Sandrak
04-12-2004, 04:07 PM
Thanks for all the good advice on the water in my boat. I have another question. I bought the 1970 35ft. C&C for $15,000. Did I get ripped off, or is this a fair price? Everything seems to be in pretty good shape. Are C&C's good sailboats. This one had the motor redun in 2000.It has an Universal diesel.
When making a purchase with enough money to piss you off if you get taken for a ride then it's wise to get expert help in evaluating the thing. By your own admission, you are a beginner, unless you have thousands of dollars you really don't have better use for then to risk blowing, then the more secure method of purchase would be to have a survey done to find out it's worth and condition. These folks (surveyors) take several hours looking over every inch of a boat and provide a very detailed list of the goods and bads of the boat. At that point you now would be able to make an informed purchase.
Since you have the boat, you may want to get the survey done now, to find out what the story(s) is with it's condition. A little paint, wax, new covers for the cushions and curtains will make a poor boat look good to the untrained eye. I hope you haven't been taken for too much more then it's worth.
Personally, I find most people are honest and though do want to get a better price for their boats then they are generally worth, do, with reasonable discussion settle on a fair price. Lets hope this was the case with you.
Get a survey. If less then that a very experienced sailor whom has had several mid sized yachts, hopefully a C&C the same size and era before. Talk to owners of the same class or the same boat itself.
C&C does build a fine boat, but all manufactures build duds from time to time. Try to track down it's owner history and talk to them. They can tell you what it needed and what was done, you can compare that with what you see. Check the yard it was repaired/stored in and see what the workers have to say about it's care and upkeep.
All this aside, use the boat. The worst thing for a boat is to sit without use. Have fun and learn how to handle her and the quirks she'll have. You'll gain valuable experience and learn the areas that need addressing.
