1991 22' C-Dory Pricing

R

ryry

New member
Hi All,

Of all of the online forums I am currently a part of I never thought I'd find myself in such a place, but here we are...

Roughly 13 years ago I met a good friend in the PNW who became my fishing buddy, amongst other things. He introduced me to salmon fishing and life on the water and I absolutely loved it. In fact it urged me to join the Coast Guard which I did shortly after which led to a chain of events that brought me full circle.

To make a long story short, the boat my friend owned was a 22' C-Dory cruiser and due to health reasons he has to part with it. Out of the blue he called me up to offer me first right of refusal. I had never really considered owning such a thing but I know I would have a blast taking the family out as we are adventurers. And my son absolutely loves fishing, as do I...

I've done some research and not too surprisingly can't get a good feel for placing a value on this thing. He mentioned $8-10k which would include the trailer and a bunch of fishing gear as well.

I know it has very little use in general and over the last 10 years or so has seen no use. It has been in storage for the winters and the last maintenance he reported was replacing the water pump/s (?) about 4 years ago with no use since. Motor has been started sporadically here and there.

Am I opening a can of worms for myself here or does the price seem fare? Naturally I would ensure the motors work and would give everything a run down before sealing the deal.

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. TIA!
 
If it floats you best pay the man! Worth more than that. Engines may give trouble due to poor storage but that's fixable. You don't buy it there will be 6 guys here ready! George
 
You've got the chance of a lifetime from a true friend!

At $8k-$10k you're paying 1/2 price or less, depending on the exact condition and a lot of details you didn't specify!

That boat should bring something in the low $20k's range or more, depending on details/accessories/condition!

A person could buy it for his offer and turn it over for $8k-$12k profit with some fix-it skill and good marketing.

GREEN LIGHT! :lol:

Good Luck!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
dotnmarty":3h4f616w said:
Write him a check for $11K and put "thank you" in the memo.
Click to expand...

Ditto on this one.

The boat can have a seized up 1955 Mercury 25 HP 2 stroke on the back, it's still worth what your buddy is asking.

In fact, nothing short of sawed in two now that I think about it.
 
It's a deal like I've never heard of before. Go for it, you pretty much can't be hurt at that price.

Sometimes between friends these deals happen. I sold a friend of mine a classic Mercedes sedan he lusted after for $100, and then I took him out to dinner with the money. We were both happy with the deal.
 
I will provide an alternative viewpoint. It is true that these older boats hold their value. However there may be many bugs to work out. If you are not handy, it could be a very unpleasant experience. You will need to change out fuel lines and a variety of other things. Even if stored under cover the boat could still have a rotten deck or bad transom. Water gets under those gas tanks and can rot out the floor.
 
Having purchased/owned/sold a 1991 22 Cruiser I would echo it seems a fair deal as long as you're careful. Not necessarily "less than half the value" that others are mentioning however; nobody can credibly tell you that sight unseen. I've found out that the cheapest boats to buy can be the most expensive to own if you have to do significant refurbishing. Main considerations are the condition of the engine and possible water intrusion into the core material of the hull. New motor, if it needs one, will set you back at least 10K installed with steering/controls/install, etc. New electronics are anyone's guess but they won't be free and this boat will likely need at least the basics replaced. Hull refurbishing is a wild card: If it was stored indoors it could be a gem, and if stored outdoors it could be a nightmare. Ditto for the trailer. Careful you don't find yourself into a 1991 C-Dory for $25,000 and a bunch of hassle! 8-10 for a well kept but older 1991 would indeed be a good deal. But you really don't want to rebuild a boat one part at a time or you'll not only be hurt financially, but you won't be spending much time out on the water. Hope it works out well for you. Mike.
 
mattpartna":2i6skhk0 said:
Anyone sell a 1991 22 cruiser recently and for what amount did it sell?
Click to expand...

Good question!

But older boats, like older cars, motor homes, 5th wheels, trailers, motorcycles, and the like are not worth a definite amount based on their age.

Kelly Blue Book, NADA, and the rest depreciate a new vehicle so much at the first sale (say ~20%), then a certain percent every year (say ~7%) thereafter.

After so many years, say 14 for an RV, the value passes off the scale or schedule and the value depends entirely on the condition, the model year being immaterial.

Since the C-Dory Cruiser hasn't changed much at all since 1987, condition would mean everything.

So for a 1991 C-Dory, a 24 year old boat, the value is pretty much entirely dependent on it's condition (as well as that of the motor, trailer, electronics, etc.). By this standard, a 1987 C-Dory Cruiser might be in better condition and worth more than the 1991, or the 1991 might be worth more than a 2001 that's been thrashed. It all depends on what's left of it at this point.

Westward and others do correctly point out that while the 1991 is about 1/2 price for a decent C-Dory Cruiser, a trashed one could require a $15,000 makeover, so Caveat Emptor!

Great that you have such a friend!

Confused? Overwhelmed?

Take a qualified C-Brat living nearby you to help you evaluate the boat and give you an honest opinion.

We used to do this for new members of our sailing fleet, even taking a two or three person committee to judge a used boat's value, since evaluating a used boat would be very hard to do for a novice sailor!

You now have more friends here, ask for help!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
Look at it this way. You've know your friend for a number of years, and he's had the boat for a number of years. So, it's not like you're going to buy a boat you've never seen before from a stranger. Just ask what condition it's in. Give it a good look over. That's as good as you can do anywhere.

Looking on this site, there's a couple of ~1990 22's for sale, and they're asking $20K+. And you don't know the condition of those either.

I assume the engines are 2 stroke. Unless you're going to take a long trip in the boat, they should serve just peachy keen.

If you want the boat it seems like a heck of a buy. You'd also be helping a friend get rid of a problem.

Boris
 
Another slant,

If you buy it at that price from a friend because he has health problems without an honest disclosure that you think it may be worth quite a bit more,

you could lose a friend.
 
Lots of good posts on this subject. I know of 1990 to 1004 boats which have sold for $25,000, but they had new motors, newer Electronics, and were in good condition, with no hull problems.

The hull problems are rare, and usually very fixable with a bit of work on your part. I would not be at all afraid of the hull. If you know the motor runs, many of the older 2 strokes run for many years and do well, or they may blow the first time out. I sold my early 90's boat for low 20's--a bit of a discount at the time because it had a 1996 2 stroke, and there was a question about the oil injection pump. The next owner had the boat for about 5 years, and zero engine problems. When he sold it--the engine blew on the first run, so it was repowered.

I also know of at least one 1992 boat which sold for 12K, and the engines were in decent shape, as was the hull.

I would discuss it with your friend--bless him for those wonderful times which you had, and tell him what has been posted in this thread.

I hope you buy the boat, because I know that your family will really enjoy it. I think it is a good buy from the history you give--and it sounds as if your good friend is giving you a gift. Some of us old guys do that for good friends. I recently gave a younger friend an almost new Hobie Revolution.Kayak.
 
I purchased a 1991 22' Cruiser in good shape with a Johnson 70 2 stroke for $16K, and 5 years later sold it for $20K, having invested normal maintenance, a newer kicker/bracket, and electronics. I bought in a down economy and sold in a better economy. The key to my success is the Johnson remained serviceable for my entire ownership, and I came out almost even on the boat with several hundred hours of good use. A few years and a few boats later, I bought a 1985 16' Angler for $4,500, and sold 3 years later for $8,500. It had sat indoors/unused for 16 years, and the outboard had been "gone over" at a local marine center prior to my purchase. But during my ownership the Johnson 40 blew and I replaced it with a new Honda 50 ($7,500), as well as several hull repairs and a sonar (a few thousand total). I lost my ass on that boat, and only had it in the water for 10-15 times in my ownership. The 16 Angler was another one of those boats which folks on this site declared to be "easily worth twice as much", and I was quick to take advantage of the screaming deal. I would suggest you take the sale price, add the installed price of a new motor and necessary hull refurbishment/ electronics, and come up with an approximate total. Compare that number with the asking prices of comparable Dory's that have already been updated and have been reasonably well kept. This will be a better indication of how good your deal is vs. the purchase price alone. My uncle recently offered to give me a distressed Owens cabin cruiser for free that he'd taken in trade, cause he knows I love boating. I declined, knowing that it would likely end up being the most expensive boat I've ever owned. Hope the numbers work for you, but do make sure you run them! Mike.
 
Wow! I certainly wasn't expecting this kind of response...

Thank you all for your advice and sharing your wisdom/experiences. It sounds like it is a great deal and I'm quite certain I'll make the purchase. I'm pretty sure he just wants me to have it which is why he priced it where he did. He alway was, and still is, the kindest person I've ever met.

If I do ever do decide to part with the boat and end up making a significant profit I would certainly share that with him. A good friendship is way more important than any amount of $.

I am "handy" (worked as a mechanic for years) so any possible mechanical issues don't worry me. The thought of hull work slightly frightens me though. Hopefully that won't be a concern...

Probably won't make the trip to pick it up until early summer but will definitely be spending some time here familiarizing myself with all there is to know about C-Dory ownership. Thanks again for the warm welcome!
 
Now you know the passion we have for these boats, and the great folks who run them! You will get all of the help you need if there any hull issues.

My grand-daughter was up your way last weekend for the Calif. State Model UN--at Camp Roberts. She really enjoyed there stay there.

Good luck with the new boat!
 
I have to agree, You are into a good deal (based on your description,) and your family will have the chance for hours of pleasure. I would go for it with a big thank you to the friend.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Sorry for the health issues of your friend. It is particularly hard when they are friends who have opened up windows into venue's you would not have enjoyed. You can not pay those types of things back with dollars.
I would not let many if any weekends pass without either closing the deal or opening up to your friend and let him know you are passing on the deal. If it is a clean boat and all, as others have stated, the cash value is more than likely way higher...and I too think approaching the twice asking mark. Bob is correct. As we age and simply do not use some of our toys, it is a great pleasure to allow someone else the fun of the item. It especially feels good when they are not in a good enough financial situation to just go buy one themselves. Now, when it is a boat like the CD22 that can add hole family time joy...and there will be some frustrations that at a later time will even bring a laugh...well..that is priceless.
Grab a C-Dory owner.... and check it out with funds in hand. It is always better to make that first tow home with a friend familiar with the rig and launching it too.
 
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