really going to use the boat when and if you buy one. All too often, when the new wears off, you can wind up with an expensive but beautiful hull in a slip, resulting in good deal for the next guy.. My son-in-law bought a 30 ft. power boat for fishing, wound up at sea once every six weeks or so, and realized that he was paying more than $500 for a bass, or about $1500 for a halibut.

Try the clubs, and if the lifestyle fits your family, and you've got a bit of experience, the buy.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by couple2sail

I have 5 years but thoughts?
He is asking 21K for the boat.


Just not sure......

5 years to go? Kind of putting the cart before the horse. A lot of good suggestions here to gain sailing experience through clubs and lessons. After a few years of that, you will have a better idea what suits your needs and fancies.