Classic Boats?

[Thomas1985]

Are boats like this realistic to own instead of the Catalina’s etc you see filling marinas?

Absolutely stunning.

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1963-cheoy-lee-36-7233797/

[Thomas1985]

Another one…

Me looking at this ad, “Shut up and take my money!!!”

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1985-baba-30'-9090354/

[Kettlewell]

Apparently they are realistic to own for many because I see a lot of older boats out cruising, including mine from 1978.

[Thomas1985]

I assume there will be increased cost of ownership, but man these boats are AWESOME

Keep the classic boat pic coming

[Kettlewell]

I assume there will be increased cost of ownership,

Not really. The big driver of cost is length and the repair and maintenance of systems. You can find a lot of older boats on the market with new sails, new electronics, and even a new engine. Keep it simple and you save a lot of money.

[BenBowSirocco]

Classic boats can give you amazing value for your money. But definitely try to look at them with some realism about their performance and compromises.



We sailed a classic 1925 FULL keel design for 6+ years and as long as you were not trying to go to windward: it was a great boat. Solid turn of speed for its size, lots of sea comfort (unless dead downwind: she rolled), weight aboard was never an issue. Good tankage and tons of storage. For the money, it was absolutely a boat that could take you anywhere on this earth, as long as you were not in a hurry.



We moved on to a more performance style modern hull form and it was a absolutely incredible the difference in sailing performance. Fast on any point of sail (for a mono) and the extra beam makes the interior space much larger. I could maneuver the boat in reverse for once. The sugar scoop transom was possibly the most convenient feature I have ever had on a sailboat.

In truth: the modern vessel was not as pretty to my eye, but the modern performance was very worth it to me.



All boats are compromises. Classic boats a bit more so. The larger ones over 40' seem to feel less like a compromise in my experience as their size hides some of the drawbacks.



Commonly overlooked aspects of classic boats in the tropics:

-Exterior varnish is the devil. (if it lives under canvas: whats the point??)

-Teak Decks can also be the devil. (leaks/maintenance: cannot be replaced anymore)

-Access to the water can be difficult, especially if you are not spry. (Dinghy access especially)
-Narrow Beams often contribute to roll and cramped interiors.

-Teak and Mahogany make Dark interiors: be aware of their cave like status.

-Hardware and systems are sometimes very OLD, so parts can be tough.



Advantages:

-LOTS of boat for the money typically.

-Built like tanks! Very forgiving and durable.

-Heavy displacement can contribute positively to sea kindliness.

-Lots of information available for upgrades and known issues.

-Lots of information available about sailing performance.

-Attractive lines for some models.

[thomm225]

Hopefully you have a lot of experience docking because those old full keel or cutaway keel boats are tough to dock.

Mine is smaller and has an outboard so it's easy more me since I can turn the outboard, but those larger ones with an inboard engine can be tough to dock until you get the hang of it especially single handed.

Sometimes you can find decent deals on older boats though.

Here's a 1972 Alberg 30 w/diesel.

https://delaware.craigslist.org/boa/...706998963.html

[Kettlewell]

Handling and sailing ability really depend on the particular boat. Unless you get into very high performance boats, which aren't usually cruising, the same maximum speed laws apply to waterline length and some older heavier boats can maintain a high average speed just like contemporary boats. My 1978 boat has a huge spade rudder and a relatively long fin keel. Maneuvers quite nicely. We traveled in company down in the Caribbean with a variety of boats, including a cat and a 54-foot fast mono, and it was interesting to see how we all arrived in port within an hour or two of each other. Lots of modern cruisers don't sail all that well either. You have to compare apples to apples--a good sailing older boat to a good sailing newer boat.

[geocav]

60 years old and still strong. Needs the right owner though.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

Another one…

Me looking at this ad, “Shut up and take my money!!!”

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1985-baba-30'-9090354/

The Baba is a Bob Perry design. Id own one of those in a heart beat if I didn't own my current boat. They sail very well and handle well also. Pretty fast for the age of the boat.

I'd say forget the Choy Lee....

But that Baba? Go for it! ( Of course with all the caveats of condition)

dj

[rls8r]

Thomas1985 -

I think so. I like mine.

I think that BenBowSirocco did a nice job of providing a summary of the pros and cons. Most of the 'cons' can be handled without too much effort, but don't be surprised if you have to put some time and money into re-doing some systems (especially electrical and electronic) if you expect to get a 'classic' at a reasonable price. One of the 'pros' that was overlooked is that they often hold their value. After fixing mine up I can probably get 2x what I paid for it (including the restoration costs - but perhaps not paying me an hourly rate). Others that I know have sold their boat for what they paid for it after sailing it for a number of years.

And thom225 makes a good observation about docking - especially backing up. The full keel promotes a LOT of propwalk. When on a Zoom call to the B40 Association I asked about any tips regarding backing into a slip. The response from several members was "We don't." Spring lines are your friends.

Sure - there are tradeoffs - but my boat is solid (no bending or racking in a heavy sea), seakindly (if a bit damp) and tracks very well. It's also surprisingly fast when on a broad reach. Regardless of what the numbers may indicate, it stands up pretty well to a breeze. I often carry a full complement of sails when others are reefing or heading in.

Take a look at some review articles, like this one and this one. I believe that there's a 'different' kind of pride in owning a classic than the pride one has in owning a Beneteau or Jeanneau. I've heard it said that you know you own a classic if you row around it once or twice to admire it before rowing ashore.

I don't have any dramatic photos of my boat - but if you want to watch a short video that gives an idea of what mine looks like under sail go to

here

. I've also included a photo of a friend's sloop model (a bit overpowered, sure - but they're having fun in the Antigua Classic Boat race).

[Shanachie]

Classic sailboats are beautiful (confession: I've owned a couple of smaller ones), but nothing beats the ease and comfort of a well-designed newer boat.


I had to crawl over the engine and hang upside down to adjust the stuffing box on my Bristol 30. I sit in the aft cabin to do the same on my Catalina 320.


The long keel and attached rudder also made the Bristol a bear to back up and really difficult to steer when the sails were even slightly out of adjustment.



I can steer the 320 with a couple of fingers, even in strong winds.


Then there is the space ... The Bristol had a wine glass-shaped hull with nine feet of beam on deck and about five feet at the cabin sole. The 320 carries nearly 12 feet of beam.


There's no looking back, even though the Bristol was a beautiful boat.

[Thomas1985]

Originally Posted by dlj

The Baba is a Bob Perry design. Id own one of those in a heart beat if I didn't own my current boat. They sail very well and handle well also. Pretty fast for the age of the boat.

I'd say forget the Choy Lee....

But that Baba? Go for it! ( Of course with all the caveats of condition)

dj

Out of curiosity why don’t you like the flying buffalo?

[thomm225]

It looks like a maintenance nightmare with that decking.

It's a 36' boat with only 25' of waterline.

9.3 beam!

Less than a knot faster than my boat. A 1974 Bristol 27.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/bristol-27/

But that is all up to the buyer/owner. What he or she wants to deal with for a beautiful boat!

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/fl...-36-cheoy-lee/

Catalina 320

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/catalina-320/

Catalina 36

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/catalina-36-mk-ii/

[Thomas1985]

Originally Posted by thomm225

It looks like a maintenance nightmare with that decking.

It's a 36' boat with only 25' of waterline.

9.3 beam!

But that is all up to the buyer/owner. What he or she wants to deal with for a beautiful boat!

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/fl...-36-cheoy-lee/

Understandable critique. Very sparse interior by today’s standards. Definitely scoring highest marks in the beautiful category.

I will add fiberglass decks aren’t nearly as maintenance free as is commonly believed. Most people with fiberglass decks just don’t maintain them. That’s why the market is saturated with soft deck sailboats.