# 1977 Catalac 9m - will I die?



## blistovmhz (Jun 29, 2012)

1977 Catalac Catamaran Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com
















More picture in link.

The guy is asking $39 CAD right now, though he's apparently 80 some years old so I suspect he's willing to budge, especially as he lives on the island, but to sell it he's paying for a broker, paid to move the boat to Vancouver (city) and is paying moorage.

I took a look today. Some of it seems rough. The hull itself seems to be in acceptable condition. The ribs on the bottom of the bridgedeck seem to have been repaired (all of them) suggesting that the boat suffered some cracking at some point. This was apparently common in the stock Catalacs due to low clearance and the weak airex ribs. I don't know if they were replaced with some other material or not. All I know is there's clearly newer glass over all the ribs. The hull seems thin above water, but super solid below. Everything was bone dry inside. The only thru-hull I could find was in the head and it seemed like it should be replaced. Was corroded pretty bad and I gave it a little shake which didn't inspire a lot of confidence. That said however, it's a cat. I'm not too worried about that one thru-hull failing immediately as at least I won't sink.
The head looks to have been redone (poorly) long ago. The floor seemed very weak to the point I wasn't sure about putting my full weight on it. Heaps of space though to build something better, and 6'5" headroom (everywhere in either hull). The sink foot pump worked fine, though I didn't have time to figure out where the water goes .

The headliner was falling apart all over. Stuck a hand up there and it just seemed real old. Didn't seem like water intrusion. Probably condensation on a 40 yo boat? Either way, i'm not concerned so long as it's not structural.
The settee roof seems a bit low. I can't sit up in it. Wondering if anyone knows if it can be cut out entirely as the pilothouse roof is another 2' up, which'd give me lots of room.

Both engines looked to be in decent condition. One original, and one was replaced at 500mi back in 1984. Engines have 2100 and 2600 h respectively. Didn't have time to hear them run, but the broker said we'll fire them up and take it for a spin if I'm interested.

The electrical looks like it was done by a farmer, on a farmer budget. As there's tonne of room, I don't think the electrical would be a big job. Everything is under the headliner which would come out anyhow.

Rudders seemed .... not stock, but very sturdy. Glass and steel. Don't know enough about it to know if they're rudders or airplanes :/.

Propane stove/oven, and electric icebox in the aft/port side (on the floor). The aft-port cabin has been converted to storage and electrical. The aft-starboard has the weird head.

Interior is pretty clean. No oil in the engine compartments. Aluminum diesel and water tanks. No idea on holding tank. Looks like a chemical toilet, but has a big valve on it that looks to go to another thru-hull.

Mast seems solid, step looks good, no cracking paint on the step. Mast was just put back up as the boat was trucked from Port Alberni to Nanaimo, then motored to Vancouver. Rigging has not been properly tightened. Rigging "shackles?" mostly look good. One needs to be sealed properly, but sounding on deck sounded good.

The deck has a few little cracks in the paint/awlgrip. Again, sounding didn't sound bad, but there were a few spots I'd be a little worried about. There are a few small patches here and there, and the new little cracks all look very recent.

On my way out of the marina, one of the residents (floathome community) approached us (me and the broker) to ***** about the boat owner crashing into every house in the marina while trying to park (strong current).

Furling main and gib. Both look to be acceptable but I don't really know what I'm talking about.

Looking for something for liveaboard. What's everyone think?


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Good liveaboard.

Will you die if you take it offshore? maybe [ and thats definite ] although some have crossed oceans it is really a coastal cruiser.

I am fairly sure the top 'gazebo' is not standard and you should look closely to see how it is attached.


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## SeaQuinn (Jul 31, 2012)

Will you die? Equate this with this example:

You can travel cross country several different ways...Each requires you stay on board day and night....although you can stop and rest on THIS trip
1. A Class A motorhome
2. S Semi Truck with Cab
3. A smaller truck puling a travel trailer
4. A large SUV
5. A small SUV
6. A Car
7. A Motorcycle
8. A Horse
9. On foot

It is sort of that way with different boats and going off shore....you can do it with any of them...but would you want to?


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## blistovmhz (Jun 29, 2012)

The gazebo LOOKS to be standard on all the 9m's I've seen. This one seemed a bit different but it all glassed properly. My main concerns would be with regards to the hull, and then price. I've not seen any other 9m's in person so I don't really know how they're priced. $40k seems a tad steep for it's condition. It'll float, and the engines look pretty clean, but most of the interior needs work, all the electrical needs to be re-done, and it's pretty spartan. No hot water, no pressure water, no shower, no holding tank (afaik).
Anyone with experience in the 9m's?


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## blistovmhz (Jun 29, 2012)

SeaQuinn said:


> Will you die? Equate this with this example:
> 
> You can travel cross country several different ways...Each requires you stay on board day and night....although you can stop and rest on THIS trip
> 1. A Class A motorhome
> ...


Heh. I've crossed the country (Canada) 6 times. Several trips in a semi-truck with a king sleeper, once in a pickup, once (mostly) by motorcycle, and i've probably walked nearly a thousand km of the Trans-Canada highway  I'm pretty much good either way.

The primary reason I want a boat is for the eventuality of zombie apocalypse, and rent in Vancouver is insane. I don't want to buy a house as the more stuff I have, the less I seem to go out and do. I figure a boat is the least restrictive of all mobile possibilities. I need decent cooking facilities as I can't eat at restaurants, Internet as I do all my work online, and I don't have time to sink to the bottom of the ocean.

The interior work is all cake. Rip out the old headliner, throw in some insulation and some mousefur, rip out all the electrical and just install some lighting and a few plugs in the settee. I don't use much in the way of power and 95% of of what I do use, runs USB or 12vDC. Anything that doesn't run on 12V I'd properly convert. All the lighting would be 12vDC widespectrum LED. I probably have no use for 110vAC.

But, at the end of the day, the entire interior needs to be redone. The hull seems to be in okay condition but the deck needs some work. Mast, step, and sails look good (though the sail complement is sparse with a single furling main and single furling gib), and the motors ... probably run. I don't think that's worth quite $40k, but perhaps I'm just off base.


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## SeaQuinn (Jul 31, 2012)

I would keep looking and hope you can get more for your money!


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

That is a little steep for a clapped out 9M. 
But, having said that, i find boat valuation on the west coast to be a little weird. boats worth nothing here are priced at top of market there, and boats that are like gold here are dirt cheap there.

I do like Catalacs as a liveaboard cat. Under $40K they are hard to beat.

How about this one?

http://www.catamaransite.com/catalac_9m_1_catamaran_for_sale.html
It has been for sale for a year or more


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Do a world wide advanced search on yachtworld for Catalac and you will see a few. 

IMHO the top glass work has been raised. 

Value ?? Cats often seem to go for more try to find someone with access to soldboats.com but it does seem a lot


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## blistovmhz (Jun 29, 2012)

bljones said:


> That is a little steep for a clapped out 9M.
> But, having said that, i find boat valuation on the west coast to be a little weird. boats worth nothing here are priced at top of market there, and boats that are like gold here are dirt cheap there.
> 
> I do like Catalacs as a liveaboard cat. Under $40K they are hard to beat.
> ...


Been considering going to have a look at this one as well. I suppose my issue now is that some people say they're acceptable for blue water (with some work) while others say not a chance, which is why I've been staying away from the Gemini 3400 that comes with a new Ford F450 SuperDuty, custom trailer, and the boat (in immaculate condition) for $75k.


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## WDS123 (Apr 2, 2011)

You need to ask Dimitri Orlov a live aboard doomsteader in Boston with a doomer weblog


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

It would work quite well here in the salish sea area for cruising etc.

And YES, you will die someday, life is a terminal disease! the question will be, what will you die from, why etc. In the mean time, enjoy your time here!

marty


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