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« on: November 01, 2017, 08:02:37 AM »
Ryan,
Most C34's MK1's that I see out there are 30 - 45K range. I have seen a few come up for sale in the 20's and yours at 19 is the lowest I have seen. I agree with the last response. List out the upgrades that you want to make to turn it into a liveaboard and see where your total shakes out. Then decide if it's worth it.
If you think so, and you want the project, you could offer the church $15k contingent on survey. Get the survey. Might be around $500. Not sure where you are but based on how things go you might want to mandate a sea trial as a last step. All this helps to minimize your risk. If they take $15k then you have $15K for upgrades and storage right? Yes it will add up but if you do your own labor it will go a long way.
I got my C34 last year and the survey came in at $25K. I paid quite a bit less. Everything worked and engine had less than 1200 hours. With a bit of elbow grease she cleaned up nicely. I had similar leaks port and starboard that the original owner neglected. They are from the the vent tubes that go up through the stanchions, a common C34 problem that can be fixed by rebedding stanchions. Had original rigging and 20+ year old sails. Also very basic like it came from the factory - no battery charger, inverter, refrigeration, heat\ac, autopilot, windlass, radar, gps, or large battery bank. However, being a day sailor it worked fine for me. Yours being a liveaboard might mean you need or want many of those things. I pulled the trigger because I wanted to sail a C#$ NOW - not in 1.5 years. My thought was that upgrades could come over time, as needed, if ever.
Regarding your math. You say you have $26K now but $30K by end of year. IMO being at $30K almost puts you at striking range for the boats being offered at $35-45K. So if you pass on this one there will likely be another in the next 1.5 years in better, liveaboard condition. What about additional boat fund savings during the next 1.5 years prior to moving aboard? Won't you be able to be adding more $ to your boat fund over that time? Are you figuring that in? If so why not get to $35-40k savings and get an upgraded C34, non project boat? If you don't plan on sailing anyway for the next 1.5 years why not wait and get the C34 that you dreamed of, with much less risk?
I guess it really comes down to assessing your liveaboard needs, seeing what an upgraded C34 similarly equipped would cost you, and then working back to the church boat from there.
Bryan