Purchasing 1st Boat in Chicago Area

[ccantaga]

My father and I are getting ready to buy a sailboat and I could certainly use some advice. My father used to sail until family pressure convinced him to sell the sailboat for a ski boat. He is getting ready to retire now, and I am wanting to begin cruising and doing some racing. I have very little sailing experience.

I began looking at the 25'-30' range but found a relatively local E-35 Mk II for what seems to be a reasonable price.

My very first question is whether or not I would be foolish start off with a boat this large. I am planning to take a sailing class to learn what I can once the weather permits, but will this be enough?

Second, can anyone that owns one of these comment a bit on what anual maintenance I can expect to do? I am not as concerned with repairs that will be immediately needed since I would have the boat surveyed and should be able to get an idea of the work that is needed. I'm more interested in how long sails, rigging, etc. normally last and what replacement costs would be.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

[Skip Jim]

If you start out with a smaller boat and you use it a lot, you will soon be looking at larger boats. The 35 is very comfortable to sail and has a lot more room to spread out and enjoy yourself, especially if you are staying overnight on the boat or cruising long distances.

Sailing the larger boat is not a lot different than sailing the smaller boats, except it is harder to sail by yourself, but can be done. You can learn to sail and if you get nervous with either size boat, you can drop sails and use the motor.

One immediate and ongoing cost difference will be slip rental. Bottom cleaning will be more, Sails will cost more, Rigging will be more but,If the rigging and sails are good, you won't need to worry about them for possibly several years. Maintaining the engine should be about the same on either size boat. If you can find a good deal on a well maintained 35 11, and the surveyor has a positive report, I would advise you to consider it.

Good Luck

Jim

 

[NateHanson]

I think you can learn to sail on either a 25 or 35 foot boat, but I'd warn you not to get tempted into a larger boat that is available at a cheap price. I think it's important for a new sailor to buy a fairly well-maintained boat. Otherwise you'll spend more time figuring out how to fix a boat than sail one. Or, more likely you won't learn either fast enough, and the boat will break or quickly descend into disrepair. Ideally you should have a friend who is an experienced sailor look at a prospective boat with you. Short of that, find a surveyor that you really trust, and who has been recommended by experienced sailors.

Good luck, Nate

 

[ccantaga]

Skip,

Thanks for the opinion. I am not too worried about slip rental as that is easy to figure out in advance. I am more or less trying to find things that I haven't considered. I can imagine that single handing a larger boat is a lot more work and far riskier. Luckily, I don't have a shortage of "crew" so that should never be an issue. One reason that I am tempted to go for the larger boat is that more people can enjoy it at a time.

Nate,

I understand what you are saying. The E-35 I am looking at is a fair bit more expensive than the smaller boats (<30') that I have considered. It just seems like a good deal for the vintage, size, and (claimed) condition of the boat. That being said, if there is anyone from the Chicagoland area who would like to come look at a boat with me, I would certainly not turn it down! Otherwise, I'll have to rely on my impression, feedback from these forums, and a surveyor.

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[Lan]

Hi Chris,

I've been sailing on Lake Michigan for about 40 years. Two years ago I retired and down sized from a Tartan 35 to an E-28. I would be glad to go look at a boat with you, also, I would for sure hire a good surveyor. I live in Downers Grove. If you are interested let me know and I'll send you my phone number off line.

Lan

 

[chaco]

Gotta Love those E35II's !

The E35II is a Great Boat. Alas she ain't worth much with the old gas
Atomic 4 Engine. The engine mount was a steel sled sitting in bilge water and
is TOTALLY rusted out if it has not been replaced. The fuel tank was steel
and will be rusted out. The Exhaust System is a Design Disaster waiting to
flood your engine. The Electrical System is ancient technology and the panel
needs to be replaced before a fire hazard.....all that said I have replaced
ALL these Systems and more and LOVE the E35II and she Sails like a Dream !

Without a Diesel RePower this Boat is not Worth much more than $10K.
The slips are worth $10K here in SoCal
A buddy of mine bought one for $15K just to get the slip and salvaged it
for $5K. The blisters weren't bad and she is built like a Tank.
As your hull is in good shape and you can get her CHEAP....you have a good
Project Boat. As you are Handy and can do your own work, have courage
and go for it !

Welcome to the Greatest Boat Owners on Earth

 

[ccantaga]

Lan,

If you would be willing to do that, it would be greatly appreciated. You can either PM me here, or send me an email at "chris dot cantagallo at gmail.com ".

Thanks again!

Chaco,

I am guessing that your boat is a bit older. This one has a diesel actually, not the gas engine. I believe it was in the late 70's or early 80's that they had the diesel option for the E-35. Either way it sounds like the boat has been kept fairly well up to date by the previous owner, so I believe most of these issues have been worked out. None the less, all good things too look for. I am quite comfortable taking on repairs, especially with the engine and gearbox, however do not want to get in over my head with projects.

As for the price you are quoting, do others think this is in the ball park? Most of what I have seen place the cost of the later models of this boat much higher. I am guessing the discrepancy comes down to the boats condition and how much work needs to be done to it.

Chris

 

[sleather]

Price

As for the price you are quoting, do others think this is in the ball park? Most of what I have seen place the cost of the later models of this boat much higher. I am guessing the discrepancy comes down to the boats condition and how much work needs to be done to it.
Chris

Chris, BTW Welcome from a "fellow" frozen sailor!

Have you checked out multiple listings for similar boats? There are 3 links to the major players at the top of the "For Sale/Wanted" section.

Great Lakes boats tend to retain higher resale value because of their "limited" use, being in a fresh-water environment and less UV exposure. Boats in the "sun-belt" tend to age less gracefully!

Owning a 23', but having chartered and sailed on larger boats, I've found the MAJOR difference in size comes into play while docking. A smaller boat is easier to control and can be "man-handled" during a less-than-perfect approach. Oh and there's that "bigger costs more" thing, from initial purchase, to repairs and replacement of stuff.

Good Luck!

 

[jmcpeak]

> My very first question is whether or not I would be foolish start off with a boat this large?

My first sailboat was an Ericson 36.

> I am planning to take a sailing class to learn what I can once the weather permits, but will this be enough?

I took lessons at Sail Chicago out of Belmont harbor. Learned an awful lot.

I've owned power boats since I was 16 so boats didn't scare me, but learning to sail was a little daunting.

I've received so much from friends I made at the marina - sailors are so willing to share their knowledge, and rum

I would not say it is too much boat if you are careful and willing to learn.

After only 2 seasons, I'm thinking about doing the hook this year - albeit with an experienced crew.

Whatever size sailboat you get, enjoy!!

 

[chaco]

Comps and BucValu

A good way to value a Sailboat is to create a spreadsheet with ALL
COMPerable boats for sale in your area AND throughout the Country.
The bank used the Spreadsheet to determine the Loan amount on my boat.
They usually use the Kelly BlueBook (free!) because they are an Automobile
Insurance Company. Also check the BUC Value that Yacht Brokers use in
www.bucvalu.com (free!). The BlueBook and BUC values will be LOW and
the Owner For Sale Spreadsheet average value will be HIGHER
Somewhere in between the Published and Research value is a GOOD indication
of the REAL value of the Boat. Big Ticket items like Low Hour Diesel Engines
and Electronics add to the value :nerd: The base price here in SoCal is
artificially pushed up $5K to $10K for the Slip

Pull er' out of the water....get a Survey....watch your Blisters and thruhulls.
Don't be in a hurry...there are TONS of boats out there :nerd:

Good luck to You and Happy Sailing

 

[Deweyduck]

I can help you find the bad ones

Chris,

I am from the chicago area and have been looking for a ericson in the 30 ft range. I was close to buying two of them which looked really nice, then i got the survey results. Hire a good survey company. I can give some names and prices. Also, let me know of the boats you are looking at I may have the survey for that boat. I have (4) surveys of local ericsons for sale. No sense in you hiring a survey if someone already paid for it.

Also, I took my lessons from chicago sailing also. They are great. the basics you learn will only get built upon when you move up to bigger boats.

you can email me if you need any other help.

Jeff

 

[Seth]

I live here too

I live in the Chicago burbs, so if you get to any specific questions feel free to ask!

Good luck!

S

 

[Joe Benedict]

I may be too late here - I've been otherwise occupied. I have an E29T for sale. I bought a bigger boat and now am the proud owner of 2 boats. It is located at Skipper Buds in Winthrop Harbor. The yard is pretty well snowed in right now. One thing to consider is the availability of a slip. There are still 30 foot slips available at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor.