Looking at a Prairie 29

I have an accepted offer on a Prairie 29 and am going to inspect her in a week or so. While this will be my first larger powerboat, I am an experienced boater and DIY guy.

Survey is already scheduled

I will be checking everything very thoroughly. However, are there any Problem areas or weak points of this particular design to which I have to pay particular attention?

If you need any help let me know I am a surveyor and do marine and rv service and own a 29 and know about every inch of a 29. stingers and under windows for sure. also check under the step sides.

John Churchill said:

I have an accepted offer on a Prairie 29 and am going to inspect her in a week or so. While this will be my first larger powerboat, I am an experienced boater and DIY guy.

Survey is already scheduled

I will be checking everything very thoroughly. However, are there any Problem areas or weak points of this particular design to which I have to pay particular attention?

Click to expand...

Welcome aboard and good luck with the survey.

Welcome to the Prairie family!

Kevin

Went and looked at her today. “Evening Star” of Tavernier Key FL. Decided not to purchase her and cancelled the survey.

The big ticket items seemed ok-engine starts, gen starts, AC cools. Hill and decks ok.

Water pools in the outboard forward corners of the cockpit. Uncertain why it doesn’t drain/slope to the scuppers.

In addition to myriad electrical wiring issues (house wire/wire nuts/tape/lamp cord, all added wires are red although some black hots) and plumbing problems (thruhulls without seacocks, seacocks with no hoses, abandoned equipment in place), there were a couple of structural issues that broke the camels back.
The rear door from the salon to the cockpit including the frame and jamb, was replaced with a poorly executed one of Starboard. The rear wall is poorly supported and wobbles significantly. Tapping suggests some core issues as well. Additionally, the port forward side window was replaced, but it seems to have been a bit too small for the opening. The gap was then covered with a small piece of sheet metal. Either prior or currently, leaking has resulted in extensive rot in the aft bulkhead of the head from the upper extent all the way down to the bilge. Equipment in the way will complicate repairs.

More pictures

I am truly sorry, John.


You are talking about a 40+ year old boat with too many owners. And all leave their mark good and bad.


Some boats this old need to be removed. Others, like the one I bought, were so well maintained and restored before I bought her that I feel like the luckiest guy in the world!


Prairie 29s seem to be more and more difficult to find. Good ones even more difficult.


Just offer someone with a good one a huge wad of cash and see what happens


I do wish you well.


Keep dreaming, searching and hoping.


Tim

It's always sad to see the slow death of a boat like that.

But you're right to walk away. In our quest for a trawler we found a lot of once-proud boats which suffered from owners' broken dreams and neglect.