Advice on purchase of C&C 37

[DarwinHolmstrom]

I'm ready to pull the trigger on purchasing a bluewater-capable sailboat and have my eye on an '84 C&C 37. Unlike other boats I've looked I can't find any consistent trouble areas, and they seem to hold their value better than similar boats of that era. It has a deeper draft than most similar fin-keeled boats and a fairly roomy cabin for the size thanks to a relatively-wide beam, but ridiculously microscopic fuel capacity, meaning strapping diesel containers to the deck is necessary. I might make an offer next week and have it surveyed and do a sea trial. I appreciate any advice. Thank you.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

I'm ready to pull the trigger on purchasing a bluewater-capable sailboat and have my eye on an '84 C&C 37. Unlike other boats I've looked I can't find any consistent trouble areas, and they seem to hold their value better than similar boats of that era. It has a deeper draft than most similar fin-keeled boats and a fairly roomy cabin for the size thanks to a relatively-wide beam, but ridiculously microscopic fuel capacity, meaning strapping diesel containers to the deck is necessary. I might make an offer next week and have it surveyed and do a sea trial. I appreciate any advice. Thank you.

These are very good sailing boats. 76 l of fuel is only 20 gallons. Your motoring range will be something like 240 miles. As little as I like jerry cans on deck 2 or 3 would effectively double your range (well, 3 or 4).

However, your sailing range is unlimited, and with a boat which sails as well as this C&C you probably don't need to carry extra fuel for most passages.

With a range of 500 miles (4 jerry cans) you would surely arrive anywhere you want to go with most of your fuel left over.

Our range is 550 miles, under power. Yet we've never even used half of our fuel on any passage and we've circumnavigated.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Thank you. My research indicates that the C&C 37 has an excellent combination of speed, manueverability, stability, and comfort. The broad beam makes it a bit more challenging in heavy seas than a narrower beam, but the deep draft compensates somewhat. It seems like a sensible compromise for what will hopefully be my home for the next 20-30 years. Ideally my inability to find consistent problem areas means it's also well-constructed.

[nwdiver]

I sail a C&C 38 Landfall and it has cruised the west coast by me for 9 years, it circumnavigated over a 4 year period before I bought it, they C&C are well built boats and fast for their length.....

[jhiller]

It’s a lovely boat. I know the design and the construction well. I hope you’re planning on a survey. They are balsa cored in the hull and the deck and you want to make sure that none of the balsa has water in it. Assuming that the hull and deck have not suffered water intrusion it should be a great way to go sailing

[Capt Jerry]

The C & C is a great boat. I owned one 30 years ago and sailed it all over the Caribbean, in all kinds of weather. Our gray water drained into the bilge, where the bilge pump removed it. If your's is like that, I would see about improving the system.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Thank you both. Excellent advice. I will get a survey if the seller accepts my offer. This will hopefully be my home for many years so I want to make certain its as safe and sound as possible. And I will check to make sure the gray water doesn't drain into the bilge during the survey. That doesn't seem like a very sanitary system. I plan to spend next summer getting familiar with the boat on Lake Superior and modifying, repairing, and upgrading it to meet my needs before heading out to the Atlantic.

[j.g.evans]

I have a 1981 center board C&C 36 which I like. I am not sure how my experiences transfer to the C&C37. I have had to replace all the ports because they were sun crazed or leaking. It has balsa above the waterline and I found some cracks in the gel coat around a hand rail that was caused by water in the balsa that froze. I then removed almost everything and routed out the holes and filled them with epoxy and then re-drilled them. A lot of work but not much cost. A draft over 5' will be limiting on the Intra Coastal and cruising in the Bahamas. A deeper draft will sail better and with a C&C you will not be last in the harbor. Go for it.

[jhiller]

Make your offer subject to survey

[Cheechako]

Many C&C's have cored hulls, so be sure to have that checked thoroughly.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by j.g.evans

I have had to replace all the ports because they were sun crazed or leaking.

That seems to be a trouble spot with a lot of the plastic ports from that era. This is something that I will ask the surveyor about. Replacing ports on a Hunter 37C was expensive--I've already priced that! The ports on the C&C seem like different animals, which means they could be less expensive or much, much more expensive to replace. Do you mind if I ask about your cost of replacement?

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by jhiller

Make your offer subject to survey

Excellent advice. I'll also make it contingent on the results of a sea trial.

[wimpel]

I own a 1984 C&C 37 since 1993 and have made extensive modifications to be able to use it as a cruiser and still be able to race it. If you like to learn from my experience contact me at wimpel@shaw.ca. She lives on Salt Spring Island, BC,
Canada. Unfortunately I like to keep her until I am 100.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Thank you Wimpel. I plan to check out the boat next week, and if I like it, make an offer pending the results of a survey and sea trial, and it's accepted, I would love to discuss your experiences, upgrades, and repairs with the boat!

[Whosails]

Water intrusion in a cored deck in limited areas are relatively easy to deal with but blistering on the hull is a different problem.