I am looking at buying a used Merlin and will be new to the class after a ten year lapse from sailing , 3633 is on the boats for sale link and on comparison looks cheap to similar age and younger boats at £7500 however it needs sails as the ones with the boat are well used and need replacing it also comes with a Winder road trailer with big wheels, under cover and top cover the mast is a carbon Superspars. my budget was £7000 tops but i may streth a little if this is good value . How often does a good set of used sails come on the market and how much ?  would this boat be capable of competeing with the newer boats in the fleet ? have there been  any significant hull / design changes since it was  built ?

Take alook at the used equipement list below. Sails come up regularily. Approximately new price for a set around £1,300, second hand used at one event £900, second hand used for half a season ST/major events £650, used for whole season ST/major events £350. Beyond that 'open to offers'.

Used to turn over quickly, but in current market conditions, not so quickly.

Good luck with your quest.

I didn't mean that link, but that would probably be a good set of sails at a bargain price.

I meant this link

Tony, add your e-mail address to your posting so people can discuss pros and cons of various boats privately with you.

Rgarding hull shape tweaks. Over the last 10 years, practically every hull shape tweak, in my opinion, has been minor and down to the preference of the helm. Except perhaps the 'nose drop' between the Winder Mk1 and Winder Mk4, which can be retrofitted. The 'one string' system (technically 'two strings'), of course isn't a hull modification, but does make the job of rig adjustment significantly easier.

Winder retrofitted the 'nose drop' and also 'one string' to our 3580 (coming up to 9 years old)and my son beats me in my Winder Mk4 3671 significantly at Slver Tiller events/Salcombe. Thus proving that crew skill factor out weighs the minor variations in Merlins at the moment - you can't buy your way to the front of the fleet.

I noticed that one and looked at the pricing of the bits. Compared to the other boats on there once you add a new suit of sails with spinny (£1,165 at P&B's current off season discounts) and a trip to Winders for the 'Minor repairs' (anything less than £500 would ba a waste of time really) plus the non-negotiable price of £7,500 that makes £9,165 for which I would suggest you could get pretty much any of the boats on the list without having to make a trip to Winders and might even get a later boat.

Advantages being and smartly refurbed boat with brand spanking sails.

If it were my money, I would contact Steve Leney (3639) and see what he has to offer and Maurice (3645 - has a Winder lifting rudder too) before you go back to Andy. Given the time of year and the choice of boats I think you could get a better deal than any of them are offering right now.

But that starts to push the budget from 7 to 9k.

With a 7k budget, Leader alway looked well looked after, and that comes with recent sails.

Also, Ross' boat at £7,200 has alawy been a tidy boat.

Link to Ross's boat fyi

And almost as to prove my above posting about the closeness of performance of the boats built over the last 10 years, the 'for sale' picture of Ross's boat, you have Mark in a Winder Mk1 modified 3580 (white boat red spin) passing through to leeward of Ross's Driver EZ Roller 3606 with Dalby just behind in Winder Mk? 3690 (the most 'pimped' Winder ever according to the mag, orange/black spin).

Reading commemts regarding 3633 and prices ,i have now taken delivery of 3699 and  tidy up was completed at a cost of £150 to 3633 last week at Winders so i could do with some space and i would like to avoid insurance renewal next week , the sails are useable at club level also sets of lightly used sails are often available at around £650 which would make it perform well at any event in the right hands . Considering the majority of merlins for sale have used sails the total cost with a decent set of sails would then be around £8000 of which i consider to be a bargain , the £7500 price is not fixed for anyone who turns up with a fist full of cash

Given the size of my hands, I think I could get about 3 grand in it, will that do?

Seriously though, If it has had a good tidy and you are open to offers it may well be a good buy.

If I had the money.................

have a look at 3624 price includes two sets of sails one very little used and suitable for champs/silver tillers etc so no added expence there -the boat has been little used last few years and kept in a garage and comes with all top gear.

Thanks but price of 3624 is way over my current budget and my idea was to buy now and sort sails etc over the winter thus spreading the  cost , Hollingworth is my nearest Merlin club and the idea of a Winder 4 is appealing due to the level of competition there sailing mid fleet or tail end charlie . i would not feel the boat was letting me down as i might in older versions .

Top tip, it's all about the rig! All the new boats are very similar, stepping in to a well sorted boat with decent sails and chipstow twig will make the biggest differnece.

Unless you are heavy, in which case the extra stiffness of a superpars can be converted into more power.

heres a link to a picture of merlin 3633, (ignore the sails!) couldn't put an image on the listing

http://gallery.sail.org.uk/d/15013-2/P1040691.jpg

3633 is now sold and i am  trying to remove from listing , Andy.

Ok, will remove her.

Too late already have!