What Do You Make of This For Sale Ad?

[Jd1]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

And yeah, no interior pictures? Mustn't want to sell very bad, haha.

Maybe the interior was stripped for racing ?

[Roger L]

KetoNomad, you have gotten a lot of knowledgeable people interested in your search....including several that have owned the same boat. I think you should go take a look at this boat. You said it is less than 100 Km; that's nothing at all compared to the hours and work you are going to have to put into whatever boat you own - even if it was a brand new one.
So talk to the owner in person, view the documents, crawl around the boat yourself, and take lots of pictures. Then post here again and let us help. How else better to learn how to evaluate a boat?
This is a golden opportunity for learning - which is something that you admit that you need to do.
Luck,
Roger L.

[Island Time O25]

I agree with Roger. In my searches for boats I looked at a few of clunkers, even clunkers on paper. This was more for experience and comparative purposes and to get the feel for models, layouts, quality of construction (or lack thereof), etc. That way you get a feel of what is out there at your price range. I never went more than 50-60 miles to take a look (for definite clunkers this was reduced to 20-30 miles) and would always try to combine several boats in same general area or arrange other business or interests so as to justify the long drive. Only my first boat was close by, about 25-30 mins drive, the other 4 were all about one hour away, i.e. at the distance limit of my search. I am sure had I had the time to look beyond 50-60 miles I would have come up with either a better deal price wise or boat wise. So my advice, speaking from my own experience is to go as far out as your schedule and gas budget allows you. And not just for "this is it" boats but for "hmm, why not check her out" ones as well. One never knows which one will end up being "the one".

PS But I am one of those guys who likes boats and water in general not just sailing or cruising. So may be my approach is not typical for someone who is pressed on time and wants to get sailing/cruising ASAP. For me even sitting in the cockpit tinkering with some repairs surrounded by the water is one blissful component of boating. And sailing proper is just another component to be enjoyed. And splashing at midnight au naturel with my g/f on a moonlit night is still another component of it.

[Tessellate]

It is quite common for boaters to not know all that much about their boat, especially if they've only owned it 5 months and if you're asking fairly technical questions about the boat's history, like the specifics of a rerig.

Remember not everyone is as passionate about the hobby and spends their waking hours reading sailing books and CF. Especially for boats under 30 feet, where their goal might just be to get out on the water occasionally in the summer.

I haven't seen any red flags from what you've told us. The only thing would be make sure it's not a Craigslist scam like one other poster suggested - no interior pics + generic conversation on the phone suggests the (remote) possibility it's not their boat and they'll ask for a cash deposit which they disappear with. This should be easy to confirm or disconfirm though.

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Update: I'm not even going to waste my time and money looking at the boat, everything about it seems like a red flag, the guy talked on the phone for half an hour but volunteered virtually nothing of value. I concluded much from what was not said/known.

Is "I don't know" a valid excuse in the boating world? I can see it being possible to get away with that when it comes to owning and operating cars but how do you not know the condition of the thing that could end your life if you neglect to maintain it in a timely manner? A guy claiming to not know anything about the boat seems full of it to me. And yeah, no interior pictures? Mustn't want to sell very bad, haha.

[Island Time O25]

Another plus of going out to see the boat in person would be to check her HIN # and run it against the state's/province's database. That will answer some questions or raise immediate flags as the case may be.

I once (about 8-9 years ago) looked at late 1970s C&C 36 which had no HIN. The seller (eventually a donor) had no idea (supposedly) it had to be where we looked for it. We ended up finding out that the boat was damaged extensively on the rocks and flooded. And ended up with all of its interior wet. After about a month the guy called and said that he was planning to donate unless we can pick up the $2,000 tab the donation place wanted for the haul, then we can have it for free. We passed. But this extensive probing of this particular boat has given me a lot of knowledge in general as I had to price the interior work, engine repair, etc. as well as to estimate the time it would take to put her right (2-3 years if done on "free weekends" or 3-6 months of intensive work of 40-60 hours a week). I don't think such knowledge is ever wasted and can always be applied to your boat search or boat ownership.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Well I just got off the phone with the seller, nice enough seeming guy but he didn't know much about the boat, he mostly just talked about sailing, kind of makes me leery.

While the chainplates are now external and aluminum the owner doesn't know when they were last replaced (I don't know much about chainplates but aluminum seems like an incredibly poor choice given its tendency to fail catastrophically, wouldn't it get worn out, too? I'm assuming chainplates experience some friction normally where the turnbuckles attach. Anyway he doesn't know when the shrouds or stays were last replaced and figures the mast is original doesn't know the hours on the engine says the engine works well but seemed to be, shall we say, embellishing the truth (don't ask how I know, lol) doesn't know what kind of seacocks are on it or throughhull fittings and didn't have it surveyed or even hauled out when he bought it 5 months ago! Oh and it has no heater and no stove. Seems like a LOT of money considering all that. Lot of work too. Not sure I even want to go see it now. It might be decent but I'd be surprised if the standing rigging didn't need replacing.

Thoughts?

You seem to be reading a lot into what what the owner is saying and the boat itself. That he knows little about the boat he owns is nothing new, ask us folks on CF how we know. It seems to me a what, 60 plus mile trip and a pleasant ferry ride would be achievable. You may be missing a gem.

[jamesdavis]

When I was in buying-mode, I looked at and sailed a Catalina 27 in Portland, ME.
The vessel had an 11HP diesel and IMHO, was under-powered. I learned a lot from just looking at different vessels. Have you checked the book price on this boat, although, ad doesn't list what year she is(?) Use BUCValu.com to get a ballpark $.

Regarding many, many boats in FL; Floridian sailors enjoy year-round boating. Consequently, lots of boats are not hauled frequently enough and may be neglected w.r.t. hull maintenance, etc. Conversely, boats in colder climate like New England, are usually put on hard during winter and may be better maintained as a result.

Good luck with your search.

[topmast]

Keto If you decided to look I can pick you up at Departure Bay and drop you at Gab ferry. Can pick up for return to DB .Owner on other side.?? I'm in south Nanaimo. Not a fiber glass fan but will assist anyway.

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Update: I'm not even going to waste my time and money looking at the boat, everything about it seems like a red flag, the guy talked on the phone for half an hour but volunteered virtually nothing of value. I concluded much from what was not said/known.

Think you are getting paranoid. Not unusual for an owner, especially one of only a few months, to know anything more about a boat than how to go salling in fair WX. Bought my last boat from a Merchant Marine Officer who used it for a crash pad when he wasn't on a ship. He'd hardly ever sailed the boat and apparently did nothing but sleep there as few systems worked. Only taken me 10 years to learn the boat after pretty much tearing it apart and putting it back together.

The Contessa is a hell of a boat, many have sailed all over the world and in the roughest conditions. They are small and wet but, like the Energizer Bunny, just keep on going. This boat seems to have been set up for extensive cruising probably by the owner before the current one. If you can find his contact information, would be the one to ask your questions. If gjordan is around, he sailed one to SoPac with his SO and is intimately familiar with the boats in real ocean cruising with the design.

I'd go look at the boat. Will at least give you an idea of what would be, for me, the smallest boat I'd want for living aboard/cruising.

[Roger L]

".... by the owner before the current one."

That's a gem of a thought..... certainly don't ignore the previous owners.

Case in point, the guy who bought my boat last year towed it across the country to Seattle and ended up never sailing the boat. So he knows next to nothing about it at all except that after showing it to his wife she said she wants something bigger than a 28 footer.

He puts it up for sale, and the guy who might buy it found me through the registration I guess, and I was happy to give him ten years worth of info on the very boat he is considering buying. PLUS, the guy who I bought it from happens to still be a friend so we had the history back to the day she was launched.

And I had in the meanwhile I found a couple of boxes of spares in the back of the garage which I had no use for. Spare winch handles, a Danforth, filters and gaskets...you name it...
Roger L.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Update: I'm not even going to waste my time and money looking at the boat, everything about it seems like a red flag, the guy talked on the phone for half an hour but volunteered virtually nothing of value. I concluded much from what was not said/known.

You made a good call. The boat is usually no better than the owner. If there were good things to say, he would have said them.

I looked at a contessa 26 when I was looking at boats. I found it to be like a coffin below, due to the lack of sliding main hatch found on just about all other boats. Yes, excellent pedigree if you are looking at crossing oceans, but not much storage space, living space, or comforts.

FYI, from my local kijiji:

Contessa 26 for sale | sailboats | North Bay | Kijiji

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Geek_Guy

Boat looks very nice. Not sure about your area, but in FL there are hundreds of 22-29 foot boats available. There are many in the 2-5 thousand range.

This is a go-anywhere boat, hence the price tag.

[buzzstar]

If the cost and time to look at a boat 100 miles away is too much for you, perhaps you are not yet ready to buy, PERIOD. While I do not disagree with you about being wary, and you do have some very good reasons, you are perhaps buying the vessel, not the previous owner. If the deal is good, it is worth investigation, if it is too good, that speaks for itself. Zeehag had points worth investigating, particularly if you were going to buy, but that would be true for any boat except maybe one being sold by a friend. Did you even consider calling the marina/dockmaster or harbormaster (I do not know the area at all, so I have no clue as to additional potential sources). It should be possible to determine ownership even from afar, and if that connects determine if the identity of the seller is real and if it fits with the ownership. On the other hand, your own instincts are important, but even better is supplemented by facts.

[Macblaze]

You know which docks on Gabriola she is on? There are only a couple and you might be able to get someone to walk down and look at her.

B

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Anyway, what does your critical eye see that I don't? Should I even bother going to look?

Your linked boat is priced similar to the upper end of the market here in Ontario.

There's 4 Contessas at our club, ranging from a beater to a couple of gleaming, well-maintained beauties. What I've heard from various people is that they're solid, 'traditional', and as others have mentioned, proven offshore. The tradeoffs are interior space, and they don't much like light air (which can be 50+% of our season on L Ontario). I'm not in love with the companionway either, but it's better protection for heavy weather, I guess.

Do you have sailing experience? Are you looking for a boat to gain experience on, or are you committed to getting a world-cruiser now? The reason I ask is that you could probably buy an 'experience' boat for alot less, that you can still cruise your coast in, then go for a bigger boat when you're ready.