Thread: Another new guy
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Old 12-30-2008
sailingfool sailingfool is offline
ASA and PSIA Instructor
 
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In NE you can find low-entry cost boats at
University of Rhode Island Foundation
and
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
These boats typically sell for less than half the asking price.

I describe tham as low entry cost boats advisedly - there are no cheap boats. It's easy to look at boats like these and think if you pay 25% of the general market price for a given year and model, how can you go wrong? Even if you consider the hundreds of hours of your own labor as free, the cost of equipment and materials needed for a for fixer-upper sailboat can't be dodged - it's $$$$ every time you turn around. If you do all your own labor and are not a true craftsman, you end up with a boat with a lot of money in it that you'll never come close to getting back.

My advice has always been, that the cheapest way to get a good boat, is to pay a premium price for mint model - you'll get most or all of your money back when you sell and may get away wiht few or no surprises.
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Last edited by sailingfool; 12-30-2008 at 06:20 PM.
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