Visit our Popular Forums

markwesti · 28-09-2016, 09:36

$ 13,000. for a O'Day 37 ? I would think that the asking price would be much higher . Just sayin'. OK this is interesting I went to Yachtworld , there were 3 for sale 2 were like 30k 1 was 12,900 . The one for 12,900. in the ad it said they would not allow a out of water survey !

oldsalt_1942 · 28-09-2016, 09:48

I'd say it depends on how much faith you have in your friend's knowledge of boats and their condition. For short money like that I'd personally check the boat out with a friend and then go with my gut. I was a 100 ton master for 20 years and spent another 15+ years doing repair and restoration work so I wouldn't get a survey done for a boat like you're describing.

And don't forget, EVERY survey has a fine-print statement that absolves the surveyor for ANY errors or omissions.

akprb · 28-09-2016, 09:58

Tough one. I'm in the "if 13K isn't the end our your world" camp pass on the survey and stick to your friend like glue. Dive it for sure, rattle the shaft, check all the usual suspects. If it's a basket case should be able to figure it out :-) Good luck!

RunningCool · 28-09-2016, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Can you see small blisters under water?

We will look for that this weekend.
thx

RunningCool · 28-09-2016, 10:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by fstbttms

Yes. But as I tell customers wanting a pre-purchase inspection, to learn anything of value about the condition of the hull, it must be cleaned first. I wonder if the OP is prepared to do that.

Agreed, It was pulled about 1.5 for a total bottom job.
Then the out of state owner had a diver once a month come by and maintain it.

dwedeking2 · 28-09-2016, 10:11

For Geico liability only they just wanted a self survey. They have a checklist and have you provide pictures of specific areas. Marina just wanted a piece of paper from Geico.

Island Time O25 · 28-09-2016, 10:13

For the boat I ended up getting and before hiring a surveyor I asked my two marine pro friends (each with extensive 40+ years of marine related experience in practically all fields and directions) to do an informal survey. What they said and what the surveyor (less experienced than either of my friends but a surveyor nevertheless) listed in his 12 page report was pretty much in sinc. All the major pluses and minuses of a 30 year old boat. But and there is always a but in these things - each of them missed different little thing, both good and bad. Nothing which would have made me not get the boat or haggle for a different price but it is still a fact that between them, 3 experienced professionals, they did not find all of the issues or all of the positives. So the chances that only one professional will find all of the issues are slim IMO. Hopefully he/she will find most of the major ones.

BTW the survey was done on the hard only as it would have been too much to spend given that one of my friends is a NA and a boat builder with a Masters in NA and the other, with Masters in Marine Propulsion (? don't know how to translate his foreign degree) circumnavigated twice, so both of them while looking at the boat on the stands, its rig, etc. told me exactly how she's going to sail. And they were right except she turned out to be even a better sailor then anticipated.

RunningCool · 28-09-2016, 10:14

Thx for all of the replies for a new member from (old).

Great thing about the CC O'day.
Engine access from 4 points.
Cockpit, aft cabin and fore steps removed.
can see cutlass bearing by just looking down and touching it.
Shaft and packing are rock solid.

Anyway, Skip - Master Seamen will be my God for the weekend.
I am very lucking to have him look and inspect it.
Owner just called and told me he is having Yanmar mechanic come and do a complete tuneup, impeller, a oil line he thinks needs replacing, etc.
I have his number and have not called yet.

Thx again guys. Got alot of great recommendations.

Gotta get back to my canvas projects.

Calif.Ted · 28-09-2016, 10:15

I noticed a salty looking little boat in a corner of the shipyard and asked the manager about it. Looked very good from the side we were on, we went to the other side and it had an encapsulated keel. Unfortunately it contained steel and concrete and large chunks were missing from one side. Someone had bought the boat, worked really hard on it from the waterline up for a year, then had it hauled for paint. Once on the hard large pieces started coming off. The yard advised him to fill and fair and use the boat until it failed, nothing to lose. He ended up walking away and a year later the yard found someone who "bought' it and removed on a trailer.
So, no answers or advice from me just a parable about how it can go either way and depending on your ability to "roll with what develops or walk".

Island Time O25 · 28-09-2016, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calif.Ted

I noticed a salty looking little boat in a corner of the shipyard and asked the manager about it. Looked very good from the side we were on, we went to the other side and it had an encapsulated keel. Unfortunately it contained steel and concrete and large chunks were missing from one side. Someone had bought the boat, worked really hard on it from the waterline up for a year, then had it hauled for paint. Once on the hard large pieces started coming off. The yard advised him to fill and fair and use the boat until it failed, nothing to lose. He ended up walking away and a year later the yard found someone who "bought' it and removed on a trailer.
So, no answers or advice from me just a parable about how it can go either way and depending on your ability to "roll with what develops or walk".

Yes, that's seems to be the nature of the beast. All old boats are like that. And come to think of it many new ones as well.

CarlF · 28-09-2016, 10:24

I agree this is "on the bubble" on whether to pay for a survey.

Surveyors understand that part of their job is to find enough wrong to pay for their fee in a price reduction. But $13,000 doesn't leave a lot of room for the owner. If you don't think he'll come down and instead let you walk, the survey costs you real money.

As mentioned, figure out your insurance before deciding not to get a survey.

Whether you get a survey or not, I'd do it in this order:

Take the boat out with your friend. Sail and motor. The motor should start, not overheat, get pretty close to full RPM underway, and shouldn't smoke too much with no black, blue or white smoke (it should be grey). The sails should all set. The bilge pump shouldn't be going off every 10 minutes when sailing. Nothing should flex in alarming ways.

When you walk on the deck it shouldn't go "squish" in a lot of places. As mentioned, the hull on this boat has no core - that's good. Almost every 30 year old boat of this era has some deck core rot - probably for decades. I wouldn't sail to Australia with rot in the deck but it's a manageable problem for a boat used in typical coastal sailing. As long as it's only small areas, you can fix it or leave it for the next owner.

If you get by this and still want to buy the boat, haul it. If you are having a survey, save some money and just check the big stuff. Surveyors are pretty useful for structural problems (rot, collision, delamination). Don't waste your money having them tell you about little things like where to put another hose clamp. And understand that a 30 year old $13,000 boat is going to need some money and time put it into it after you buy it.

Survey or not, it's just too risky to not see the bottom with the boat hauled - especially the keel joint. But it's 90%+ if the rest of the boat is OK. If no deal killer appears, buy the boat and have the yard paint the bottom before relaunch so the haul fee isn't wasted.

Anyways, that's what I'd do.

jmschmidt · 28-09-2016, 11:50

Only if you want to insure it.

Mithril Bham · 28-09-2016, 12:22

Survey always.
If nothing else you should learn some useful things about the boat.
Use the best surveyor you can find. Problem can be waiting for the surveyor to have an opening if they are the best.

jkindredpdx · 28-09-2016, 12:49

I assume for $13k you're paying cash. I'd say pull the boat even if you don't hire a surveyor. Why not get it on the hard, apply bottom paint, check the keel and rudder, replace zincs, etc? More an issue of maintenance and safety than $$.