Age of your boat?

[michaelratinter]

Blind Faith will be 27 this year. She is still solid. The PO sailed her every weekend for 25 years. I live aboard half time.

[bjymd]

That looks like a great boat at a great price. If the bottom has been properly redone and the standing rigging is only 6 years old, then you need a good surveyor ( John Bannister is my favorite in the area) to tell you the deck and hull are dry. The motor may need to be updated but the inspection can advise you. Sounds like a great boat...contingent upon a good survey.

[bruce v]

Originally Posted by got seashells?

Hubbie (AKA Captain) and I are going to have a discussion this evening about the Max age of a boat that we should be considering. I am of the opinion that age is not as important as quality and upkeep. This will be for a full time live aboard cruiser that we expect to be on for no less than 5 years and mostly through the Caribbean.

this is a link to one that I would like to put on the potential list that he is not comfortable with but only due to its age. https://moreboats.com/boats/tayana/55/56550

so I am asking what the age of your boat is and if that is a big factor in your purchasing requirements.

Before you go further, it would be a good idea to research the quality and history of fiberglass and resins. Understanding that both are petroleum based products that were/are affected by the petroleum market. Boats build prior to 1978 were generally stonger (perhaps even overbuilt) because post 78, the price of petroleum doubled and has been increasing ever since. Many boat builders cut back on amounts used and, in many cases, the structural integrity of their vessels in order to keep prices in check. Either way, we the consumer ended up paying the ultimate price of paying too much or reducing the quality, perhaps even both. Such is the way of American consumer based economics. Older boat would be, are my choice and I base decisions more on care of said vessels rather than age. Goo duck with your search - still plenty of quality contenders out there.

[got seashells?]

Originally Posted by windcat

That's the boat I want to check out as soon as our house sells. Can I call dibs. Lol.

Yes you may call dibs. I hope the house sells fast and at asking price for you. I was just using that boat as a reference pertaining to the conversation Hubbie and I are having. While I would have entertained the idea of putting it on the list of boats to look at this week his immediate reaction was "too old". While he does agree that it is a beautiful boat, he is thinking that a 10-15 year old boat that has been properly loved and maintained and kept up would be more in line with our Goal.

And that boat is also a bit to large for us.

[W3GAC]

35 yrs old. Cal 46 ketch beautifully maintained by original owner on Great Lakes (short season/ fresh water/ avid racer). He retired and move w/ boat to San Diego. After his death his son took it over and also kept it in great condition, but with 3 very young kids they decided to sell/ get a power boat. I purchased it 20 yrs ago. As a life long sailor, electronics engineer with wood & fiberglass skills... I had most of the background and consider working on boats fun/ rewarding. Cals were built before the industry knew how strong fiberglass really was with 1" solid core hull, water tight (crash) bow chain locker, water tight (crash) aft lazzerett. I've had to do nothing to the decks or hull and with normal wash/ wax in Spring she still shines! After our 5 yrs in San Diego adding 600 Ah batteries, 2000 watt inverter, microwave, TVs/ mast top TV antenna, chart plotter, radar, wx fax, HF marine/ ham/ insulated backstay, scanning sonar, air-conditioning, changed stove/ oven from CNG to propane (easier to get in Caribbean, electric windless w/ cockpit extra switches, Hella fans,... generator, holding plate freezer (did all work myself) we set off on our cruising in Caribbean. Happy to say all worked beautiful, including having to hunker down in mangroves during 5 hurricanes. We enjoyed every day in the Caribbean and the last 10 yrs so far in Chesapeake Bay Area. Many older boats are built very strong. We never gave our safety a thought in storms as we knew the boat was stronger than us!

Regarding cruising, give a lot of thought to water/ fuel capacity unless you plan to just go from marina to marina. We carry total of 150 gal of water in three tanks and 125 of diesel. That gave us independence from being forced to go to port just for water (water is scarce in many areas and after hurricanes, it can take weeks/ months for some islands to get their infrastructure going again. Older boats tend to be heavier (that's good for a cruising boat) and a bit narrower beam. We weight 36,000 lbs and 12.6' beam, 5.5' draft. Both in Caribbean and here in Chesapeake while other boats are hobby horsing at anchor and marina we are barely moving. This really makes a difference in full time live-aboard/ cruising!

Hope you find your cruising boat and enjoy it as much as we are.

[Clivevon]

36 years old - I have owned her for 19 of those years. Several very expensive major refits & equipment replacements along the way, though. Another 10 years or so and she will see me out of sailing I think. Maybe a motorboat then.

I reckon there are only two options: Buy a new boat, which costs a lot of money, and enjoy lower upkeep costs, OR:
Buy an older boat, which costs a lot less money, in which case the upkeep will cost you a lot of money.

Now I'm retired, I am hoping that more time to work on the boat myself will reduce some of those upkeep costs..hopefully.
Good luck.

[astokel]

A well laid up fibreglass boat, well maintained should last for many years. My Grampian 26 built in 1973 does not leak a drop. In fact, I often forget to check the bilge from time to time as there is nothing there (except spiders).

[sailon46]

My Beneteau 51.4 Cyclades is 10 years old, with the first 5 in charter with Moorings, so it has taken a lot of refurbish $$$ to bring her back to my standards.

[bluewaterbill]

Swan 44 with launch date of June 1973 ... Almost 44 yrs. A couple of refits along the way, but she can go many more miles. My experience is "old" (quality) boats from the 1970s and early 80s are much more durable, well-built ... And comfortable. Few boats from the 90s and 2000s Attract my interest.

Find a "good old boat" and care for it.

Good luck!

[fred4936]

Our Tartan 27-2 was built in 1978. Next year we celebrate her 40th year. We have had her for 4 1/2 years now. The boat was and is very sound. I could not get the original diesel to run, so I converted it to electric. We did put in new ports, and my wife made new cushions. I would like new sails at some point, since I have to believe they came with the boat. New standing rigging is soon.

Fred Liesegang

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by got seashells?

Hubbie (AKA Captain) and I are going to have a discussion this evening about the Max age of a boat that we should be considering. I am of the opinion that age is not as important as quality and upkeep. This will be for a full time live aboard cruiser that we expect to be on for no less than 5 years and mostly through the Caribbean.

this is a link to one that I would like to put on the potential list that he is not comfortable with but only due to its age. https://moreboats.com/boats/tayana/55/56550

so I am asking what the age of your boat is and if that is a big factor in your purchasing requirements.

Every boat, regardless of age, requires continuous
maintenance and modernization improvement.

No boat should be ruled out due to age alone. A well maintained and modernized older boat may substantially better than a newer, stock, poorly maintained vessel.

That said vessel design technology has changed over the years. If a full keel with longer hangs is desired, there will be few newer boat options. If wide beam aft and a walk through transom is desired, there will be few older boat options. The most important consideration is, "Can you envision spending the time and
money required to continuously maintain and modernize the vessel, while using it and calling it yours?" If not keep looking, or you will be doing yourself and the boat a disservice.

[Snore]

My Tartan 33 was made in 1980. She is still very sound and I would not think twice of taking her to the islands, or to Mexico.

IMFO there are three factors in buying an older boat. They are original build quality, modifications that ere made and maintenance. If there was a way for me to keep up the brightwork, I would own a 1960's era Hinckley Bermuda Yawl. They are crazy old but built like a brick outhouse. Assuming no foolish mods or abuse, they are still good. OTOH, I would be wary of a 1990 "production boat" that had moderate to heavy use. Just because of the original quality.

Just another viewpoint.

[Maka]

Hubby the Captain is Right.
Based on the information he has. When he learns what you know and changes his mind, he will still be right.
The "Old" fiberglass hulls are thicker and stronger than the newer ones ... especially those of the early '70s and older. Before the advent on the chopper gun all FRP hulls were hand laid.
Over the years as the cost of resin has gone up exponentially , the amount of it used in hulls has gone down ....hence thinner hulls.
That is my opinion.

[Sailorbob8599]

I've always understood the correct way to determine the age of a boat is to ask: When was the keel laid? ... or, How old is the keel? ... which amounts to the same thing. So no matter how long it took to finish building the boat, the day the keel was laid is the determining factor.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

I've always understood the correct way to determine the age of a boat is to ask: When was the keel laid? ... or, How old is the keel? ... which amounts to the same thing. So no matter how long it took to finish building the boat, the day the keel was laid is the determining factor.

Most simply go by the HIN these days.....at least for the past 60 years or so I'd say

It's sad though that most of us here missed out on selecting and cutting down that perfect tree that would form the keel of our boats!