Hi, Old boats are worth the effort if it's a labor of love and you won't get stressed or take on so much you can't sail more than work on her.
As to the cored deck being wet, is there physical damage (spongy or de-laminated) or did the moisture meter readings just come in high? It might just be something to keep an eye on and worry about later if it starts to delaminate or get spongy. To paraphrase Rob Ball (C&C designer) when he answered a question last summer about cored decks... '....Ok, so the core is wet, lots of boats have wet cores, now what? If there is no serious de-lamination who cares? Spend a fortune to fix a damp core or sail the boat for another decade, maybe longer?' I would, however, try yo find the leak and fix it. So here is my opinion, FWIW; If you are not going off cruising or taking it on a passage, then the question is, can you get the thing in the water and sailing this summer? If so, than just do it. Take the projects one at a time, it does not matter what you buy, you WILL have projects. If you like sailing that boat and it costs you a couple of grand to get it moving through the water, AND you are going to sail her then it's a bargain. Two years ago I sold me "72 30MKI for 7K and paid 27K for a 87 30MKII. I love my new boat but I don't sail it any more than my last one. I spent 20K for a shower, propane and a more comfortable layout. My new boat is faster in light air, but In reality, my old boat was a little more fun to sail as it was so much stiffer in a breeze. I don't regret my decision one bit, but on paper it looks kind of silly. Oh, and I still have projects. Sail on...
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