The Previous Owner

[gclayton]

Insurance survey

A bit off topic. I tried to insure my 1981 C30 with boat US. They insisted on a survey. Geico (sea n ski) about the same price did not. The survey would cost me more than the insurance.

[Kurt]

Yep - Boat US has always asked me for a survey and I have insured two different boats with them.

[lat 64]

My PO is nice guy who still gets on the boat once in a while when I'm not there and leaves more stuff he finds in his garage. This was pretty regular for a couple of years. He knows the combination of the lock(everyone on the float does) I would step on the boat and there would be a sail bag or a bit of hardware, maybe some insulation for the hull; all kinds of stuff would show up.
When I first got the boat, an 8-foot Avon was included. I have a nice little 3-horse Yamaha, so I searched all over for an original style motor mount for the Avon. No joy. I finally built one with the help of a bud that welds stainless steel. I fixed up this rather crappy-looking but strongly-built motor mount and took it south the next Time I drove to the boat. I stepped in and there on the settee was a brand-new, original, never-used, twenty-year-old motor mount for the Avon dink. It was like santa had been there. I chucked my ugly motor mount in the back yard.
Just last fall I found the team jackets that his crew used when they raced. I was really hoping for a new VHF

Ta,
Russ

[Mo]

Same same.

Some of the same things:

The boat I purchased had a recent survey but the guy really was an optimist and certainly saw the glass half full. Like Neil, once I done my refit I just called for another survey. Tony (E.Y.E. Marine) is a marine engineer and architect. He had no recommendations but did add in comments section that she had been refit and noted safety gear installed that was above regs. (ie) extra fire (10lb)extinguishers, radar, epirb etc. That made it relatively easy for insurance ... I pay $285/yr for $30K coverage...the 2 mil liability etc all in there.

As for a collection of items and parts. They were shoved everywhere. Paper work from the factory until now (I am not near as meticulous over that). Yes, a loran manual, old signet manuals...you name it.

I haven't heard from the owner after the first year although I did offer for him to come up and take her out if he wanted. I think the boat was in great shape when he got it but he didn't know how to keep it up as boats are going concern.

[CalebD]

I could have been John Cookson's PO

When we got our Tartan 27' about 8 years ago I had very little practical knowledge about engines and less about owning a keel boat. I still have a 14' day sailor that I enjoyed in my 20's but that was child's play to maintain and repair compared to a keel boat.
The fellow we bought our T27 from (the PO) was a really good guy. He spent a full day with me on the boat and explained to me how the boat was set up, basic systems and we replaced some running rigging lines together. We also got several binders of papers and documentation, including some older Moyer Marine Newsletters. I even recorded on a tape recorder what I thought were his most useful insights for my co-owners to listen to.
We did not need to listen to those tapes very much. The boat has been my teacher and all you Afourians and the folks at Moyer have aided and abetted my education.
Our boat was not upgraded much from the stock model T27. In fact it is nearly in original condition. The one thing that I know the previous owners did take care of was the A4. It spent the 1970's and 80's on the Great Lakes and eventually came to the Long Island Sound (slight bonus for a raw water cooled engine) where we picked her up from a PO's son for $4K. The son had bought an Irwin 32' as his next boat and was anxious to unload the T27 to avoid paying two yard fees simultaneously.
Eight years later and at 43 our old early/late model hybrid A4 is still ticking nicely, thanks to you all.

[Carl-T705]

POs, I love 'em

I've bought 5 PEARSON'S in the last 5 or 6 years. Four of which all came with hardship stories, my wife tells me I'm the purveyor of broken dreams. Three of the boats all had major refits started, then PO's goals or finances went on a hiatus and the boats became towaways for scrap prices. Kind of makes a difficult refit when most of everything has been removed and lost. Two Ariels and one Electra. My next Electra the owner died and her boyfriend was going to keep the boat as a momento, very nice, but he didn't know anything about boats, so when it slipped it's mooring and ended up on the coast of CT. I bought it on Ebay for $20.00, I don't think I needed a survey for this price! Got everything but the rigging which sold in another auction for $100.00. New DYER&DYER rig with a roller furling, Oh well. My Triton which is the prize also had it's one owner die and his family tried to sell it from 1987 till about 2009 for some crazy price, when it didn't sell they gave it to the marina for owed storage. I got it this past Summer and it's like a time capsule inside, everything is there and in very good shape, even the paint , solid decks, no leaks in the cabins, almost unbelievable. The A4 had the head taken off and since the ice box drains on top of the engine it's locked up, but I have a replacement.
My one saving grace is I met a boat scraper who is very generous to me and treats me very well. I generally get first dibs on anything, mainly cuz I don't try and cheat him on his prices, I pay what he asks. He has some kind of business dealings with ammunition makers and whacks the lead keels off every boat that comes in first thing. many a good boat has come under his saw!! sad but it provides a bunch of parts, he tried to get me to buy all his parts inventory but I don't really need 15 outboards and winches and hardware by the dock box load. But I did buy 25 sails one day!! 2 A4s, 6 Danforth anchors, a pickup load of dock fenders and life jackets and I need to go look at a Yanmar Hey, anybody need a folding prop off a Cal 27 for a A4 with the shaft, off a freshwater boat nice shape???

[Laker]

By the way , some day each and every one of us will be a P. O. .....

[ILikeRust]

Yeah, I always try to keep that in mind as I'm working on mine.

[Jimmy]

Kiss The Skys History

So here is my PO Story , and how I became the proud owner of "KTS"

After being away from sailing for 25 years , a Friend of a Friend needed a extra crew member for the" LEAR" race. It is an annual race between two clubs on the opposite side of Lake Erie. At the conclusion my interest was rekindled , and I just had to get my own!

As the search began , my wife would have nothing to do with it. I had a lower budget and poured over Ads and the Internet , looking for the right boat , in the 22 ft range. I was warned about two foot-itis , and eventually started looking in the 26 footers.

Under false pretenses , I took the wife on a Sunday drive , and we just happened to stop for lunch beside a Marina that had a" fixer upper" Advertised. As we strolled thru the yard , looking at boats the "Mrs" was turning her nose up in the air , and dismissing everything there. As the Broker realized the challenge in selling a boat that day was standing beside me , he suggested we go down to the water and look at a C&C 29 that was in mint shape. Although priced 25% higher than our original budget , we were both struck by how well it had been cared for , including the T&H floor , new curtain and cushions , and so on.
Unbenounced to me , thats when Deb decided owning a boat was OK , and it was going to be that one. She didn't let me in on that secret for several more weeks. As time passed , all boats I suggested were compared to "Kiss The Sky".
In the fall when it was stored on the hard and still for sail , we agreed to but in a ridiculously low offer. It was rejected of course , and so the boat sat almost all winter. As spring approached we sweetened the offer by $200 and it got accepted. The Gamble had payed off!

As it turns out KTS has had 2 PO's , and both were meticulous. The second was bitten by the same bug I was nipped by , but on one of his first trips , got caught in weather , and quickly lost intrest! His loss was my gain

I spent all spring trying to figure out the systems , including electronics , when the Broker called. He had a couple manuals for me. To my amazement when I picked up the shopping bag full of records I found myself in possession of every receipt ,manual, and maintenance record of both PO's activities, including the bill of sale from the Manufacture. The records were so complete , I could follow the paper trail of the Head! 2 rebuild kits , followed by a complete replacement.

I also got all the original documentation for the A4 , including both , a well used owners manual and maintenance manual.

When the time arrives to cure my aforementioned 2ft-itis , I hope to do the same for the next guy.

Jim

[Newenglandah]

My previous owner was a 80 year old man who had the boat for 14 years, unfortunately every year she got another coat of light blue rustolium on the deck, seriously 14 layers of cheap paint. after that was all gone and awlgripped with new bomar portlights Freelee's looking brand new. This spring I ended up with engine issues, go figure. The engine room was covered in bad news wiring, took out about 400 foot of random wires hotlined to the batteries, I don't think he knew he had a buss bar, but all is well, now that I've been there we'll never have a problem again.................