Should I lowball this one?

[toben]

He wants $6500 for 77 Hunter 30' in good condition. Assuming the marine survey comes back with a good report whats a good lowball number? $4000? I expect it will cost him at least $1500 to winter this sucker in the Boston area.

Thanks, Toben

This is from Craigslist:
30' Hunter Blow-out price. MUST SELL NOW!! - $6500
1977 30 foot yacht. This price does not in any way reflect the real dollar value of this vessel. It is only offered at this price so that I can sell it and sell it quick, like now. I will not list this again so if it does not sell this year. I keep her. Year: 1977 Engine: Original Yanmar Diesel 12 HP, 1 cylinder inboard. Runs great and starts EVERY time. Been winterized every year, have documentation. Reduction Gear 2:1 Prop: 13Dz10P Electrical System: 12v DC & 110v AV Charging: 35 AMP Engine Alternator Shore Power: 30 AMP Shore Tie Weight: 9,700 lbs Dimensions: 30' (length) times 10'2" (width) times 5'3" (draft) Diesel Tank: 15 Gallons Battery: 2 Marine (1 cranker) Freshwater Tank: 40 Gallon tank Head: Manual with shower, 2 sinks, one in head, the other in main saloon. G.P.S.: Garmin with plotting system Radar: no Refrigerator: 110v AC Microwave Oven: 110v AC Compass: Ritchie Pedestal at wheel. Galley Stove 2 burner counter top Additional Equipment: Headstay Roller Furling Sails: 2 Main (one extra), 1 Genoa (brad new) Winches: Primary - (2) Barient #24, Service. Halyard - (2) Barient #16 Anchor: (2) #1 - 16lb Fluke This is a fully documented vessel by the US Coast Guard. I have certificates from previous owner and previous owner before him. First off, this is unique sailboat. She is 100% read to sail and needs nothing The most notable feature of this boat is her interior. Upgraded the entire galley to beautiful Corinthian countertops (lighter than granite) and installed an apartment-size refrigerator (3' tall, 18" wide) and microwave. They run on AC when hooked up to shore power. Shore power cord comes with boat. She sleeps 4 comfortable (5-6 cozy). The engine has been COMPLETLY reliable and starts every time without hesitation. It's been professionally winterized every winter and de-winterized each spring. The vessel has the best acoustical system I've seen on a sailboat. Installed a CD/MP3 player with separate amplifier and 4 speakers (two "all season" outdoors & two indoor bookshelf. She's in great shape and has many little extras. I don't own another boat so all incidental lose equipment is included (life jackets, lines, etc.) She is in Salem Harbor now and being sailed every weekend. Come see and ready to buy cause you'll love her, especially at this price. NOTE: I will not answer any questions by this method (Email) unless person provides a phone number that I can call in order to verify interest. Thanks

[arbarnhart]

It sounds like it is in great shape and sailing now; I might be the sucker he is looking for, but it sounds like it may legitimately be a deal so I would not go with great expectations of the seller coming down much if any.

[Freesail99]

Have you seen the boat ? Craigslist is famous for scammers. Almost happened to me with a car. I happened to be surfing one day and saw the car I was going to buy listed in cities 1000's of miles away. It was the same ad, then came the alerts on craigs, about that very car. Be careful, sometimes something is to good to be true, because it is.

[Sailormann]

The ad does not read like it was written by a sailor. It gives me the impression that it is a scam. Nobody "de-winterizes" a sailboat, unless they don't know what they are talking about. What is "Corinthian ???" I'm thinking that if the seller wrote a large cheque to cover the cost of CORIAN it wouldn't be difficult to remember the name of the stuff...

The request for a phone number is not legit. I'd stay away from it, but if you don't - check back and let us know how much you lose okay

[Sapperwhite]

This price does not in any way reflect the real dollar value of this vessel. It is only offered at this price so that I can sell it and sell it quick, like now. I will not list this again so if it does not sell this year. I keep her

The ad is written very poorly, bad/wrong terminology, kind of fishy overall. First off it's not "real dollar value", it's fair market value. Also, he needs to "sell it quick, like now", but will not list it again????? Why's that? He "MUST SELL", but will keep her another year if it doesn't sell "like now"????? A lot of red flags in this ad buddy.

So, yes lowball him.......way way low. Try starting at $0.02 and take it from there.

[sailingfool]

The late '70s Hunter 30 happens to be the first larger cruising boat I ever sailed, chartered one for a week on Cape Cod. Even though the boat was only was only 2-3 years old at the time, and I was new to sailing, it left a vivid memory as a pretty junky boat, everything was cheap and coming apart. I doubt it could have improved much in the 30+years since.

Anyone who wants to jump on this post to defend the Hunter 30 is welcome to do so, just don't get personal - I'm just relating my experience.

[RickLaPaz]

Just remember something---Craigs List is the electronic equivalent of the flyers found in laundromats and inside of free clinics. Or as we say here, the last exit before toll.

Personally, I wouldn't buy 50 dollar bills for $20 from anyone there. But that's just me.........

[sailingdog]

Umm.. Looks like iron pyrite... The guy isn't a sailor... and he has no clue what he's talking about. A 30-year old yanmar diesel is not a bargain in most cases... even if it was lovingly maintained.. Hunters are far from unique sailboats... they're more like the Chevy of sailboats, along with Catalina and Beneteau.

His lack of knowledge is pretty obvious... a "cranker" battery... does he mean starter... BTW, what is 110V AV charging??? and so on. I'd steer clear.

[Lancer28]

The neighbor at my dad's Marina in San Diego has one - don't buy it. There are far better boats out there. The neighbor absolutely hates it and has had a for sale sign on it with little flags since september last year, hahaha!

He only wants $5800.00 for his, and it is in fairly good shape. Similar to this ad.

I think that boat values are highly overrated or underrated, nothing like aircraft books or even most car book values.

[Jeff_H]

I agree that this boat is a bit questionable and while I like Hunter 30's I would be very cautious about a 1977 Hunter 30. The 1977 and 78 were quite crude. Hunters actually got better so that by the two Hunter 30's (a 79 and 81) that we had in our family, they were nicely improved offering a well equipped, nicely sailing boat, at a reasonable price. The big issues with the 1977 model would be deck coring, mast step, chainplates, rudder and steering gear.

Off topic, Sailormann- I de-winterize my boat at the end of every winter. What do you do?

Jeff