[C320-list] Getting good value from an aging boat

[surprise thompson87.com via C320-list]

I just watched a video with good insights about the realities of today's used boat market. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilApETvYIbg. It has me wondering what I should be doing to get good value from and maintain the value of my 1999 320. We bought the boat in 20023 in essentially like new but stock condition, and so I appreciate the desire of a used boat buyer to avoid extensive repairs and upgrades. I'm wondering what others think about strategies for investing in an older boat that we won't be keeping for decades. I'm impressed with how many old Catalina 30s and 34s are still sailing and hope that the value of a 320 will be evident to enough younger buyers to keep prices from tanking. (Thanks to this list for helping out on that!) I realize that we have gotten years of enjoyment from our boat and am not looking for a return on investment. On the other hand it would be a shame to have to send it to scrap.

I'll be 70 next summer and my spouse will be 75, and she has increasing trouble getting around the boat or on and off of it, as does our aging dog. The writing is on the wall that we will need to sell within a few years. Our 1999 boat has lived exclusively on the upper Chesapeake in brackish water. I've upgraded the alternator, added solar on the bimini, added a starting battery and battery monitor, and upgraded electronics, including a below decks autopilot. I've wondered whether it would pay to replace standing rigging, sails (UK full batten main and tape drive genoa, now 20 years old but still serviceable), fuel tank, cockpit cushions, or shore power charger. We replaced dodger and bimini a few years ago and had berth mattresses reupholstered a few years ago. We have replaced lifelines. We added adjustable genoa cars and upgraded our traveler. Some time ago I added a washdown pump. I've replaced the pump for the head and associated plumbing. We recently moved our home to PA and we are now 90 minutes from the boat, currently in Rock Hall MD, which makes regular maintenance more difficult. I recently discovered a leak in the hot water heater and so will be replacing that for the second time this winter. And our shower sump pump seems to have trouble priming, but is so inaccessible for someone with an aging body that I can't figure out how to repair or replace it.

T. Scott Thompson
Catalina 320 "Surprise," #653 (1999)
surp...@thompson87.com<mailto:surp...@thompson87.com>

[Troy Dunn via C320-list]

Scott

The boat market is definitely tanking at the moment and I suspect it’s
going to get a lot worse before it improves. Remember that before COVID
most marinas were already struggling but boat manufacturers were able to
still sell boats at roughly the same capacity. COVID created a false boom
that will most likely sink the new boat market. Used boats will probably
take a hit for a while and maybe rebound a little in a few years.

As far as maintenance goes. I would base your decisions more on safety
than resale value. Boats are selling way below ask right now.

As far as the rigging goes. If it isn’t a safety issue let it go.

The shower sump pump isn’t as bad as it seems once you get the cabinet door
in the bathroom and the tilt out cabinets in the aft berth out of the way.
We keep our boat at SCM in Rock Hall. Currently on the hard at WCM in
Worton. Happy to give you a hand with the pump. The chandlery at HHN
probably has that pump in stock but if not it can be bought online at
defender.

Troy Dunn
Hull #514

[Jack Brennan via C320-list]

I agree with Troy.

The economics of today are depressing. You have a small sliver of society that holds the majority of wealth. Hundreds of millions or billions of dollars each. Then you have a shrinking upper middle class that has enough money for leisure, but still feels stressed. The rest of the world is struggling, living pay to paycheck or worse.

The rich folks want 120-foot yachts, huge catamarans, powerboats with four massive motors on the stern. The folks at the bottom can't afford boats at all, unless they're buying a wreck to live on. The upper middle class is the only segment of society that might want a 320. And there is lots of competition for their money and time.

I own my boat outright. But I spend 8K a year on dockage, several thousand more on maintenance, 1K on insurance and who knows what on odds and ends. For a family, as opposed to an old fart like me, there are lots of other ways to spend that money.

So, as Troy says, fix the stuff that's important and add items that make you happy.

I know people who have insisted on getting a certain price point for their boats. Inevitably, they sit on the market for a year or more, deteriorating and costing them money. In the end, they get less money than if they had sold it quickly at an attractive price.

You can't anticipate what will attract people to buy your boat. Before we sold our house in Fort Lauderdale, my wife and I redid the entire kitchen with expensive cabinets and countertops. When we moved out, they were the first things removed. The buyer wanted a different look.

On the other hand, a boat in great condition is a rare find. All of us, I'm sure, have come across many junk sailboats that have not been maintained. I still remember an ad I saw in which the owner advertised, on a 40-year-old boat, "A great find! All original equipment."

Jack Brennan
Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
Tierra Verde, Fl.

________________________________
From: C320-list <c320-lis...@lists.catalina320.com> on behalf of Troy Dunn via C320-list <c320...@lists.catalina320.com>
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2025 2:08 PM
To: C320...@catalina320.com <C320...@catalina320.com>
Cc: Troy Dunn <troutw...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Getting good value from an aging boat

[Michael Stumpfoll via C320-list]

I am 59. Boomers are 75-80 and getting out of everything they can’t do anymore. This is a golden season to buy used things, that is why I just bought our C320 for $18k. With the taxes, marina fees, insurance, replaced engine, and other things my son and I have completed so far I am up to $26k invested. My slip in Bodkin creek costs $1300 a year. I just donated our 1986 C27 to a sailing school. I have a collection of other trailerable boats, mostly from Craigslist. I just picked up an inflatable and Honda outboard from Craigslist for $400. So it is possible to afford boating for the middle income if you buy boomers cast-offs and do everything yourself. My wife and I will use the C320 until we can’t anymore, not sure if my kids will want to continue using it after that, or it gets donated. I read an interesting article that the majority of small and medium businesses in the US are owned by boomers. They typically have run the businesses in a selfish manner that extracts the most value and does not foster a succession from within. So the only out is mergers and acquisitions. These are now also a great bargain since there are so many coming at the same time. So if you want a boat, or a business, get it from a boomer on Craigslist. :)
Thanks,
Mike Stumpfoll

On Nov 22, 2025, at 2:11 AM, Jack Brennan via C320-list <c320...@lists.catalina320.com> wrote:

I agree with Troy.

[Michael Mitch via C320-list]

I am in Worton and would be glad to help with your boat


*Michael E. Mitch*
Investment and Wealth Management
Retirement Specialist
Insley Finanical (Caring for your financial future)
800 830-5107 Office
410 490-7263 Cell
855 301 9716 Fax
Note: Thank you for the confidence you place in us.


On Sat, Nov 22, 2025 at 5:43 AM Michael Stumpfoll via C320-list <