# Mason 43 for under $40,000!



## beebopbogo (Feb 12, 2010)

I've been shopping around for a good blue-water sailboat for about a year now and this Mason 43 just popped onto my radar for around $30-40k. My buddy was talking with his neighbor at the docks who said the owner is done with the boat and just wants to get rid of it. It has sat at the slip for 4 years straight without a single person setting foot on it. He's sick and doesn't want to show the boat, he doesn't want to deal with it, and just wants it gone. It sounds like it could be an amazing deal, but I'm currently deployed and have to trust my friend (owner and sailor of his Catalina 40) to be my eyes and ears for me.

4 years ago, the boat showed up in the slip next to my friend's in perfect condition. Shiny teak, new rigging, freshly painted hull, and new engine. Then it was never touched since. In fact, the new engine hasn't even been hooked up yet. My friend just did a walk-through and he says it is now covered in dirt, one of the interior ports was open, some water got in, and the engine is half sitting in water. I'm not sure if the water is fresh or salt, but he's going to look at it again tomorrow. This boat will probably sell very quickly, being such an amazing deal. 

So, any recommendations? It almost seems a no-brainer. Even if I find some horrible problems, I could still put another $60,000 into it and be sailing my $150,000 dream boat around the world. I guess my question is, what could possibly be the worst case scenario if I buy this boat? What could make me regret buying it?

Thanks all!


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

Could be a great deal but the survey will tell you what is left after 4 years of neglect.
Depending on where you are, frost damage may have taken out the engine.
If the engine is damaged, electric is damaged, plumbing was never dealt with, cushions need replacing, sails rat eaten, running rigging gone the asking price may be just about right.

It is real simple.
Start going through the boat system by system and count up what is wrong and put a price on it.
Double that number and it will probably only cost you twice that to put it in good condition.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Mason 43/ 44 is the top boat I am looking for as my last boat. Not looking for a fixer upper though. They are very well made.

dave


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

If your buddy has a decent "eye" and says do it, put in an offer subject to survey and get a pro to look at it. A lot can go wrong in 4 years but it could also be a once in a lifetime deal.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

Now there are exceptions, but the old adage if it is too good to be true, it likely is. I doubt it will sell that fast. The thing is most people will not spend 30 to 40 thousand on a project boat, they will risk a few thousand, but not 40,000 for a project boat. Granted the payoff in the end could be high. They look to be asking around $100,000 on yachtworld (asking not selling) so figure you can get 70-75 for it after your done if up to good standards. I could see a 43 foot abandoned boat needing well over 40,000 in work, especially if it has taken on water over the engine. That is a lot of teak that would need to be replaced not to mention the engine. Upholstery could be several thousand in materials alone. I have heard of folks spending 4,000 or more on cushions for a 30 foot boat. The motor for that boat will be at least $10,000 just for the motor, not including install.

So be careful, it could be a bottomless pit and if your not going to do your own work, run! If you do your own work you might get lucky and break even. Of course boats are not a good investment anyway.

Look at this one for $100,000 looks good and he says he will take offers
Mason 43 For Sale - Simplicity
I have not seen it, but makes you pause before getting involved in a project.


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

Tell us where the boat is located. Some of us will take a look at her and render an opinion or two about the condition.


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## canucksailorguy (Mar 2, 2006)

Been there, done that - 
My boat (1975 Dufour 34) sat on the hard for 7 years waiting for a buyer. When I first saw her, there was water to the level of the floorboards and it had clearly, at some point, been higher. Fortunately, the floorboards and upholstery had been removed, so they were fine. The sails were in good shape with a new main, all stored off the boat.
The engine was toast though, since it had been at least a quarter immersed in water. Since it was a donation boat, I paid very (VERY!) little for it, and even now, do not have $25k into it - that's with a very lightly used new engine, hull repaint, bimini/dodger, new electronics, new stove (original was removed)...so on and on....all the work done by myself, quality secondhand equipment purchased when/where feasible.
Since then, this boat has done three trips to the Great Lakes, three to the Bahamas, two to Cuba, and 20 up and down the US east coast, for over 30k miles. It's been a good deal in other words.
The key here when buying a boat that has suffered neglect is that the boat is a quality boat. That means its components will hold up better and not so much need replacement as refurbishing. If you do the work yourself (I did), it can save you a fortune (which I didn't/don't have) and you'll know your boat intimately, for those times in harbours where you're a long way from the nearest marine tradesman.
The owner of this Mason is asking $40k, which seems like a good price, but it's asking so you could do better. If you're going to do the work yourself, it's worth it. If not - I'd take a look at Simplicity, posted above.


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## TomandKarens34 (Dec 4, 2007)

Simplicity hasn't sold for two years because of the life expectancy of her equipment. She has over 5000 hours on her engine and the balance of her is nearing the end of service. While the woodwork on a Mason is mind boggling, so is ripping it out to get to chain plates and such. Masons have issues with the shower leaking and doing tons of damage. Iron fuel tanks are not easily removed and replaced. There are a host of issues with older Masons similar to the other Asian cruisers. Go to the Mason owner's site and check out the posts. Many have dropped $50,000 fixing the tired systems. What you don't spend up front you will spend later. Overhauling a 43 foot boat is a mind numbing job. I've overhauled two boats and I'm about out of patience with the work. I've lost 5 years of sailing doing maintenance and in the final analysis, I would have done better not to have spent the time. I can make money. I cannot make time.


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## canucksailorguy (Mar 2, 2006)

No question that's a valid response regarding the work involved in renewing a boat. In my case, I've never brought the boat back to 'new' - instead, I brought it back to serviceable, and have worked on it while underway.
This of course leads to new adventures and friends when things break down or need replacing, usually in awkward and hard to work from locations - but I don't consider the time spent, for example, replacing my engine in Belhaven NC, to have been lost time. I've made great friends and discovered some wonderful places. You just have to have a Gold Boat US package and be able to handle the shame of being towed in occasionally.


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## TomandKarens34 (Dec 4, 2007)

Thinking about it, the Masons have teak decks. They fail at around 30 years. There's $10,000 right there. That's if there is not major core damage. Core replacement will about double that figure. Figure a year of your time to repair just that, if you DIY. A beta marine diesel is $14800 for the 60 HP. model and you're just starting. Woodwork, fuel tanks, standing and running rigging, and the other items mentioned by the other posters. Under 40 might be no bargain.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

I actually have been up to Newberryport Mass to look at this boat Simplicity, The issues with this boat were the deck, the engine and the overall condtion of the boat. 

Replacing or taking out a teak deck and not replacing it with more teak would not deter me from buying a well made boat like this. I do know what that costs so do not rail on and on about that. Replacing the engine would also not deter me from buying this boat. Replacing its engine is actually easy and straightforward as its under the sole. I also know what a replacement engine costs, so no need to rail onabout that either. The fuel tanks are not hard to replace either. If this boat was priced correctly comenserate with the work that needed to be done I would have boaught it. In fact I had put an offer on it, but the owner and I could not agree on a price. This boat is far from a project boat, but you would want to spend about $40,000 in upgrades to engi8ne, deck and electronics.

I would actually rather do that to this excelaantly made boat with another 40 years left in her than suffer with a plastic modern boat which is newer. Isnt that always the tradeoff for those of us who see the beauty in the older designed boats anyway.

This in no way is meant to disparage someone who would choose the opposite. Its different strokes for different folks. To me the beauty and integrity of these Mason under sail is what floats my boat. ( But at the correct price)

Dave


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

TomandKarens34 said:


> Simplicity hasn't sold for two years because of the life expectancy of her equipment. She has over 5000 hours on her engine and the balance of her is nearing the end of service. While the woodwork on a Mason is mind boggling, so is ripping it out to get to chain plates and such. Masons have issues with the shower leaking and doing tons of damage. Iron fuel tanks are not easily removed and replaced. There are a host of issues with older Masons similar to the other Asian cruisers. Go to the Mason owner's site and check out the posts. Many have dropped $50,000 fixing the tired systems. What you don't spend up front you will spend later. Overhauling a 43 foot boat is a mind numbing job. I've overhauled two boats and I'm about out of patience with the work. I've lost 5 years of sailing doing maintenance and in the final analysis, I would have done better not to have spent the time. I can make money. I cannot make time.


I see a lot of boats that sit not selling for years and years. Then others sell quickly. It seems to make no sense at all in some cases, in others the reason is obvious. (both in the selling and in the not selling)

I like that "I can make money. I cannot make time." Very valid, unless you are a tinkerer by nature. Then the project is the fun, look at the people who spend years restoring a boat and once done sell it.


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## canucksailorguy (Mar 2, 2006)

If you're going to seriously cruise a boat, you're going to have to fix it at some point - and that means having those skills, since there are many locations where those skills simply are not available. Sure you can make money, but money doesn't count when there's no one to spend it with. In Cuba, for example, I couldn't pay a local to fix my outboard, at least not with cash. I ended up giving him 10 pounds of dog kibble for his wife's dog (dog food is not available in Cuba) and a bunch of old parts laying around the boat that had value to him.
A good argument can be made that the serious cruiser *should* purchase an older boat and fix it him/herself and learn how it's done, in a place where supplies (and help!) are available. And if you're going to do that, then purchasing a well built boat rather than a plastic clorox bottle is the way to go.


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## SloopJonB (Jun 6, 2011)

miatapaul said:


> if your not going to do your own work, run! If you do your own work you might get lucky and break even.


Good point - I tend to assume people know that. Unless you have virtually bottomless pockets you CANNOT pay someone else to restore a project boat, it simply costs too much.


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## canucksailorguy (Mar 2, 2006)

> If you do your own work you might get lucky and break even.


Actually, it's not so much the break even thing that counts, but that you'll end up with a boat you can call your own for more than having just spent money on it. You've put your blood, sweat and tears (thank you Winston) into it, and it's truly _your_ boat.
I have to tell you, when Yannie rumbles to life and purrs along contentedly, when I raise the sails and see that patch - not so pretty, but solid - when I look back and see the light reflecting off the paint job I laboured for so long to do....I get a feeling of pride in my vessel that ordinary money simply cannot buy.


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