Trolling Craig's list...
Hi, Todd. Thanks for the reply and your good suggestions.
You bet I'm trolling Craig's List! I even have an iPhone app that automatically notifies me if anything with the key word "Ericson" comes up on any of the lists that cover the area between Santa Barbara and San Diego. I've already looked at several E27s as a result of Craig's List but nothing good yet. (I looked at one in Dana Point just a couple of days ago, in fact.) The problem is not finding E27s out there for sale but finding a good one. You simply cannot tell from pictures if a boat is any good, as pictures always make it look better. (Though if the boat looks bad in pictures then you *know* it is *really bad*.) And I've found it is pointless to try to query sellers about specifics related to the condition of their boats on the phone, since the vast majority of the time they know next to nothing about boats and/or they wildly misrepresent the boat's condition. So I try to narrow it down as best I can through pictures and then just look at the boat in person. It's time consuming but there is no other way to do it.
Again, for me the gelcoat issue is a make or break factor. I'm not willing to own a crappy looking boat and remediating that through an LP job is hugely expensive--though I suppose if I got the boat for $2 or $3K then I'd be willing to sink another $10K into it for paint. But typically a boat that would sell for $2K (and I've seen them) has got all manner of other problems.
Yeah, I guess I'm fussy.
I have seen 70's boats out there with decent gelcoat, though they are few and far between. But I'm willing to take my time. When the right boat shows itself I'm ready to buy. In the mean time I'll probably have to look at more than a few frogs before I find my princess.
I'm also checking out Yachtworld, of course. Some of the asking prices are delusional, though. :0 There's one in Redondo Beach I may look at, but the $14K price for a very modestly equipped boat with an A4 is totally out of touch with reality. But I may look at it anyway and if I like it make a realistic offer and see what happens. At $14K that boat is going nowhere.
I'll keep in mind the boat you mentioned in Alamitos Bay. I can pop down there and check it out, as it's only about 25 minutes from me. I had a boat on Gangway 29 quite a few years back so I know right where you are talking about. In fact, I was just down there on Friday looking at an E29, which is bigger than I want but still within the realm of possibility. (It was right in front of Joe's Crab Shack.) Again, it was in really sad shape.
Thanks again,
Alan