Help a newbie learn a little bit.

[fujiwara takumi]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...sPageName=WDVW

What might detract you from this? What might draw you to it?

I am in no situation to buy, but Im looking and trying to learn. To me this looks like a pretty good buy.

BTW, is it just me or do fresh water boats age a heck of a lot better? I mean, that seems obvious but ive seem some really dismal looking boats out in the pacific while searching through here.

I dont intend to buy on ebay either, Its just easy to search and compare/contrast.

[CSY Man]

Great little day-sailor ya got there.

Yes, fresh water boats age better...Salt eats metal.

If ya are thinking about sailing long distance in the Hunter 25, uh, my hat off to you....

I would not do it, regardless how poor I was...
Would rather drive taxi-cabs another year or two and save $ for more of a boat.
Then go offshore in style and comfort....not in a Hunter 25.

[fujiwara takumi]

I dont ever plan to take my boat outside the great lakes area, but do the great lakes get too stressful on such a little boat too?

this here seems like a really good buy too...

http://www.sailingtexas.com/smacgregor26sb.html


is it just that 25 footers in general are too small to be out, or is there something about that type of boat that would make it unsafe or difficult?

[Jeff H]

Depending on where you sail, the Great Lakes can get extremely rough weather and are known for their comparably quick weather changes. A boat like the Hunter 25 would be fine for some portions of the Great Lakes but not others.

Hunter 25's typically sell for less than the $5500 starting price being asked by the seller. I recently looked at an '82 for a friend with an asking price of $6000. It was nicely redone and we figured that the sales price would be around $5000. Older Magregors and Ventures typically sell for around $3K but are not as well built as a Hunter and do not sail as well as a Hunter.

Boats of that general age and price range often suffer from deferred long term maintenance. Unless very well maintained and updated by a previous owner, you might expect to need to address some combination of the following items:
· Sails, chainplates, mast step and associated suporting structure, standing and running rigging that are beyond their useful lifespan,
· an engine that is in need of rebuild or replacement,
· worn out or out of date deck, galley, and head hardware,
· worn out upholstery,
· Non skid in need of renewing,
· Out of date safety gear,
· electronics that are non operational, or in need of updating,
· electrical and plumbing systems that need repairs, upgrades to modern standards or replacement.
· Thru hulls and seacocks in need of replacement,
· Blister, fatigue, rudder, rotten bulkheads, failed tabbing, hull deck joint or deck coring problems
· Keel bolt replacement (bolt on keel) or delamination of the hull from the ballast for a glassed in keel.
· And perhaps a whole range of aesthetic issues.

Depending on the combination of items required, doing this kind of long term maintenance can quickly add up to the value of the boat and in some cases several times the value of the boat.

Salt water is harder on engines and metal parts. Fresh water is harder on wooden and fiberglass components. Boats from the North East and from the Great Lakes tend to be in better shape mostly because they have a shorter sailing season and more time for dedicated maintenence.

Jeff

[walnut]

If you have never sailed or owned a boat before, you could buy a cheep but sound boat, sail it for a year or two then decide what you like and dislike about it. You will then have a better idea for you next boat. Also, cheep boat = less stress when things go wrong. You could also join a sailing club / offer to crew for others and learn at their expense.

[fujiwara takumi]

hmm, i guess my plan was to buy something solid that i like. Something attractive, not too beat or dated, but cheap, and up to 20 years old. I dont mind cosmetic problems, they can be fixed. I dont mind construction problems, I am skilled with wood and glass. Im not concerned with speed, i am concerned with learning to sail. I dont want something that will mask my errors, but still be forgiving.

i own a miata, its a perfect example of a sports car that is a lot of fun, not overly fast, but it allows you to make mistakes without killing yourself. Not that you couldnt and that I dont respect it, but it makes it a lot easier to learn when you have a little margin of error...

[seaquesta]

Fyji,
You can learn to sail in 5 minutes. It takes a lifetime to perfect it.
Jeff said all the right stuff but, there are different types of people.
I knew of a couple whom rebuilt several boats and were happy fo near twenty years doing so, rearly taking them out. Friends suggested they take a cruise aboard the latest. They did and when ther returned a year later they divorced.
As you are skilled with wood and glass. Cosmetics are seen, damage and deteriorated interworkings are not seen.
If I may suggest hang around sailing clubs. Offer to crew and always work hard to see what they do to make the boat go. Be there always and crew for a bunch of folks. Watch kids move their weight on small boats and observe the results. Be willing to do work days with the owners. Key is "with" the owners.
Watch other boats on the same tack or observe maneuvers with attention the results.
Sailing success is a concert of the elements. The boat going through the water in a correctly rigged sail combination dictated by the weather conditions and the fact nothing brakes.
On the light side the boats you are looking at are a problem to start with.
The McGrager is in good weather a day sailor only! A hunter can be many things providing the history is documented and the reconstruction job has been done for the purpose it was intended.
Sail anyway!

[fujiwara takumi]

well what i was looking at was a good price and something that looked on the outside like pretty good condition. i understand its somewhere between buying a house and buying a car. not quite as unique or old as a house, not quite as consistently manufactured as a car. I have a pretty good impression what's right and wrong about construction quality and maintenace, but i do not have an idea what makes the "right" boat. not yet.

[Flashman]

I owned a 22' Seafarer and sailed out of Grand River, Ohio on Lake Erie about 20 years ago. It was a great boat in light winds and was very competitive in racing but we got beat up pretty bad since the lake is so shallow it kicks up pretty quickly. I think you'd be better off looking for a Pearson, Cape Dory, Tartan or something similar in the 26 - 30 foot range. Macgregors are way too light for the Great Lakes in my opinion.

[kokopelli]

Hey Flashman

Where in NC do you sail?

Bobbi
s/v Kokopelli
North Carolina