new sailor

[lingarner]

I am interested in purchasing a 26' san juan. I dont know alot about sailing, but i checked it over as much as i could. Its selling for $2900.00 and i offered $2200.00. Seller has agreed. I looked over the hull, and looks good. The boat is in the water. I went into the cabin and found no standing water. The motor is an older evinrude. He says it runs. I pulled some of the sail out, and seems good, not dryrotted. So what do you think?

[bistros]

Originally Posted by lingarner

I am interested in purchasing a 26' san juan. I dont know alot about sailing, but i checked it over as much as i could. Its selling for $2900.00 and i offered $2200.00. Seller has agreed. I looked over the hull, and looks good. The boat is in the water. I went into the cabin and found no standing water. The motor is an older evinrude. He says it runs. I pulled some of the sail out, and seems good, not dryrotted. So what do you think?

Welcome. You can't lose on your purchase, although your sailing budget will probably grow some.

Enjoy. Find a club and people interested in helping you learn the ropes. You'll need help to get things going. Go out as crew on Other People's Boats (know as OPB) as much as you can - you need some experience before setting out on your own. Take some courses on basic sailing and navigation.

As about cradles for the boat so it can come out of the water if needed. They are probably around. You'll want to have the boat inspected by a surveyor before you can insure it - and doing so is a good experience for you and your safety.

Don't be afraid to ask questions - the only bas questions are those that go unasked - and unasked questions are the beginning of tragedy.

Good luck!

--
Bill

[alan white]

It's vital to check out any balsa-cored deck construction. To begin with, sound out the entire deck with a mallet-- a hard plastic mallet that won't mar the surface.
Especially check around fittings! Also attempt to wiggle lifeline stanchions and also get an inside view of fittings to look for telltale signs of seepage.
Most rigging checks are obvious, sails also.
Look for cracks beyond normal spider-webbing everywhere on the gelcoat.
The boat is cheap, and it sounds good at first glance. Yet you must realize that some problems could cost you so much that a $6500.00 price tag could actually be a better deal.
And sometimes, there really are great bargains. Good luck!

[bistros]

Originally Posted by alan white

It's vital to check out any balsa-cored deck construction. To begin with, sound out the entire deck with a mallet-- a hard plastic mallet that won't mar the surface.
Especially check around fittings! Also attempt to wiggle lifeline stanchions and also get an inside view of fittings to look for telltale signs of seepage.
Most rigging checks are obvious, sails also.
Look for cracks beyond normal spider-webbing everywhere on the gelcoat.
The boat is cheap, and it sounds good at first glance. Yet you must realize that some problems could cost you so much that a $6500.00 price tag could actually be a better deal.
And sometimes, there really are great bargains. Good luck!

Hence my nod to a professional survey. A new sailor just doesn't have the breadth of experience to know how to judge issues, so a survey will be the best teaching platform he'll get.