Okay, maybe that's my mistake about Yanmars and glow plugs.
We have a Yanmar 3GM30F from 2003. No glow plugs. Have never had a problem starting it cold (knock wood). Someone once told me to use a hair dryer or heat gun if we do, but haven't had to do that, so not sure if it actually works.
I think this is my boat. Southern Ca mired in Dana Point Ca.
It does not show up on that broker's web site today. FYI.
Oh, I see now, sorry Barb, I thought Tramp's post was from you.
Thank you for that. I continue to look, but am finding 100% correct about finding "most" service records lacking or even non-existent ("I do the maintenance myself") I haven't given up hope of finding the unicorn, but am accepting now it's going to be a rare find and take time. Just out of curiosity, what boats do you consider "low end" and which ones are more well made?I am probably "preaching to the choir" but there is often another 'elephant in the room' when considering a used boat. Power or Sail, similar problem.
That's "Deferred Maintenance". I realize that statistically a low % of used boats are fully maintained, but I know that some are. Over the years I have personally known two of fellow YC members that always kept their sailboat UP-to-date. When they sold them they did get more return than most sellers, and more important got immediate buyers. Eager buyers.
Most used boats on the market have some significant or major dollars that were saved (i.e. banked and unspent) over the years by their owners. Then the owners want to sell and receive the money that they have already banked. Unrealistic and crazy and Illogical.
Waaaay back when we were shopping for our first real racer-cruiser "big boat", moving up from our trailer sailer Ranger 20, a surveyor friend told me how to assess the price and value of a used sailboat. Since so many were in need of major maintenance/upgrades, his advice was to assess the prospective purchase's immediate maintenance needs, assign a fair price to each item on that list, and then figure out the true offer price of that particular boat after all the work was done.
Subtract the price of what would actually be a turn-key specimen and then offer that purchase price to the seller. Not rudely, but firmly. Be prepared to write the check.
I soon found out that doing this would lead to "negative" offers where the seller would need to pay me XXX number of dollars to take their boat!
Oddly, most brokers were quite sympathetic to our plan, and many admitted that it was quite difficult to list really clean boats. (!)
So when we found a pristine boat that honestly was "Turn Key", we bought it! The first owners had kept it super clean, and while the instruments were minimal, this had the advantage of us not having to repair or replace old parts. I recall that when we lifted an access board in the cabin sole and saw a clean and shiny bilge we were just SO impressed. A decade later we sold that boat quickly for a good price, too. It helped that we had been looking for a high quality boat, and after looking at HInterhoeller, CS Yachts, and Yamaha, knew to avoid low-end production boats; I had raced on a number of boats from the mass-market segment, and was aware of their design and build shortcomings.
The market now is different, but that might make it easier to buy a high-end boat worthy of restoration. I know the value of the older low-end boats is very very low. I note that, from reading the ads, high quality and better-designed boat have had their asking prices depressed down with the low-end stuff, which is helpful to a buyer looking for a good boat. I would call this a sort of "Gresham's Law" of boat valuation.
As for us, last time around, we always knew we wanted to own something really strong and fast, and keep it for at least a decade like we kept our previous Niagara 26. Having bought the EY-built Olson in 1994, we figure we have amortised out pretty much every $ we have put into it. But then, we Would say that!
Moreover, we have several friends that take two (or more) cruises per year for two weeks to a month, per. In a few years their "fun" expenditures add up to more $ than most sailboats! They end up with a flash drive full of pictures; big whoop.
Random philosophy bits dispensed, two cents, and not even worth every penny!
I had to pass on that boat.
I just completed a Marine Diesel Maintenance class at the Yanmar Service Center in Newport Beach. Other than repair-related issues, the instructor said two things can cause rough running: two blade prop rather than three blade, and the more cylinders it has the smoother it will run. He also intimated that Universal motors are not the best motor. Of course as the technical advisor for Yanmar west coast, Hawaii, Mexico and Canada, he's going to push Yanmar, but they do seem to last forever and parts can be found everywhere.
I hope this doesn't come across as harsh, it's certainly not intended to, but I think you need to limit your expectations when looking at boats that are 35+ years old. There aren't going to be too many turn key unicorns out there. And don't discount a boat simply because the previous owner did the maintenance. There are a lot of posters here who do their own work that I'd trust more than the service techs in my marina. In fact, the previous owner of my boat did much of his own work. Yes, the records were spotty, but he took the time to show me what he did and - to the best of his recollection - when he did it. He owned the boat for eight years prior to me, so the time frame wasn't difficult to tamp down. I do as much work as I can on my own and also write it down in a register. Usually more than one or two lines, but that's the extent of my record keeping.
You're missing the bigger picture which I didn't post on here in case he's a member. Yes he "did (his) own maintenance" but the boat needed a complete refit and that isn't the opinion of someone set on finding the unicorn. I'm well aware that a 35 year old boat will need refit, probably ongoing, but I'm not going spend $50k on a boat that needs $50k of refit and then still have a $35-40k boat. That would not be a wise financial decision.
That looks like a real good deal for whoever... The narrator does make some odd statements here n there. The $$$ Raratan head is NOT a vacu-flush, for instance.
Thank you Christian. When you say many more spacious designs, are you referring to other-than-Ericson? Living aboard is not an option. I've only found two or three marinas that allow liveaboards and my local marina isn't one of them I'd have to relocate to those places and I'd have to quit my job and find a new one there. I plan to sail locally to get to know the boat, but a Hawaii trip is not out of the question down the line. I'm sure there must be boats in Hawaii for sale, but trying to manage the logistics of everything that goes along with a purchase long distance might be difficult for me because of my job. I've found many nice boats on the e. coast, great lakes and Texas, but again, unrealistic because of the distance. I've also ruled out 34' boats and am hoping more for 35-36. Thank you for your helpful suggestions in any case, I do appreciate any and all that people on here send my way.Barbixby, are you really planning to sail to Oahu? If so, your list of upgrades will be very long and different from those required to sail locally. If you plan to live on the boat, I must say there are many more spacious designs which I would consider even at the expense of beauty. Do check listings in Hawaii, where bargains can be found and motivated sellers.
My upgrades over the past 10 years are a guide to typical, and can be see in detail here:
E381 - Table of Contents for Thelonious Blog
Thelonious II yacht blog Table of Contents Christian Williamsericsonyachts.org
Barbixby, are you really planning to sail to Oahu? If so, your list of upgrades will be very long and different from those required to sail locally. If you plan to live on the boat, I must say there are many more spacious designs which I would consider even at the expense of beauty. Do check listings in Hawaii, where bargains can be found and motivated sellers.
My upgrades over the past 10 years are a guide to typical, and can be see in detail here:
E381 - Table of Contents for Thelonious Blog
Thelonious II yacht blog Table of Contents Christian Williams
So you're saying sailors are not actual people? LOL I agree on both points, if I could only find a nice one. I started out looking for a 38. The older they are the more scarce they are I guess.The 38 would suit you. Ericsons are not as spacious as uglier boats, and that means Ericson liveaboards are inhabited by sailors, rather than actual people.
The narrator is the seller's broker, they probably rely on what the seller told them, so put that misstatement on the owner? IDK, but it seems likely that if the standing rigging was replaced, they'd check to see if the deck hardware needed rebedding?
In my experience, re-bedding the thru-deck rigging connector is not routine. Back when I had the first re-rig done I specifically asked for this as part of the new standing rig at the boat yard. The yard was strongly in favor, also.
Thank you. I'm not sure misnaming the toilet is a "gross error" because people were going to go look at the boat first, not buy sight unseen and it's not exactly a safety issue. It's just a toilet LOL ~ With everything named that was new, I imagine the rigging receipt was available to check since it seemed very comprehensive. In any case, that boat sold in a matter of days after it was listed and I missed it by a week. I do appreciate this information about rebedding though, and will keep it in mind in my future boat hunting.
