C&C 27 Association Forum

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Buying MK III

Looking for some advice on purchasing a 1975 MK III. What are the general areas on the 27 that should be looked at. Problem areas etc.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

davidww1

Member

Re: Buying MK III

The problems that plague 27's are much the same as those that afflict any 30-year-old boat: worn-out ______ (fill in the blank, from deck gear to engine), with the addition of the problem posed by water invasion of the balsa-cored deck (27 hulls are solid glass and seem to hold up very well).

Moisture in the balsa may be a minor or major problem, but only an experienced surveyor can tell for sure. There is an extended discussion of this in the thread, "Deck core moisture", so I won't repeat, except to say that it is essential that you have an experienced surveyor look at the boat and give you a detailed assessment. The alternative is a multi-thousand dollar surprise. (BTW, this is only one of many reasons to have a survey, but it's arguably the one area where a savvy amateur is out of his depth – you cannot get a good picture of the state of the deck unless you have a moisture meter and you know how to use it reliably.)

The "worn out" issue is entirely a personal assessment. C&C used good-quality components, but thirty years of use is thirty years of use. As I knew I would, I took a lot of gear off my boat that I regarded as unacceptably clapped out; a neighbour pounced on it as though I was proposing to throw out gold bars. We got surprised here, though – we knew the cushions were aesthetically a mild abomination but we figured we could live with them. One cruise, though, and we were shopping for a marine upholsterer; every morning we'd wake red-eyed from lack of sleep and allergies (and we don't normally have allergies). I don't think anyone could have predicted that issue. The engine, initially fine, developed over the next five years an embarrassing tendency to coat the surrounding water with oil on startup and an accelerating thirst for oil, necessitating a rebuild.

I was going to end this by offering the usual pro-forma apology for not being more specific, but a positive suggestion has just occurred to me. This forum is about 85% questions from people who have run into a problem with their 27's, from masthead sheaves to worn-out cutless bearings; in the aggregate, it's a fantastic snapshot of the issues that these boats now face. All you have to do is pull the pieces together.

Look through the postings, note the issues that are raised in each and you probably will have created a first-rate checklist of the potential issues that you'll find on your target boat. Some may have been addressed by the present owner, some may still be festering and you'll have to factor in the cost of fixing them, but you'll have a very good sense of what you're about to buy. (And please, if you create this checklist, post a copy here.)

Of course this is not a replacement for a professional survey, but if you do make this checklist, you'll probably go in with your eyes more open than most of us. Good luck.

David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV

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David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV