Need Input Before Buying DSII

[LisaGail]

Looked at a DSII today and need some input from the experience here. Sorry for the inexperience of the questions, but I really need some help.

1. Hull number was 3155 and Class number was 6045 on metal tag on transom. What does that tell me about the year or anything else?

2. The boat took on water somewhere and did not drain properly out of the self bailer. It looked like to me we were taking on water from somewhere were around the CB(There were 2 ports there). Is this a reason to stay away from this boat because of this?

3. The cable system to lower and raise the boat seemed to work, but the cable was frayed at one end and needs replacing. Is this a big deal?

4. The self bailing port was covered with a wine cork and it went right into the hull with no lining. Is that correct?

5. The drain plug in the back looked like a wine stopper as well and went into the hull where there was no inside liner. Is that right?

6. All of the rigging was there and sails in good shape and no soft spots in the hull I could feel.

7. The mast had a tabernacle.

8. The boat had a trailer(not sure how road worthy)

9. The boat had been painted before and needs painting on the bottom and sides again(peeling)

10. Some of the gelcoat on the top of the cuddy had been chiped and needs repair.

We sailed the boat in very light winds and it seemed to do fine. My main concern was the water leaking and how to stop it and/or bail it properly. I was afraid that eventually we may take on too much water.


The lowest price I could arrange was $800. The guy paid much less than that some years ago without a trailer. Any thoughts on the price or the boat issues? Is this boat worth pursuing at this price?

Thanks,

Jeff

[GreenLake]

I can't provide specifics to your questions on hull status and maintenance issues there, but hulls are the area of the boat that you can do most with your own labor. I'll defer to others for answers that will actually let you estimate the work involved; beyond the painting, that seems to be a given, and doesn't seem to scare you off.

Trailers are also eminently fixable, so it would not be an unreasonable assumption that modest efforts on your part will result in a trailer that's roadworthy (again). Rewiring all the electrics, repacking the bearings, new tires and bunks and repainting the frame are tasks that could be required, if not now, then a few years down the road. The trailer I got looked good and appeared to work, but required all of those within the first two years. The good part is, you can do all of these yourself (except you'd let the dealer mount the tires ) and for less than you'd need to pay for a new trailer.

I note that you write that "sails are in good shape". If that's correct and accurate, consider that a set of two sails can set you back between $600-$1,100 new - so if you don't have to purchase those for a while... but unless you've sailed before, it can be difficult to assess sail condition. I certainly wasn't experienced enough when I bought my DS.

All in all there might be enough value there to explain the asking price. Whether you agree with it, is up to you.

[Peterw11]

LisaGail:

First of all, no apologies necessary. As you can see by reading these posts, many on this site are new to DS's, sailing, or even boating in general, and the only way to find answers is to ask questions.

As far as I know, nobody is born with this knowledge.

I bought my boat in April of this year. My first DS, in fact, my first sailboat in 40 years (my last was a family owned Sailfish we got rid of back in the early '70's).

I recommend you read as many posts as you can and using the search feature, you'll find threads which address most of your concerns regarding leaking and hull repair. From what I can tell, there is very little, barring a major hole or crash damage, that you really need to worry about, and much of it can be addressed by a fairly handy owner.

Parts and materials are still available for any repair you might need to make.

As far as pricing goes, if you've looked at DS's online or in person, you'll find that prices are all over the place. I paid $800 for my '68 DS1, with a good usable trailer, a working 25 year old 4hp outboard, decent sails, and no major issues. The hull is dry, the rigging and hardware are functional.

That said, I've seen asking prices DS's of the same age and condition for 3 or 4 times what I paid. A lot of it depends on where you're located and what's available, and also, how motivated the seller is.

I'm 20 miles outside of Boston and there weren't that many to choose from when I started looking, but the market fluctuates, (there seems to be quite a few now).

The boat I bought was the remains of a failed personal relationship the seller was involved in and he just wanted to get rid of it.

From what you've described, I'd say 800 bucks is a pretty good deal.

I would suggest you get some prices for what you know needs replacement.

Even for the trailer. Mine was in pretty good shape, but I still spent about 400 additional bucks to make it better (2 tires, wiring, coupler and spare tire bracket.

It adds up quickly.

[s1120]

OK, so I am a real newbee myself, but I am finding the above post right on the mark. Maybe Its a northeast thing, but i have found that the market jumps around a lot on these boats, and every one you find will have good and bad things. Trailers are easy. As long as the main frame is not rottet, bent or broke, they are fixable. Parts are out there, or worse case, they are not THAT pricy. Its not a big trailer, no brakes or anything fancy. Seems very few boats will have a great hull. All I looked at had some repairs done, or chips, or cracks, or whatnot. pretty solid, and simple boats though. Nothing that is cause for alarm. The biggy seems to be sails and rigging. THATS where the money comes in!! If you need new sails, and have a boat full of old rigging, your pretty much looking at a two grand cash drop to get on the water!!

So IMHO from a newbee that has just gone through the shopping thing...is that for $800, and if the boat has good sails and rigging, no major holes in the hull, and a trailer that can be rebuilt...you got a good deal!!

I looked at one ..a DSI.. that had a REAL nice hull. Sweet.. no chips or nothing.. but had bad sails, and a rotted trailer.. Eaven for 600 it was not worth it. I ended up getting a DSII with some battle scars, but mostly solid. GREAT sails and almost new rigging, and a modern Galv trailer for $1500.

[Peterw11]

I just wanted to add, I did most of my searching on Craigslist, as I wanted to be fairly close to the seller's location. I started my search in the local listing, and then expanded outward to the Boston area, and north and south of Boston, even into NH and southern Maine and dwon into RI and CT.

I eventually found mine, (after a good 6-8 months of searching all through the fall, winter and early spring) about 45 miles from here.

Buying from long distance, either on Ebay or various online boating sites just didn't work for me, as I wanted to inspect the boat personally before I made the decision.

If you do use Craigslist, and find what you want (geography makes a difference as less populated areas might have some pretty slim pickings), you have to monitor it faithfully and respond IMMEDIATELY if you find something you like.

The good deals usually don't last a day, and if you hesitate, you'll miss out. That happened a couple of times, both for this purchase and some other things I was looking for. I usually checked it out every day, and at least twice a day, if not more often.

The ad for my boat had only been on the site 10 minutes before I responded and I went down to see it the next day, with cash in hand.

In that approximately 12 hour span, the seller got 5 more legit responses.

As far as replacing the sails, yeah, it's pricey, but don't eliminate the boat just because of that. You can get by with what comes with it, and replace them later on.

I bought my new main from Intensity a month or so ago and have sailed about a dozen times since then. For the money ($279.00), they're a helluva deal. I'm quite pleased.

(I have no connection with them, just offering my $.02.)

[talbot]

I agree that trailer's are basically big Erector Sets, and can be generally be fixed up.

The through-hulls where water can come in are the bailer, the drain plug, and the centerboard pivot. All have been discussed in the past on this forum, and are included in Roger's book on the DSII.

The drain and bailer are simple to replace. The pivot is the usual culprit on the DSII, and is also the biggest hassle, as it can involve dropping the centerboard. But not necessarily. That might depend on where the cable is frayed. If you have to drop the board, you want to fix everything having anything to do with the board so you never have to do it again.

On my old boat, I had to replace the bailer, drain fitting, and board. The boat took on so much water, it probably could only float about six hours. But I followed the directions in Roger's book, and when I was done, the bilge stayed dry.