1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

[gonesail]

I like the downeasters .. 32 and 38. almost got serious with a 32 but found out the fuel tank was original and the floor had to be cut out to replace it. that one looks pretty rough but for a good price

[bobmcd625]

There is a DownEaster owners' website with a lot of good info and helpful hints from other owners. I found this from a previous owner of Sea Bird. Looks like it has been well cared for in the past...http://downeasteryachts.com/the-boat...2/de32-seabird

[Cheechako]

I liked those boats so eventually I looked at one. I was not impressed with the boat build in general, BUT, I think they are fairly stout.
-That boat needs at least a lot of cosmetic work inside. But do you care?
-For the money, if the engine runs good etc, then sure, for Florida and the Bahamas you don't really need an offshore perfect boat.
-The cabin is "light" and it might be great if you overlook the cosmetics.
-Nanni diesel parts may be an issue, depending on what that base engine is.

Costs can't be predicted yet, but the important expensive things are:
-Sails, condition?
-Tanks? How are they? buried under the floor?
-Cabin structure condition?
-Blister issues, other than minor?

As far as marinas I would dry store for your use, then "launch and go" and restore back on land.

[freedom 32]

Lots of problems, as you have read in the above? Don't know if I would do this, but if you do, "English Landing" in the tourist city of St Augustine has been (?) agreeable to B&B arrangements??? BTW you will need both an A/C and a heater.

Good Luck

[chatwin70]

Hi Capt Tom and thanks a lot for your two cents on my project.


I do agree that is a money pit, but with my budget and passion for classic-plastics, I think all the project of this kind are an investment with no return.


As for the guests trashing the boat: well my idea is not to charter it, so guest would not be allowed to sail it, it would be just a short term weekend like accommodation.


As for the head, I could probably change it with an electric one, what do you think?


The house boat is a good idea that I took in consideration, the problem is that I would not be able to use it a boat if I remove engines etc.

[bobmcd625]

Originally Posted by chatwin70

As for the head, I could probably change it with an electric one, what do you think?

I know other DE owners who love the composting heads. Going back to a flush toilet with holding tank is a lot of work.

Why not try to get some reactions from other owners in the DE forum?

They are good boats but nothing is perfect!

[Argyle38]

My initial thought is that the price is cause for some concern. $7500 is kind of a fire sale price for this boat, along the lines of 'there's nothing more expensive than a free boat' kind of concern. It's been a while since I looked but I think that 'project boat but serviceable' condition DE32 would go for at least double this price. Your first question should be "does anyone know of a good surveyor in the area."

Any boat this age is going to be a project boat. Even if it's freshly refit, there are still going to be old parts that will need tending to. If you're a DIY kind of person and enjoy the process of improving something that's beautiful, a boat like this might be a good fit for you. But only if you actually enjoy the process of the work of repairing, maintaining, improving. If it's a chore, a boat like this can quickly become overwhelming.

Downeasters are very good boats and are very stoutly built. The hull is solid fiberglass, 1" thick at the waterline tapering to about 3/8" at the caprail. Solid lead ballast encapsulated in to the fiberglass hull. The deck is sandwich construction either foam or balsa. (Mine is foam and is from the same year as this one.) 1/4" fiberglass on top, 1/2" foam core, and about 3/16" fiberglass on the bottom. In other words, she's a tank. When a Downeaster enters an anchorage, the rocks take out insurance policies.

If you do take a look at her in person before hiring an surveyor, I can point out a few things to look closely at. I believe the 32 has a keel stepped mast (the 38 is deck stepped). Where the mast goes through the deck and where it is stepped at the keel are trouble spots. Water can collect there and invite corrosion. Severe corrosioin would mean the mast isn't safe and would need replaced. I've seen discussion of this happening on the DE message board.

Where the stanchions attach to the caprail are a source of leaks. Look under where each stanchion is to look for damage from those leaks. You'll likely have to pull up each stanchion and re-bed them if that has not been done recently.

The boats were built with bronze, tapered plug type through hulls. Look at all of them and make sure you can rotate the handle. A bit of green on the surface is perfectly fine, a green mass of corrosion indicates you might need to replace that one, which is a tough job (been there, done that, with the knuckle scars to prove it.)

For Downeaster specific issues: For one, the bowsprit and spreaders were both made of wood and both have through bolts for attachment, which can lead to rot. Look closely at the bowsprit around the bolt holes to the deck, the sampson posts and the bow platform, for signs of rot. A little bit around a bolt hole is probably fine (but needing repair) but more than an inch or two in size would indicate that the spar might be due for replacing. Same for the spreaders.

Also, the large cabin windows were too light for the type of boat this is. Either smaller windows or more stout windows (or both) would have been a better choice. Many owners have already replaced the original windows with stronger ones. If this boat has original windows, you will probably want to replace them at some point. They have plastic frames which would be quite fragile after 45 years.

The small opening ports were also substandard on the original build. If they are original, they are probably leaking. New Found Metals has opening ports that fit quite well.

Tank corrosion could be a problem. The fuel tank is aluminum and the water tank(s) is stainless. The fuel tank is more likely to have some pitting and if it's gone through, it could be leaking fuel in to the bilge. Look in to the bilge and check for a strong diesel smell. A small leak can be handeled with fuel absorbing socks, but a bigger leak would mean the tank needs replacing. Removing the tank is a huge job requiring cutting in to the cabin sole. I know if at least one DE32 owner who used industrial, fuel tank compatible, epoxy to repair his tank in place and that seemed to work pretty well. I think the write up on that is on the website that Bobmcd posted.

The standing rigging should also be checked. I think the original standing rigging was a bit on the light side for the type of boat, at least on my boat it was. I upsized the rigging but one size, all around the boat, as I replaced my rigging.

I don't know anything about Nanni engines but I'm quite sure that is not original to the boat, so you'll want to check the age and hours. From the one picture, it looks a little bit rough, but that is not unusual. One poster mentioned spare parts might be an issue.

If a survey returns even a half way decent report, that price is a steal. Even if the boats systems are not serviceable, it's still a good price for just the hull, deck, and rigging.

Good luck and feel free to post more questions.

[bobmcd625]

Thank you, Eric/Argyle, for those valuable insights. You pointed out a few things that I'll now check on my own DE38! I agree that the asking price seems very low and there will be many tasks required and dollars spent, but the foundation is solid. I have no regrets getting mine 3 years ago.