Boat Buying Suggestions/Opinions/Advice

[mrickb]

I've been looking for about an '89-> Sedan Cruiser. I've budgeted 40K but would like to keep it in the 30-35 range. I had primarily been looking at Carver and Silverton boats but after all I've read about them I was about to give up on the idea of a boat altogether. I didn't think I could afford a Bertram or Hatteras or a Viking. And then today I ran across this boat and it was absolutely love at first sight (although I haven't seen it in person). I love the way it looks in the water. I've seen the word "timeless" on here and to me, it fits this boat to a tee. This boat just looks strong and stylish. I've been reading all day long and through 5 pages of posts on here and I'm encouraged. I've owned 2 boats (17 and 19ft) in the past but will be the first to admit I'm a boating green horn. I have described to friends what I'm looking for as something that is livable (for 1) for a week or two at a time and something that is as much a place to get away to as it is a thing to go and do. I will be using the boat only on a large lake. Given my budget, the price seems right (after a little negotiation) and, as I said, so far I'm loving what I see. I'm not a huge fisherman but I love the open cockpit/sportfisher design, the salon seems plenty roomy and for my purposes, power and speed don’t seem to be an issue. I'd love to hear some thoughts from some of you experienced (Trojan) boaters...on anything and everything. Any input on what I should look for in a Trojan this age (1974) that would send up a red (or yellow) flag would be appreciated. Thanks for reading! Rick
Photos Here

[prowlersfish]

Looks nice but if your going to live on it for a week or two I would look at other F32 trojans that have a salon.( the one in the photo I would not call a salon) also look at the F36 many are about your price range but there are many below also .
Paul

[JuiceClark]

Rick,
We've all been through the learning curve on boats. My first was a 28 foot Carver...what a piece of crap it was. The entire flybridge worked its way loose one time and the flybridge started sagging onto the salon!

I don't know if you're on a lake or saltwater. But I bought a Trojan after learning a lot from a few disasters. My advice is to buy a boat, Trojan or other, with the following:

--a solid fiberglass hull...not cored with balsa or anything else
--either good wiring or pay to have it rewired...most important
--twin engines for safety and they're easier to dock (old salts & mechanics are fine with a single screw)
--don't buy a I/O, if you bump something it costs many thousands to fix
--wider at the stern is better...otherwise little ripples make the boat tippy when you're trying to sleep.
--good electronics are expensive and really useful, try to get them with the boat
--Lastly, don't buy a "bubble boat." When the bow area is anything other than flat, it's really easy to slip and break your ass when you're dealing with the anchor or fishing

Hope that helps...good luck!

Oh yeah, and read http://www.yachtsurvey.com to learn all kinds of stuff

[Peter]

Beautiful boat, certainly can understand why you would be hooked. However, take a deep breath.
1] firstly, this particular design is better for spending a weekend, than spending a week. Although you have a nice dinette, and galley, if you want to spend week at a time, you really need a salon to retire to. In addition, if you do go for the boat, make sure it has a nice camper type of canvas, to get away from the elements, and to protect the cockpit sole. If it does not come with a nice set of canvas, expect to pay between $4000 and $7,000 , to manufacture one [depending on bells and whistles].
2] the beautiful teak cockpit sole is teak veneered marine plywood. This boat is at the age, where it should be starting to get some soft spots, so inspect this carefully. Crawl all around and under, and with a sharp object poke at all this seams, and especially where the flooring meets the transom. You should be able to protect the teak, underneath, using one of the penetrating epoxy products, but this will only go so far, before this needs to be replaced [another reason for good camper canvas, to keep this as dry as you can].
3] on the up side, this really is a classic design, has a solid fiberglass hull which is basically bomb proof, has a beautiful nautical feel, however the decking is cored with balsa, and can delaminate.
4] for the money you have it to spend, you should be able to find a fine, solid vessel. Don't buy on impulse, there are many many boats for sale, including Trojans. These are well-built, and an excellent value keeping in mind the limitations above.
5] do your homework, happy motoring.

[mrickb]

Thanks for the fast feedback. I'm not really one to buy on impulse so I'm looking forward to researching all of the points raised thus far. I thought I might mention a few things about this boat that sound great to me, but might raise flags for you more experienced guys and give me a heads up on more things to look for. This all comes from the sale ad: Twin 255 HP Mercruisers (Ford 351 V-8)...New right engine 10/5/05...(interior) re-upholstered in Subrella fabric in 2002...new SS hardwar, new gauges, newer control stations...Newer Icom VHF radio and antenna. These are the items noted as new or replaced. A couple of things I'd like to already say thanks for that could well save me many thousands of dollars. "Don't buy an I/O". I had already been told to absolutely and only buy an I/O (by a seller with an I/O, of course) as they were so much easier to navigate in tight spots. I was never married to the idea of an I/O but it hadn't occurred to me that a slight bump in boat of this size and weight could devistate a stern drive! I liked the openess of the cockpit on this boat and as I've read, and assumed, more time would be spent on deck than below. Not having the salon enclosure didn't seem to be a big deal to me since if it didn't already have a good canvas to enclose the cockpit, I could get one. But $4-$7000??? I guess my eyes were wide shut! I'm off to do some reading! Thanks again. All input still much appreciated.

[mrickb]

Good, bad, for what it's worth, the boat is listed at $21,000.

[JuiceClark]

I'm going to save all those suggestion on my hard drive for the next guy I see looking to buy something!

By the way, I forgot one thing. It costs as much to fix-up a 29 footer as it does a 39 footer (well almost). So, buy enough boat in the first place so you don't have to do it again when you decide the boat is 3 feet too short! I wish I would have bought my F-36 before I wasted a buncha money on my last two boats.

I wonder how much this guy will take for this boat:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/36-Troja ... 5882QQrdZ1

[willietrojan]

I currently have a F32 1975, with the same engines, which I just upgraded the ignition to electronic, they run great now. The biggest thing to look out for is soft decks which Peter said in his posting. But given your experience I would recommend you hire a surveyor and get a pre- purchase survey before you buy.

[prowlersfish]

good price and I think the canvis price is a litle high . I would hire a surveyor and go from there .

[jav]

As everyone has already pointed out, the F-32 you posted is the less common sportfish model which other than the lower hull, is quite a bit different than the more common sedan. Not only is the interior smaller (no salon), but the flybridge is also smaller and entry into the interior is down a hatch more like an express boat. Some folks like or even prefer this but in my opinion, it makes the boat less livable for longer stays. The standard F-32 sedan feels much larger than this version and the F-36 even more so.

I would also echo the "avoid I/O" sentiment. There's very little that can compare with striaght inboards for simplicity, robustness and reliability.

There's some pics of my F-32 (standard sedan) for comparison to the boat you posted here:

http://javpage.spaces.live.com/

[dollarbill1963]

But I think this boat is on Lanier and has been for sale for some time now. Not that this is bad thing, just giving you some info. Should improve your negotiating position. A classic like this will not attract the numbers like the new plastic Carvers etc..that could be the reason. There are some good surveyors on Lanier and you will need to get that done for a boat this age.

[rossjo]

DO NOT BUY ANY BOAT WITH I/Os AND LEAVE IT IN SALT WATER!

Yhis is a No No - I know - SeaRays, etc. have this, but its a bad idea.

The drives will deteriorate (my friend's SeaRay Sundancer 26 just needed $12k to replace the single totally corroeded outdrive!).

The other issues is the bellows, which will leak or burst and sink your boat. I have 2 buddies who salvage boats, and many are I/Os left at the dock ....

For a boat in Salt Water, get Outboards and lift them out of the water or Inboards. I do have a nice 26' Chaparral with 454/370HP and a Mercruiser Brao-1 outdrive, but it sits on a trailer and goes offshore on weekends.

I just saw the new Topaz 33 (same 32'8" Topaz as before) - and its a nice offshore boat too .... hummmmmmmmm You can find old 28 Topaz boats with twin Volvo 200-200Hp diesels for a reasonable pric.

Bottom line - I think you'll enjoy the t=Trojan F32 ! Talk to a few surveyors and hire the best one you can find!