Should I buy this 3870?-gctid827360

[BryGuy]

Hello. This is just my second post to this forum. I was originally contemplating liveaboard on a 3270 but the consensus of the advice I received from my first thread pointed me in the direction of a 38' instead.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987...s#.Wd1t6mhSy70

I'm hoping the above link will get you to the boat I'm looking at. I missed out on an original owner 3870 that looked really nice, that one was listed at $41,900USD and would have been a private sale. This one needs a few things and is going through a broker so I know it's not going to be an absolute great deal but I'd like your thoughts on it. Apparently the hull body and engines are in very good shape, very low hours on the diesels, but the interior and trim components have not been well looked after. The agent I talked to listed the flydeck upholstery and perhaps the saloon seating as well needing to be redone. Carpets need cleaning. Wood trim along the transom looks pretty weathered (I'm a woodworker so I think I can handle the woodwork myself), and the boat has no electronics. It would need RADAR, GPS, any of the navigational tools. I'd also like to replace the electric stove with propane. What do you think all that would cost? If I could get the boat for $35K do you think it would be worthwhile?

[freedre]

First - welcome to BOC

Secondly - get a survey!!!

Third - All else being equal, $35k would be an excellent price. IMHO of course.

Best of luck on this and keep us posted.

Ron

[kwb]

Having bought a boat like that - in need of a lot of updating.

If you can swing it buy one of the ones out there asking $60K that have good canvas (almost $10k there alone), a hardtop, a better dink, a decent (even if dated) electronics package($3-10K), carpets($1000DIY), the icemaker ($1000)is still there. The only upgrades I see are countertop formica and some of the upholstery has been redone. Depending on your taste you might be redoing those as well. Stove project you mention will burn another boat buck.

Doing it all yourself you will spend the $20K in bits and pieces to get to the same boat and spend a year or two installing it all.

[BryGuy]

Thanks for the reply Freedre. Even if you are a Flames fan. I'm in Edmonton. My apologies about the season opener, being shut out is rough, but it is important to remember how difficult it is to score in the NHL. Your guys will get the hang of it (Maybe?).

I guess I will break down and insist on a survey. I'm the kind to usually skip that kind of stuff but the advice seems pretty clear.

[TenMile]

All the items you've mentioned before are cosmetic in nature. They can all be addressed, all it takes is money and time and if you have a bunch of both, you could make the boat look great.

More concerning to me would be the condition of the engines. Low hours means almost nothing. Simple fact is the boat is 30 years old and has 30 years of corrosion, wear and tear and time for components to wear out. If you're serious about the boat and it meets your criteria first thing I'd do is hire a Mechanical Surveyor who specializes in Hino Diesels to do a complete overview of both engines, all the running gear, electrical components (pumps etc) and ask that he provide you a tally of the majors and minors that need addressing. Hire the Surveyor yourself, not one recommended by the broker, you want him working for you not working for referrals. Use the list to your advantage to negotiate the price down -- then and only then will you know if $35K is a good deal. You'd hate to have to drop another $20K on a boat that's only worth $35K to resell!!!

If the Mechanical survey is within your budget, only then would I proceed to getting a Hull Survey done (this one will be mandatory anyhow for insurance). Go slow. No emotional decision -- strictly business. We've seen too many posts here of new owners purchasing lemons and being sorry later they didn't take the time to completely check things out.

[Pcpete]

The guy you want to look at any Hinos is Earl Summerville. http://www.susanmohr.com/index.html Send me a pm with your email and I'll share a checklist one of the guys here created using excel. It should go along with the surveyor you hires findings.

There are several easy modifications that can be made that add to the livability. I opened the end of the cabinet next to the stove and added shelves, made the locker under the stove into a drawer and repitched the ladder to the flying bridge for easier access for my old beat up body.

The price is, imho, very good. Almost too good. Figure out what is causing that. The boats I've seen in that range were much less presentable.

[Norton_Rider]

Remember that most surveyors will not do a mechanical inspection on the engines, and other mechanical systems. So make sure that you get two things done: a survey by a certified boat surveyor, a check of the engines and other mechanical systems by mechanic experienced with Hino engines. The mechanic should go along on a sea trial to verify engine performace at various speeds.

[Bay39]

Looks like a good deal to me. Lack of instruments is not a show stopper since most electronics go obsolete within 10 years. The 38 is a lot of boat for the money and I've known liveaboards that have used this style and liked it very much and were comforable. Very clean inside and looks like the tub was never used. Counters were refurbished and the settee looks good. You can sit several people around that table comfortably. The only tired area was the instrument panels up on the flybridge; however you can reface them fairly easily. The cushions up on the flybridge look original and need redone soon but that's normal wear and you will want to update the look up there anyways. The teak in the cockpit can be redone very easily and will increase your value quite abit. I see value and like the others say - Get a good survey you hire. The HINO 175s are great engines and naturally aspirated. They will run forever if properly maintained.


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[Jim_Gandee]

Bryguy,

As stated, do not purchase this vessel without a survey! Your insurance co will most likely require one anyway and you'd be in a much better position to use the results of the survey to negotiate the price prior to purchase. Plus, if the survey uncovered an expensive discrepancy you could walk away from the boat.

Secondly, what's your mission with the boat? If it's just a house on the water you don't need electronics etc and this may represent a good deal. If you plan to traverse oceans you'll need to upgrade this boat with expensive equipment thus it may behoove you to find a boat that is already equipped.

[SprinterX]

"TenMile" post=827368 wrote:
All the items you've mentioned before are cosmetic in nature. They can all be addressed, all it takes is money and time and if you have a bunch of both, you could make the boat look great.

More concerning to me would be the condition of the engines. Low hours means almost nothing. Simple fact is the boat is 30 years old and has 30 years of corrosion, wear and tear and time for components to wear out. If you're serious about the boat and it meets your criteria first thing I'd do is hire a Mechanical Surveyor who specializes in Hino Diesels to do a complete overview of both engines, all the running gear, electrical components (pumps etc) and ask that he provide you a tally of the majors and minors that need addressing. Hire the Surveyor yourself, not one recommended by the broker, you want him working for you not working for referrals. Use the list to your advantage to negotiate the price down -- then and only then will you know if $35K is a good deal. You'd hate to have to drop another $20K on a boat that's only worth $35K to resell!!!

If the Mechanical survey is within your budget, only then would I proceed to getting a Hull Survey done (this one will be mandatory anyhow for insurance). Go slow. No emotional decision -- strictly business. We've seen too many posts here of new owners purchasing lemons and being sorry later they didn't take the time to completely check things out.

Very solid advise.

[Johnny_Vintage]

If the engines and genny check out, that looks like a real good deal!! I have an 86 and love it.