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Bought my first boat!

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Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/11/2006 : 16:02:02

This past Saturday I bought my first boat

. I've been looking at sailboat classifieds pretty much daily since last spring, but originally wasn't all that serious. Yes, I wanted a boat, but couldn’t exactly afford it at that time. I went sailing several times over the summer with other people and at a club. In September, I started getting more serious about buying and looked at several boats. I decided to hold out on buying because in October I went on a trip to San Diego and was seriously considering moving out there all the way from northern VA. After months of contemplating whether to move across the country or not I finally made a decision last week. Major reasons are because of family and friends being here and the whole job relocation difficulties, but then I also found pretty much the perfect boat. For just a little more than it costs to relocate across the country, I decided to use that money towards buying a nice boat here.

When I first found my Catalina on the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's website, I figured I'd just email them to get more info and pictures, but didn't think I'd be buying anytime soon. The museum sent me pictures and more details and it just sounded too good to pass up. I did a lot of research online on the Catalina 25 and that is how I came across this great website. After a week of reading the forums and printing out the buying /appraising guides I decided to go check it out. I drove a couple hours to the museum and took a thorough look at it and took lots of pictures with my digital camera. The following week, I researched more, analyzed my photos to see what I may have missed or to verify features. I then made an offer and purchased it last Saturday. I got an excellent deal ($3750) and before I made the offer, I checked listings nationwide to see what they are going for. I didn't see any in this condition or with as many features even close to what I paid. I thoroughly researched my decision and don't regret it one bit. It is a childhood dream of mine come true.

The boat was freshly painted on the bottom in November and the navy blue hull looks great (that's what really caught my eye). It has a Honda 15hp outboard, VHF radio, compass, knot/depth meter (a high end model, forgot the name though), 150% genoa roller furling, 2 batteries, cushions in great shape just need a cleaning (includes cockpit cushions), spinnaker pole, and some miscellaneous other things. It’s a swing keel, has the dinette layout (although needs a new table), and I have a feeling it is a standard rig because it has over 6’ of clearance under the boom right now, but I will have to measure it sometime. The boat was named “Whisper” by the previous owner and I may keep that. It is currently in St. Michael’s, MD and I will be moving it to Mayo, MD in a couple months.

I spent all of last weekend with one of my younger brothers cleaning/scrubbing the interior and it’s looking great. Pretty much all I need to do now is refinish the teak, fix the bow navigation lights, clean the sails, and get a ~6” tear in the genoa repaired. After researching the archives, I think I’m going to use Light Cetol on the exterior teak and try the Howard’s Restor-A-Finish on the interior. I searched on cleaning the sails, but couldn’t find much information. Anyone have some recommendations? I plan to add a bimini (read most of the threads), stereo system, handheld GPS (have my Garmin runner’s GPS for now), and I will most likely make a new table since the original is delaminating. Anyone have recommendations on making or buying a new table?

Well, this was a longer intro than I thought, but I am so glad to have found this website. You all were very helpful with all the information I found here. I am really looking forward to sailing on the Chesapeake Bay this season!

Here are some pictures:

-Justin

Justin
Previous Owner of Sapphire Breeze - 1982 Catalina 25 SK/SR
My sail blog site: https://reveriesailing.com/

Edited by - Justin on 01/11/2006 16:08:08

danandlu
Navigator

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USA
175 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 16:11:36

Welcome and congratulations on your new boat. She's a beauty!

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 16:24:55

Good job Justin. Welcome to the board. I bought my boat in November of 2005 and in the last two months, everyone here has just been great. They are very helpful and knowledgable. Nice boat. Cheers.

Edited by - on

familysailor
1st Mate

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USA
38 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 16:28:34

Howdy Justin,

Welcome to the group of satisfied Catalina owners. It looks like you made a good purchase and, based on my experience, you will not be disappointed.

This list is a great resource. I recommend that you search the archives for answers to your questions and then ask about anything you can't find a satisfactory answer for. Of course you can also ask initially and you will find the group very accommodating and informative. There is a lot of knowledge (and a lot of opinion also

) on this site.

I used Cetol on my teak and have been very happy with it. My teak was quite weathered so I sanded it down and applied three coats of Cetol to it last winter. It still looks great. My personal recommendation on the bow navigation lights is to scrap the old in hull units if you have them and replace them with the Catalina Direct unit that mounts on the bow pulpit. You can run the wiring from the anchor locker through the pulpit and to the light so it is a clean installation. I am in the process of changing mine since I have had continuous problems with the old units. I told you there was a lot of opinion on this site

.

Again, welcome to the club. I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of you boat. She looks great.

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 16:34:18

"My personal recommendation on the bow navigation lights is to scrap the old in hull units if you have them and replace them with the Catalina Direct unit that mounts on the bow pulpit."

Did you leave the original lights in the hull? I just need to check my wiring. One bulb was broken and the other seemed to have an intact filament, but I'm going to check to see if there is any voltage in the leads. The lenses are faded too, so I'll be replacing them.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 16:43:07

Congratulations Justin!...Welcome to both the fleet and the forum!

Your boat sure looks like a winner.

Let the fun begin!

Edited by - on

RickStevens
1st Mate

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USA
62 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 17:16:06

Justin,

She's beautiful, and you got a great deal on her. Welcome aboard!

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 17:31:12

Wow sounds like you got yourself a heck of a steal. oops, I mean deal! Welcome aboard Justin. (I like that blue hull)

Edited by - Tom Potter on 01/11/2006 17:32:11

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3468 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 18:44:46

Justin,

Congratulations ! I think we are in similar areas if you still live in Northern Virginia. I bought my boat on the Potomac and decided to keep it there at least for now. Relocating the boat to the Chesapeake is tempting but too far a drive for me and believe that would probably result in less frequent use of my boat. Anyway, sounds like you got a great deal. Even after you clean it up and put a bit of dough into it, I don't think many good come away with as sweet a deal as yours. Happy sailing !

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 19:13:37

Congratulations, you bought a great starter boat. I was looking at that very boat online just last week. I thought the blue hull was a rarity. Do you know if its original?

I made a new table a few years back, we shortened ours (we have the traditional interior which equates to a booth.) If you have the same type of interior its not that hard to make. We bought the same thickness oak plywood and got some teak c molding for the exterior.

We did shorten ours to the edge of the setees, as the original stuck out a few feet. 2 things to keep in mind with this type of interior. 1 - the edge running along the hull is not square to the sides it bends with the boat. 2. make sure to add room for the molding when you make your cuts.

Duane

Edited by - Champipple on 01/11/2006 19:19:57

dblitz
Navigator

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240 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 19:28:14

Justin:
That boat of yours looks beautiful. I'm glad I'm not the only one going out to my boat at all hours just to stand there and smile.
To top it all off you southern guys actually (from the looks of it) get to float (sail?) on yours in JANUARY.
I bought my 86 FK mid Dec 05 and can only dream until April, I guess.
Anyway, good luck!

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 19:31:50

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Justin4192
 "My personal recommendation on the bow navigation lights is to scrap the old in hull units if you have them and replace them with the Catalina Direct unit that mounts on the bow pulpit."

Did you leave the original lights in the hull? I just need to check my wiring. One bulb was broken and the other seemed to have an intact filament, but I'm going to check to see if there is any voltage in the leads. The lenses are faded too, so I'll be replacing them.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, clip the wires and leave them in place. The aren't even considered up to code if the boat were to be made today.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 20:13:17

DUANE! You have a Dinette not a traditional.
I replaced the lenses on my in-hull lights on my 82. I used some foam weather stripping and made them waterproof, they never gave me any trouble in the 18 months I had her. It is great to hear how excited you are, (you should be), get a great stereo and an ipod.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 22:08:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 DUANE! You have a Dinette not a traditional.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I was a little confused about what he was describing, too. Duane's sounds like a dinette.

Great buy, Justin! If you bought without a survey (I can't fault that at the price), I'll still recommend investing a few boat units on a survey--you'll learn about any priority issues, and you'll get a good to-do list from a pro. It's best to be there when it's done and ask lotsa questions. (I found that having lurked on this site for a year before buying, I knew some things about the C-25 that the surveyor didn't know, but the money was still well-spent.)

When you build a new dinette table, Catalina Direct has some mounting hardware that appears to a good addition to Catalina's original stuff, which likes to let go when you lean on the corner of the table. You could make the table out of a laminate or a veneered plywood (even teak, but luan is adequate)--either way, I'd add some teak edge molding for appearance and as a "fiddle" to hold things on the table. You can buy curved pieces to fit rounded corners.

Congratulations! ...and keep in touch here as you go along.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/11/2006 23:46:49

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 22:44:14

Congratulations on finding the Cat 25 and this Forum and all the great people who will share their experiences of the boat and how they use it. The people who you meet here will make the boat safer and more enjoyable. Glad your aboard.

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 01/11/2006 : 23:13:10

Ahoy “Whisper”. I like the name. Cool colors too! Welcome aboard. Believe me, the fondness you feel for her will grow as you and your boat become more aquainted.

Edited by - on

Don B
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 08:46:11

Congratulations Justin...beautiful boat! When you're away from her, you will:
- miss her
- daydream of her
- worry about her
- run to her (even late in the evening)
- make excuses to see her
- run useless errands just to go by and see her
- have difficulty trying to explain to non-sailors about the great sail you had over the weekend.
- have her picture as your computer wallpaper
- buy the movie "Captain Ron" and watch it once a week

You think I'm kidding? I've had Mighty M for over a year and I still do all of the above.

Oh, and you'll visit this site everyday. Priceless information from a great group.

Let the fun begin.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 09:09:02

Hi Justin,

Great looking boat, hope you have many many many enjoyable sails on her. And the price! What can I say, I paid more to replace my keel than you paid for an entire boat. consider that one gigantic pat on the back.

One piece of advice, pay particular attention to maintaining the swing keel.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT 3 3936

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 09:19:37

And Dan is right. I'm still doing the same thing some fifteen years later. Which makes me mindful of the good ship FIONA. The boat used to be called IONA, and everytime Eric was leaving the house his wife would always ask,"where to Eric", and "he'd reply going to check on Iona". After years of this kind of thing she would respond, "that F---ing Iona again", at which point Eric renamed her Fiona. True story honest.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT # 3936

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 09:48:19

Thanks for all the welcomes and compliments. I’ll try to respond to most of the questions and comments below:

Larry,
I read your posts about sailing on the Potomac and your website before I bought my boat. I’ve sailed with DC Sail and SCOW several times on the Potomac. I would love the convenience of having my boat closer there, but with higher slip fees, very long waiting lists, and a more restrictive sailing area, I’ve decided to keep my boat on the bay for now. I found a slip in Mayo, MD for $1300 a year which is cheap since most slips I found start closer to $1800 and go well above $2000. Each time I’ve driven to Mayo (68 miles from home); it’s taken about 1 hour 15 minutes. I won’t be able to see my boat after work any day of the week, but I’m going to try to spend as many weekends as possible and maybe some Friday evenings. I just sent my slip deposit today, so I’ll be enjoying the ability to explore and cruise the bay this season.

Duane,
The hull was originally brown and the only brown that remains is the UV protected cover around the edges of the genoa. I wish that was navy blue to match, but oh well, it was such a deal. So you found Whisper online as well? I sure am glad I bought it last weekend because I talked with the museum seller a couple days ago and he said he has had several emails asking about it right after I bought it. Thanks for the tips on the table top. I’m going to look into my options. I finished my own furniture in my apartment (coffee and end tables), so I have an idea of what to do. You mention the navigation lights aren’t up to code, why is that?

Dblitz,
Yeah that first photo is from the day I bought it. I meant to get photos earlier during daylight, but I was just having too much fun cleaning it up and checking it all out. I was out there until about 6pm and then the following day from about 11am-6pm as well and pretty much finished scrubbing down the interior. I’m going to keep it in the water this winter (already half over anyways) and next winter I may block it up so I can do some keel maintenance.

Dave,
I thought about the survey, but figured I’d go ahead and buy the boat. I’m not that experienced, but with the research I did online and the appraisal guide here, I looked over almost everything. I check to see what kind of spreader sockets it has since there was the recall and it does have the stainless steel sockets. Having a professional look over the boat would be good and I may do it sometime. Thanks for the other dinette tips.

Another question to everyone… thinking about the survey had me reminded me that my younger brother found a tiny crack in the fiberglass that is dripping water very slowly. It is under the cockpit in the rear berth ceiling/wall and you can barely see it. Mostly you just see a small drip of water, then you can wipe the drip away and it reappears. Is this anything I should be concerned about? I’ve heard of the plywood of the cockpit flooring sometimes rotting. Is that encased into the fiberglass of the cockpit floor with a small gap still remaining between the cockpit floor and the interior cabin ceiling fiberglass? Also, what is the recommend method to stop the dripping? Just put a dab of sealant on the spot? Here is a photo and I’m estimating where I recall the dripping to occur:

Thanks for the help,

Edited by - Justin on 01/12/2006 10:21:34

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 10:16:16

Don,
Yeah, I know what you mean. I am already doing some of those. I was like that when I bought my car several years ago, now my first boat is the same way. I like photography, although I’m definitely no professional, but I like to take nice photos and I’m sure I’m going to try to take many of my Whisper. I don’t really have any nice or artistic photos yet, but I already put one on my desktops backgrounds.

Val,
That’s funny, your story of changing the name. I don’t have to worry about that yet or anytime soon since I’m a young single guy.

I will most likely be checking this site out daily, just like I often do with my car’s forum. I have a Pontiac Vibe GT, love the car and it has proved it’s usefulness with my purchase of Whisper as I take all the cushions and sails home. It has tons of space inside for carrying cargo and people. Plus I’m getting over 30 mpg on my long drives to and from the boat.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 12:19:01

Justin... I'm not sure about that drip--there is a plywood core between the cockpit sole and the inner liner overhead in the quarterberth. If moisture is in that core, the leak inside would be a little lower than your arrow.

This is, however, an example of what a surveyor can do for you. He'll use a moisture meter to detect problems in the deck, cabintop, and cockpit sole. He'll also use a little hammer to check for signs of delamination, and he'll put a professional eye to your standing rigging, chainplates, keel mechanisms, and other critical items. One could say it'd be overkill on a $3000 boat, but I'd say the money you saved makes the investment in peace-of-mind even easier for you. Some insurers require a current survey--even for just liability coverage. (I guess they don't want the mast coming down on the passengers' heads.)

And as I'm sure you've concluded from the discussions here about swing keels, be sure to at least do the keel maintenance while she's on the hard.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/12/2006 12:21:09

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 12:35:13

Justin,
Lets talk about your crack. If you really have a crack there it is a bad thing. There is no way to crack that area except through water intrusion and freezing. Understand the construction method of the Catalina involves a complete liner, therefore the crack is in the liner and could not have occured from weight in the cockpit. The classic place for a leak is where the scuppers exit the transom. There are two brass tubes which must seal to the inside and outside of the transom or else water can get into the boat. I have seen water come in there and run along the top of the quarterberth overhead and drip onto the cushions below. I hope that the water is doing that. If I were you I would look for a trail, if it is not there them I would take a small bit and drill about 1/4" into the "crack" and see if a lot more water comes out. If it does then you need to check for cockpit sole mushiness. If there is none I would go into bakeout mode and put some heat in the quaterberth to drive the mosture out, (I would probably drill some more holes trying to find the extend of the puddle). It would be interesting to take a shop vac and see if you can suck any standing water out of the drip hole to speed up the drying. In fact it would be interesting to suck from ther center area and let air feed in from the perimeter and see if you can force dry it that way, (don't blow). I would still expect the culprit to be the scuppers and would re-seal them. If you have a mushy cockpit sole then you need to do something much more unpleasant and I will let others speak to that after you determine your issue.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3468 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 12:36:18

Justin,

You are right about the slip costs. $1300 is excellent for around our area. Just for reference, here's some info at various places on the Potomac:

1) I am at James Creek Marina. Last owner kept his boat there and so I, at least for now, am staying there. My 6 months ends end of March and I plan to sign up for a year. This placed is well managed, has security gates for all piers, docks are in great shape, has a gas dock but no lift to take boats out, no storage. It is also tucked between Ft McNair Army Base on one side and the Coast Guard Headquarters on the other. There is usually always someone down on the boats. marina has flow pumps so docks do not freeze in winter. Cost....I am paying a whopping $2500/yr. This could be cheaper but they mostly have 30-32 ft docks. Only a few smaller ones and the marina persuades a boat owner like me that the boat is too big for a 25 foot slip which are all taken anyway.

2) I was on the Wait List for the Washington Sailing Marina which is just south of Reagan Natl Airport. My name came up but I withdrew it and decided for now to stay at James Creek. main reason is that the Sailing Marina has a very narrow long channel to get to it. My motor has been finicky and I cannot take a chance with that marina if my motor konks out or i will be grounded in 1 ft of water. James creek has a long outside dock and a wide enough channel to tack to if need be. The Sailing Marina has many 25 ft slips and indicates a 25 ft sailboat is fine for a 25 ft slip. The wait list on the 25 ft slips is less than for the others - It was approx 6 months til my name came up. The Sailing marina also has Security Gates to get on the piers. It is a little more dead at night at this marina but otherwise seems okay. They have a brand new travel lift and a pressure wash special for $75 on Tuesdays. The cost for a 25 ft slip is around $1900.

3) if you are a military civilian, a friend tells me that Quantico Marine Base down further on the Potomac has slips available and more resonable than up North like where I am. I may check them out eventually but then I have once again a longer time to get to the boat. Quantico , though, is located at a very wide section of the Potomac - better for sailing. So...as you know there are tradeoffs to consider.

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 14:22:58

Dave,
I’ll take a closer look at the leak probably this weekend. I’ll also think about having a surveyor inspect the boat. My insurance didn’t require the survey and I have full coverage.

Frank,
I don’t recall there being a trail of water dripping, but that would be a relief. If I remember correctly, the crack was “C” shaped and about ¼” in diameter. I don’t remember the cockpit sole being soft at all, but I’ll check again. I read a thread on here about someone who had to replace their cockpit sole and how much work and money it cost. I sure hope I don’t have that problem.

Larry,
I know exactly where your marina is located. I actually went there when I was first trying to find DC Sail which is right on the other end of the street of your marina. I remember sailing with SCOW at the Washington Sailing Marina and how we had to follow the narrow channel quite a ways. My dad is retired army, so I’ve been to Quantico, but I’ve lost my military benefits now that I’m on my own. How long does it take you to sail your boat to some good sailing parts of the Potomac? That is another downside I thought about, but I don’t know how long that time is.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2006 : 15:18:31

Justin,

Yeah, that leak could indicate trouble far beyond the minor annoyance of the drip itself. Don't seal it up from below -- that just hides the symptom of the underlying problem. If water is dripping into the boat from the bottom of the cockpit, it means the same water could be rotting the plywood core of the cockpit sole. Look for leaks around the cockpit scuppers, or a leak in the exterior surface of the cockpit sole. If you don't find anything there, look uphill for some way for rain to be getting in there.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

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