Need advice - Boat purchase

[robert sailor]

Yes your wrong but you have a point. Most boats do not age well in the tropics especially compared to Northern climes but even salt water boats in the North don't age as well as fresh water boats. Having said that some people just look after things better than others and the boats reflect that so a southern boat of a similar age could be every bit as good as a northern one depending on how it was maintained and looked after.

[Celestialsailor]

Another option is to move the boat inside a building and out of water which as we all know can cause terrible problems such as rust, moisture on the deck in the morning and well...that hideous fish smell. A few tropical posters taped to the ports would be in order to give you that..."I have arrived in port", feeling and maybe some tapped sounds of seagulls playing on the stereo.

[JPA Cate]

I know exactly how you feel, mate. In the early days, I used to complain often to Jim "that looks rusty!, Ick!" and he'd respond, "that's only surface rust." Eventually, I did learn to tell the difference between what a bit of surface rust on a screw looks like compared to the rust stain around and underneath the screw head that indicates it needs more sealant. And so will you. Buying your first boat is a big step, made more difficult by lack of experience. You'll get past it. Here's two things to remember:

1) Experience is what you get just after you needed it.

2) Cate's First Law of Metallurgy: Stainless steel isn't.

What you took pictures of is not, IMO (always remember opinions are worth what you've paid for 'em), a reason to assume the vessel's a rust bucket. I thought KDH's opinion that the varnish tells an encouraging story is likely to turn out to be correct.

Ann

[monte]

yes judging by the rust patterns on the hinges and screws it's more like a 14-20 year old boat. I would price similar length 1985 era models and make an offer based on those prices (probably around half the asking price) The broker should understand and agree with you 100%

[boatman61]

Judging by the teak seating no way is she that old... unless its been redone... as to the hinges.. can't get the picture big enough to tell on my notebook... could be the table was varnished in situ and that's varnish brush marks..
But there's a damn sight more important stainless to look at... the standing rigging for a start... a few screws is an easy fix and your not gonna get the price knocked down for that...

[barnakiel]

Plenty depends on how corrosive the environment is.

Normally I find plenty of rust stains but not much rust on most boats.

Proper rust (rustus profundus) is easy to tell apart as it never sleeps.

b.