Valiant 32 Liveaboard / Cruiser - Thoughts ?

[Bash]

There are any number of sailboats for sale in the Sea of Cortez for attractive prices. The story is almost always the same: the owner sailed it south as part of the Baja Haha, commuter cruised it in Baja for a year or two, and has no desire to attempt the Baja bash to bring it back home.

I would not want to attempt the Baja bash in a boat as slow as a Valiant 32. Nor would I want to attempt to do that trip in a boat that hasn't been serviced since leaving California.

Just because a boat has a highly attractive price doesn't mean it's a good deal.

[s/v Beth]

I love my v40 for upwind work, but have no experience with the 32. I might be convinced to help you sail it back to San Diego if you buy it though

[MontanaSailor]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and comments. I also posted this on a Sailnet forum also and actually got Bob Perry HIMSELF to respond back. I love the internet. These were his thoughts, "Katie:
I have strong opinions and I hold my own designs to high standards. Sometimes a boat is less than what I hoped it would be in terms of performance. I think the V-32 sufferred by trying to be a mini Valiant 40. The Valiant group was determined that the V-32 have all the features of the V-40. I would have preferred a sloop rig on a boat that size.
The V-32 has a bit too much helm for me and a bowsprit has been added to a few with good results."

[MontanaSailor]

Oh yeah, (how could I forget!)
The broker got back to us and the boat (Ericazona) was damaged in Hurricane Marty in 2003. So....the price was right for a reason. We may still take a peek since we'll be in the marina in a few weeks, but it doesn't look good!

[nukids2]

I spoke with the broker, Mike, in La Paz on this particular Valiant 32 and like the previous poster stated the boat was damaged during a hurricane. Both sides of the hull at about the rub rail and the stern were damaged but have since been repaired. The repair he said was not pretty with one side of the hull looking "thicker" than the other side but he believed the repair was done correctly. He also said the boat has been sitting in its current anchorage since the hurricane with the engine being run about 3 months ago. Also, on Yachtworld the engine is called new but I read it was installed in 1991 which was 20 years ago so she's used no matter how low the hours are. Hope this information helps anyone who is looking at her and please don't disregard this boat just on what I've heard but on what a surveyor will tell you.

[zeta]

Originally Posted by nukids2

I spoke with the broker, Mike, in La Paz on this particular Valiant 32 and like the previous poster stated the boat was damaged during a hurricane. Both sides of the hull at about the rub rail and the stern were damaged but have since been repaired. The repair he said was not pretty with one side of the hull looking "thicker" than the other side but he believed the repair was done correctly. He also said the boat has been sitting in its current anchorage since the hurricane with the engine being run about 3 months ago. Also, on Yachtworld the engine is called new but I read it was installed in 1991 which was 20 years ago so she's used no matter how low the hours are. Hope this information helps anyone who is looking at her and please don't disregard this boat just on what I've heard but on what a surveyor will tell you.

Hard to believe anyone would lie about an item for sale............it would be nice if there was no such word phrase as "due diligence".

[MontanaSailor]

Thanks everyone. Thanks goodness for the internet! We also found these photos online of the boat right after the hurricane. She may have been repaired well, but we're not willing to chance it and are NOT still interested in this particular vessel. Thanks again for everyone's thoughts!

[nukids2]

MontanaSailor,
What website did you get these pics from? Glad to hear the Internet saved you a lot grief, time and money on this sailboat.

[zeehag]

there are many boats for sale in mazatlan and point north in sea of cortez--beware of pending overdue slip fees and such.

[olegunny]

Originally Posted by stipakb

Perry critiqued the V32 I believe as having too much weather helm. The last V32, #65, and I believe several others were built as sloops with the mast further forward to correct this problem.

The highest V32 hull number is in the 160s. Mine is number 163 and I believe there are two with higher hull numbers. Nice safe boat - excellent for single-handing.

[barnakiel]

THX for posting the pics. Pretty self-explanatory. I do not mind the damage, but the sinking did no good to her either ;-(

b.

[stipakb]

>The highest V32 hull number is in the 160s. Mine is number 163 and I believe >there are two with higher hull numbers.

Your boat was NOT the 163rd V32 made, but rather the 63rd made. The first boat had hull number 101.

Hull number 165 was the last V32 made, which was the 65th boat made as I said in my earlier post.