# In FL looking to buy boat for the ICW



## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

Hi all,

I just quit my job and drove to Jacksonville FL. I am looking to buy a boat and travel up the ICW. I will be by myself and need to be as economical as possible. I expect to buy a sailboat in the 23-25 foot range, and spend $3000-$6000. I'm 59 and I've been sailing small boats all my life. I also co-owed a 1982 Catalina 27 in Austin TX (Lake Travis), where I lived for 22 years until... last Saturday. I am an experienced day-sailor, but have little experience cruising. 

I am looking for advice on finding a boat. I am in Jacksonville now, and expect to move down the east coast of FL till I find one. I expect to use craiglist ads. Before leaving Austin I did a lot of searching on sailboatlistings.com and will use that also. They have a nice set of filters that enabled me to focus my search. I know people sell boats on eBay, but I've never used eBay before-- never even been on the site. 

Since I need to be as thrifty as possible, I expect to buy from a private party, but I may look at brokers also. 

I'd be happy to get suggestions about how to find a boat. I am living in my car till I get the boat, so I have a strong incentive not to take too long. 

Thanks in advance!

Best Regards,
Rob Feeney


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Welcome to SailNet Rob. 

You might try placing a "Looking for" ad with Craigs List. Also search for local boating magazines, most are online I believe and have classified sections. They are usually given out for free in boating stores and at marinas. Another thing to try is a search for clubs in the area. Our predominantly small boat club always has at least one or two for sale per season. Might be worth sending out emails to fleet captains and see what you get. I'm on the Chesapeake and a few of the maritime museums have annual auctions of donated boats. There are deals to be had as they don't want the boats to sit around too long.

Finally, Sea Scouts are always accepting donated small boats, refitting as part of the learning process, and then selling them. 

Good luck.


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

You might expand your search up to 30 ft as this is a large section of boats that would work well on the ditch........Dale


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

I agree with the suggestion to move the size up a bit. I can't imagine spending any significant time living on a 23-25 foot boat. Each foot or two of size will buy you a lot of additional space, especially headroom. Doubt you will find many boats in that price range listed with brokers. Craigslist and sailboatlistings.com are probably the best places to look for what you are looking for. Good luck.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Lots of of older Catalina, C&C, Pearson, Hunter, Newport etc. 27 - 30 ft boats listed for sale on Craig's for less than 10K and probably very negotiable for a fast sale.


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## scubadoo (Apr 5, 2014)

You're in luck.....I might have just the boat you are looking for and I'm not too much farther South.

Sent a PM....

Best,
doo


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

scubadoo said:


> You're in luck.....I might have just the boat you are looking for and I'm not too much farther South.
> 
> Sent a PM....
> 
> ...


He's too new to be able to receive PMs.


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

Thank you for the replies! 

I loved the Catalina 27 I had and got quite comfortable single-handling it. My reasoning for staying smaller was to keep "cost of ownership" lower (haul-out, re-fitting, ground tackle, bottom jobs, blah blah blah-- read the Pardey's about staying under 30' and took it to heart). And, while I'm a fairly fit 59, I thought if I got in jam, I'd rather deal with a 5000 lb boat than a 10,000 lb boat. I also bought a book called "Anchoring" from Uncle Bob's web site and it's scaring the crap out of me about anchoring. That's an area I don't have much experience in, and I lost quite a few anchors in Lake Travis (near Austin). I don't expect to have a boat big enough to have powered windlass and I'd rather man-handle an anchor for the smaller boat. Before I left Austin it occurred to me that if I actually do this (buy a boat, do the ICW), soon my ability to consistently and successfully set and retrieve an anchor would become a pretty important part of my life. 

Also, this is sort of an experiment, a learning experience, and it seemed better to experiment with a smaller, cheaper boat. 

But, I do appreciate the feedback!

Rob


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## gptyk (Mar 20, 2013)

Betcha could find a decent Catalina 27 for $5K or less. 

Yup, bigger than you asked, but more room/you already know how to run one.


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## sharkbait (Jun 3, 2003)

https://miami.craigslist.org/search...&nearbyArea=557&nearbyArea=639&searchNearby=1


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## uncle stinky bob (Feb 28, 2016)

rbfeeney said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I just quit my job and drove to Jacksonville FL. I am looking to buy a boat and travel up the ICW. I will be by myself and need to be as economical as possible. I expect to buy a sailboat in the 23-25 foot range, and spend $3000-$6000. I'm 59 and I've been sailing small boats all my life. I also co-owed a 1982 Catalina 27 in Austin TX (Lake Travis), where I lived for 22 years until... last Saturday. I am an experienced day-sailor, but have little experience cruising.
> 
> ...


Craigslist. South Florida. you'll be busy for weeks and weeks. I hope all works out for you and you have a great time. Good luck bro!


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## guitarguy56 (Oct 10, 2012)

JimsCAL said:


> I agree with the suggestion to move the size up a bit. I can't imagine spending any significant time living on a 23-25 foot boat. Each foot or two of size will buy you a lot of additional space, especially headroom. Doubt you will find many boats in that price range listed with brokers. Craigslist and sailboatlistings.com are probably the best places to look for what you are looking for. Good luck.


I beg to differ on that... Apparently you don't know about Boat Babe on Strike?

Boat Babe on Strike! | SailboatOwners.com Forums

They have been living quite well on a 25 foot Hunter in the best way anyone has seen in quite a while... It depends on how well you make do with the space you have.


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## uncle stinky bob (Feb 28, 2016)

There's a great looking (by the pics) of a Pacific Seacraft 25 in Otega for 6000.


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## archimedes (May 14, 2014)

I've got a chris craft 26, with outboard, I'll sell for $2500. It's presently in the ICW near Jacksonville. Great easy to handle boat in very good condition.

Send me a private message after you get your post count up.


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## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

Noticed that 25 foot Pacific Seacraft too. At least it has good bones and it does look to be in good condition, at least for a boat priced at 6K. And it supposedly has a new mainsail. Really worth a look!! It's in Jacksonville too.


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

wow.... I saw the Pacific Seacraft on craigs list when I got to Jacksonville and called the guy and talked with him about it. Went to see it yesterday and the owner is meeting me there today. I'm pretty excited about it! 

Thanks again to everyone who has responded.


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## uncle stinky bob (Feb 28, 2016)

rbfeeney said:


> wow.... I saw the Pacific Seacraft on craigs list when I got to Jacksonville and called the guy and talked with him about it. Went to see it yesterday and the owner is meeting me there today. I'm pretty excited about it!
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who has responded.


Thats awesome!! I really like that boat, I hear great things about them. Check out the review on Blue Water Boats, nothing but +++. I hope it all works out for you, if she's in the condition she looks to be in, I think your very lucky to be her skipper! 
Fair Winds!!


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

You have to look at the initial boat price vs. long term cost of using the boat. A boat with a diesel engine may cost more initially, but after motoring 2000 miles it's cost of use may be much lower than a cheap boat with an outboard. Same with 'project' boats which often are just a bundle of misery and a bottomless money pit. If you keep your draft to 4' or less you can anchor in a lot more places along ICW and if run aground, you might be able to just get in the water and push it off.
Sounds like a great plan and I hope you have lots of fun along the way.


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## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

rbfeeney said:


> wow.... I saw the Pacific Seacraft on craigs list when I got to Jacksonville and called the guy and talked with him about it. Went to see it yesterday and the owner is meeting me there today. I'm pretty excited about it!
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who has responded.


That's great! I hope that you can get her. Last spring I bought a PSC34. Pacific Seacraft are one of the best built production boats on the market. The more I walk around the yard (winter storage up here in the cold north), the more I'm very glad I got the PSC.

The lines on the 25 are quite nice, I like them better than my 34. Might be a bit tight down below, compared to other 25 footers. It's also probably capable of much more than just cruising the ICW. I guess it really boils down to a tradeoff between aesthetics and practicality.

PS also seems to hold resale value, so it's likely you could get your 6K back, as long as you keep up with maintenance.

Good luck and keep us posted.


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## uncle stinky bob (Feb 28, 2016)

elliowb said:


> That's great! I hope that you can get her. Last spring I bought a PSC34. Pacific Seacraft are one of the best built production boats on the market. The more I walk around the yard (winter storage up here in the cold north), the more I'm very glad I got the PSC.
> 
> The lines on the 25 are quite nice, I like them better than my 34. Might be a bit tight down below, compared to other 25 footers. It's also probably capable of much more than just cruising the ICW. I guess it really boils down to a tradeoff between aesthetics and practicality.
> 
> ...


I noticed on Blue Water Boats that nearly every boat Pacific Seacraft built is rated a blue water boat. Including this 25'. Very impressive build. And a bonus is that they are beautiful boats!


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## jwing (Jun 20, 2013)

I'm making no judgment here, just curious: Why buy a sailboat to slog up the ICW? Seems to me that you'd be buying a bunch of gear that you won't use; why not put that money into the more comfortable accommodations of a trawler or other non-sailing boat?


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## RainDog (Jun 9, 2009)

Try to find something that already has the following: 

decent chain and a few hundred feet of rode
oversized anchor
second anchor and rode
some sort of dinghy
Flares
Horn
Fire Extinguishers
Life Jackets
2 or more Big Fenders
Jerry Cans
Oil Change Pump
Cockpit Shade
Bug screens for ports and hatches

If you can find most of this, it will save you thousands. Also make sure the engine is rock solid. Dive down and check the prop. Make sure you cannot wiggle the shaft by hand.


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## archimedes (May 14, 2014)

That PSC 25 is sure pretty. But if you are on a budget, I'd be concerned about a diesel engine on a 38 year old boat. If that engine goes or needs a major overhaul, it will cost more than the value of the boat to fix. 

If an outboard goes you can usually find a replacement fairly easily and relatively cheaply. Not so with a diesel. How would you attach an outboard to the stern of that boat if it came to that?

Whatever you get, I hope it's a great experience for you.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

If you are talking about a boat exclusively for the ditch, I would recommend a power boat instead. There are few places in the ditch to sail and there are some incredibly fuel efficient small motor boats that will give you twice the livable space and half the draft of the equivalent size sailing vessel.
I've found several that get 7 nautical mpg and one that got over 10. They will also go into some pretty skinny water for anchoring at night or even staying inside when all the blow boats have to go outside. And you will get a whole lot more livable boat for the money.
Just saying.
I know, I know, heresy right?


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## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

jwing said:


> I'm making no judgment here, just curious: Why buy a sailboat to slog up the ICW? Seems to me that you'd be buying a bunch of gear that you won't use; why not put that money into the more comfortable accommodations of a trawler or other non-sailing boat?


Good point. There are probably some equally traditional looking trawlers too. Don't know if that's a criteria of the OP, but given that he likes the PC 25, it might be.


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## ebourg (Dec 3, 2015)

There are some youtube presentations by an english guy, he did one in 2012 



 where he used a sailboat that he bought on ebay, and another in 2015 



 on an albin27 (mini trawler). He makes some interesting points regarding the ICW on these very different types of boats. If you are planning on mainly being on the ICW it would be worth spending a bit of time reviewing these two trips before jumping into a purchase. For the readers digest comparison try: 




Good luck!
Ed


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## uncle stinky bob (Feb 28, 2016)

Thats a great post. Very informative. I don't live in that part of the world but enjoyed the videos. I wonder what happened with the OP? I hope he found the "perfect" boat for his needs.


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## archimedes (May 14, 2014)

The OP disappeared and so did the PSC 25. 

Coincidence?


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

Well, I bought the Pacific Seacraft 25 in Jacksonville. I swore to myself I wouldn't buy a boat that needed a lot of work, but this boat needs a lot of work. There are problems with the diesel aux and the seller sold me the idea of fabricating an outboard bracket and using a small outboard as aux power. Others around the marina have told they think this is not workable. 

I made a hasty decision to buy the boat partly because I love the looks and characteristics of her so much. But also I needed a place to live. I thought I'd camp in FL till I found a boat, but all the camp grounds were full because of spring break. Aarrgggg.... didn't count on that. 

I've got a guy from a nearby yard coming to look at the engine, but he's not available till next Friday. 

Anyway, thanks to all who responded to the thread. I am living fairly comfortably on the boat, though she's small inside. I'm in Ortega River Marina and everyone here is really nice... quite a few live-aboards. And I can walk to grocery store, West Marine, restaurants, etc. Nice location. 

Rob


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

Congratulations, Rob! You have been seduced. We often fall for a pretty girl with serious issues. Eventually we manage to work out these issues and are happy ever after. Well, at least that how it works with pretty boats.


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Congrats. Does the engine run? They are pretty simple, air compression and fuel is all you need. Symptoms?

Rob


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## SVAuspicious (Oct 31, 2006)

rbfeeney said:


> There are problems with the diesel aux and the seller sold me the idea of fabricating an outboard bracket and using a small outboard as aux power. Others around the marina have told they think this is not workable.


I would say it is workable but not a good idea at all. Close quarter maneuvering will be more difficult than it needs to be. In any kind of a sea you will have issues with the propeller coming out of the water. You're going to have to deal with gasoline storage which has safety issues. By the time you address all those you're going to spend a lot of money, perhaps as much as a replacement engine. I recommend focusing on getting you current engine running reliably without throwing good money after bad.



rbfeeney said:


> Anyway, thanks to all who responded to the thread. I am living fairly comfortably on the boat, though she's small inside. I'm in Ortega River Marina and everyone here is really nice... quite a few live-aboards. And I can walk to grocery store, West Marine, restaurants, etc. Nice location.


Great. I suggest you spend the week, while waiting for the mechanic in some serious housecleaning. Go through the entire boat and empty every locker and cleaning it. Don't put anything away that is broken or unidentifiable. Get the boat clean and organized. Check expiration dates on all food items left behind. Don't get ahead of yourself buying stuff or the boat will overflow again. In the next few days you may find the boat a bit larger inside.


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

I appreciate you thought about this. I want to sail the coast of Maine, and buying a boat in FL and going up the ICW was a way to while away some time till it's summer there. I've day-sailed but have lots to learn about cruising and living on a boat and the ICW seemed like a way to get some experience and reduce the risk of killing myself. Also I am alone and expect to anchor every night. 

I don't know anything about small power cruisers. What sort of boats were you thinking of?


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

So I replied to one of the posts, about using a power boat instead of sail, but it wasn't clearly linked to the orig comment. Still working out the mechanics of using this web site, and I'm afraid I'm not a quick study in such things.

Well, wow... I sure appreciate all the comments, cautions, recommendations and encouragement. I wish I had taken more time to buy a boat, and checked back here on Sailnet to read your responses in a more timely way. 

I like the suggestion about going over the boat cleaning and organizing while I wait for the dieseel guy. I did this to a large extent, till I got bogged down in a scarily messy larzartte... I will tackle it again. 

Just to make a crazy situation even crazier, check this out: yesterday I was helping an older guy, neighbor here at the marina, go up his mast to replace some rigging. I got talking with him, and he has an Americat 22 catboat that he bought, intending to use it since he is selling his 33' schooner-- the little schooner is beautiful, but just too much boat for him now. He loves the PC 25 I bought, and offered me a straight trade of his cat for the PC 25. We went and looked at the cat-- on a trailer, under cover, in the yard of his house. It looks in pretty nice shape. Orig inboard engine removed and has nice, heavy duty looking brass outboard bracket and a choice of newer Tohatsu 6hp or older Honda 10hp engine. Researched the Americat 22 online and found precious little about it-- mostly just the sailboat data page and one or two for sale. 

I almost jumped at the trade right away, but going to wait and see what the diesel guy says, and be a little more deliberate in my decision making from now on. 

Thanks again to all who are following my saga and commenting-- I really do appreciate it. 

RF


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

Here is your second lesson 

As a sailor on a budget, before I ever call a mechanic, I call my friends at Sailnet, head over to forums, and Youtube for videos devoted to the engine I have on my boat. That method has worked for me 100% of the time over the last 16 or so years. I have paid a rigger on three occasions and that is the only time I ever hired a pro to work on any of my boats.

If you plan on cruising you will probably not be able to afford to call a mechanic to fix things. Why not start learning the process now while you have time on your hands?

So what are the symptoms?


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

hey RobG... I appreciate your gumption and the kick in the pants to get after the engine issues myself. I co-owned a Catalina 27 with two other guys and I did almost all the work on it. But the issues with this boat are a bit more daunting. 

I haven't told the story of the engine because it makes me seem like such an idiot. The seller said the engine over-heated. Then, just as we were about to try starting it, he said it smoked a lot from the front of the engine last time he started it, and wasn't sure what was up with that. At first the engine starter did not go at all, but the seller fiddled with the connections to the control panel and got it to turn over and start. And it did run to but smoked like crazy from the front end of the engine. Then I noticed the flange at the back of the trans wasn't actually bolted to the flange (?) at the end of the prop shaft. I asked the seller this and got more of the story. The engine had been installed and functioning, but the previous owned has pulled it, torn it down and put it back together again and partially re-installed it. That's when the seller could see I was losing hope and suggested the outboard bracket work-around. 

I did sail the boat for the first time today (2nd attempt, but first real sail). We had a favorable wind to get out of my slip, and I arranged to get a slip right on the river to make it easier to sail back in. I've sailed small boats and more modern larger boats... this was my first experience with a full keel boat. Man, things happen really gradually with this boat, and it's true that she needs a pretty decent wind to move. But I was able to sail around some and then get into my new slip under jib only successfully and under control. This was the second attempt to sail.... the first attempt amused the marina residents and humiliated me... I'll spare you (and me) the details. 

I don't expect to pursue the cat boat swap. I was just temporarily seduced by the shiny hull and all that space below. 

RF


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## elliowb (Jun 8, 2015)

rbfeeney said:


> hey RobG... I appreciate your gumption and the kick in the pants to get after the engine issues myself. I co-owned a Catalina 27 with two other guys and I did almost all the work on it. But the issues with this boat are a bit more daunting.
> 
> I haven't told the story of the engine because it makes me seem like such an idiot. The seller said the engine over-heated. Then, just as we were about to try starting it, he said it smoked a lot from the front of the engine last time he started it, and wasn't sure what was up with that. At first the engine starter did not go at all, but the seller fiddled with the connections to the control panel and got it to turn over and start. And it did run to but smoked like crazy from the front end of the engine. Then I noticed the flange at the back of the trans wasn't actually bolted to the flange (?) at the end of the prop shaft. I asked the seller this and got more of the story. The engine had been installed and functioning, but the previous owned has pulled it, torn it down and put it back together again and partially re-installed it. That's when the seller could see I was losing hope and suggested the outboard bracket work-around.
> 
> ...


I hope that the news from the mechanic isn't too bad. Given the price you paid for the boat, and as long as the rest of it is in good condition, seems like the boat will support putting some money into getting the engine back in good working order. Just a quick browse of yachtworld suggests that these boats are probably selling in the teens (presumably with a functional engine).

Of course, that is predicated on having enough funds in the bank. Hopefully whatever repair is needed is something that you might be able to tackle.

I agree with one of the other posters, that you don't want to be in the ICW in a heavy boat like the PS25 with an outboard. Could leave you in a risky position if you met up with any large tows.

At least you can get out for a nice sail. Best of luck with her.


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

Two thoughts:

1. Retaining the inboard diesel is clearly the preferred choice. Hope you can work that out within your budget
2. The Americat 22 is a competent catboat sailor. I sailed against one for many years. Not sure if the build quality is up to PSC standards, but if it passes a rigorous survey and you can go back to an inboard engine that might be an interesting choice. However, you will have to manage a single large sail and if you are a single-hander, you will need to come up to speed on reefing and some of the catboat tricks--like scandalizing. Also, the relatively large catboat cockpit is a liability under heavy weather conditions in open water.

That said, the PSC 25 is probably more seaworthy and would have an advantage with a split sail plan for a single-hander. In either case, I would avoid the outboard motor retrofit.


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## cdy (Nov 10, 2013)

Get yourself and the boat south on the river to Green Cove Springs Marina - do it yourself yard but with lots of knowledgeable people from all over the world.


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## captainmurph (Feb 12, 2009)

Consider a Catalina 25. There's nearly as much room inside as a C27, but swing keel allows skinny water operation safely.

There are quite a few available in the South at modest pricing. This one in Mobile looks interesting: 1987 Catalina sailboat for sale in Alabama

There are lots of them available on sailboatlistings.com and their pricing ranges with most of them in the 3-7K range. Consider one with a pop-top that, when you have the enclosure canvas, makes for a huge interior with standup headroom in the main saloon.

Reliable outboard power makes servicing easy. I'd avoid a bargain older boat with a diesel or Atomic 4. If you are one person living aboard, the C25 will be comfortable and affordable.

Murph

S/V Amalia
1965 Cal 30
Muskegon, MI


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## rbfeeney (Mar 7, 2016)

Thanks to all who provided the new batch of responses. Nice to know the Americat 22 is a good boat, but I'll heed the caution about handling that huge gaff sail. I did consider getting a Catalina 25--- and perhaps should have, but got charmed by the PS25. I may fall back to one if engine seems too costly to get going. 

I have heard of Green Cove Springs and appreciate the recommendation to get down there. 

RF


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## RobGallagher (Aug 22, 2001)

rbfeeney said:


> hey RobG... I appreciate your gumption and the kick in the pants to get after the engine issues myself. I co-owned a Catalina 27 with two other guys and I did almost all the work on it. But the issues with this boat are a bit more daunting.
> 
> I haven't told the story of the engine because it makes me seem like such an idiot. The seller said the engine over-heated. Then, just as we were about to try starting it, he said it smoked a lot from the front of the engine last time he started it, and wasn't sure what was up with that. At first the engine starter did not go at all, but the seller fiddled with the connections to the control panel and got it to turn over and start. And it did run to but smoked like crazy from the front end of the engine. Then I noticed the flange at the back of the trans wasn't actually bolted to the flange (?) at the end of the prop shaft. I asked the seller this and got more of the story. The engine had been installed and functioning, but the previous owned has pulled it, torn it down and put it back together again and partially re-installed it. That's when the seller could see I was losing hope and suggested the outboard bracket work-around.
> 
> ...


So what did the mechanic say?

If you really like the boat, investing a reasonable amount of dough into the engine might ensure you have something reliable. Starting over with another boat means a new set of unknowns.

Rob


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## SV Dayenu (Sep 17, 2016)

Only recently registered after lurking around here for a couple of months. Learning a LOT!

Nutshell:
Look into the Chrysler 26 swing keel for ICW...
Tresa and I are 61, found each other on Match.com 10 years ago, married 5 years ago and are truly each other's best friend!! I found out she had blue water sailing experience AFTER we met! (You be I got on my knees and thanked god! LOL!)
After creating and teaching others how to be self sufficient on a city lot (We grow over 70% of our own food here.) We looked at each other a few weeks ago and talked and discovered that we were'nt happy... We've had our 26 on her trailer sitting untouched for 2 years and wondered whey we hadn't pursued our dream: We live land-locked in Oregon, and purchased the boat so we could trailer her to the San Juans, Sea of Cortez and the ICW. She has 6' standing headroom, a rear berth under the cockpit, enclosed head, anchor locker etc...
We paid $5,000 and she came with more NEW high end equipment than we ever could have dreamed of! New Merc 9.9, Inflatable pdfS, vhf, stereo, alcohol stove NEW main and 6 NEW headsails... The list goes on and on.

I used to live in LA (MER) and always had larger keelboats until I moved up to Oregon. Thought my sailing days were over until I discovered a little SJ21 covered in blackberry bushes. Fixed her up and took the lady I moved up here to be with up to the SJ islands. THAT's when I discovered that the boats I was prepping in MDR to "sail away" would nver take me there, because I couldn't get away to sail forever to get to the cruissing grounds I wanted to explore... And there I was in the San Juans with my tiny trailer boat!
It took me a year to find the largest, legally trailerable boat that didn't cost too much, didn't require a HUGE truck to tow, had standing headroom, LOTS of space, less like a trailer-boat and more like a cruising boat. (I also like the Watkins 25, but chose the Chrysler... actually, the Chrysler found US! We couldn't believe the condition! It was stored for 13 years, covered and in a barn! (New motor, brakes, bearing, tires, batteries etc were added only recently before we bought her.)

Anyway, just thought I'd share... I'm guessing by reading that the OP already found his boat, but like me, who opens up old threads and reads, I thought someone in a similar place, might want another boat to consider.

PS: We do not plan to go offshore... "possibly" (slight chance after finding out what this boat can handle), might consider the run to Bimini, but our primary sailing will be ICW, and Florida/Keys.

Best,
Richard & Tresa


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