The waiting is killing me!

jellyellie · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

Hi everybody

My boyfriend and I have been looking at a 34ft yacht to buy as our home.

We saw it for the first time on Friday, loved it, and went back on Saturday with some friends (marine engineer and his wife, equally as experienced) to give it a going over with a fine tooth comb. We loved it even more, and our friends agree she's a fine yacht.

Our friends are great mentors to us and have yeeears of experience buying and selling boats, so we went back to their boat after our viewing yesterday to discuss and plan our next move. There is another bidder on the scene - aargh!

Basically, we've decided to wait until about Wednesday - secret tactics! We're going to wait for the other guy to put an offer on - although there is doubt if he will at all - and then take it from there. We have a trump card too, including our emotional story - a young couple looking to make the yacht our home, not just a lone guy looking to sail her every now and again.

I'm blabbering on now, but I don't do patience, and this is already killing me. The thought of waiting any longer is soul-destroying... I want that boat!

jelly

SailChick20 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

Good luck to you! When I bought my boat, I had the bidding war stress to contend with too...so I know how you're feeling.

xort · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

what if you wait until wednesday and find out that a lowball offer was accepted?
ignore outside forces; make a good faith offer and run with it

sailingdog · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

I'd second putting in a good faith offer... also, make sure you make any offer subject to survey and sea trial.

jellyellie · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

There's a little bit more to it than I've said which gives us reason to wait until Wednesday, but it's complicated and I won't say it on here.

Also, the broker knows we're about to put an offer in so there's no way he will allow the other guy's offer to be accepted without first hearing ours.

Just got to sit tight now.

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

In that case... good luck...keep us posted.

jellyellie · #7 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

Thanks Sailingdog! Will do!

J36ZT · #8 (**permalink**) 11-09-2008

Waiting is always a hard thing to do. Here are a few things you can do to make the time go by faster:

1) If you know the boat has some problem areas, start doing the research now (ie needs Gelcoat work...find out what you'll need and how to do it)
2) Do as much research as you can on the boat (where built, when last hauled out, etc). It may even be a good idea to talk to the guys that did the last bottom-job or any major work.
3) Try to find other owners of similar boats and talk to them
4) Look into joining a Yacht Club (just find out what it costs)
5) Find the local Coast Guard station and "bribe" them with cookies or other baked goods (this sounds strange, but believe me it works and they'll remember you)
6) Start getting a list of people/businesses together (ie rigger, boatyard, marine electronics, sail loft, diver, etc.)
7) Go to the marina where you're planning on keeping the boat and spend an hour or two just walking around and observing. This is likely to be very entertaining if there are boats coming in and going out
8) Find/get some rope/line and practice tying some knots
9) Make a list of all the things you'd like to have on the boat. Then prioritize the list
10) Go to Hersailnet...(you could spend a whole day just reading all the past posts and get lots of great ideas)
11) Research the marine charts that you'll probably need for the areas you plan on sailing
12) Every emotional high is followed by an emotional low. Start planning ways to combat the emotional low you'll probably experience 2-4 weeks after you finally do buy the boat

But, most important...whatever you do...DO NOT THINK ABOUT THE BOAT! Just put it out of your mind...

We've all been exactly where you are now. Hang in there, we're all rooting for you!

Skipper, J/36 "Zero Tolerance"

jellyellie · #9 (**permalink**) 11-10-2008

Damn! Lost her! The other bidder put a ridiculously high offer that we couldn't match. Onwards and upwards, we've already found the exact same model down the country so we're going for a viewing on Wednesday. Round two!!

Delirious · #10 (**permalink**) 11-10-2008

We lost one that way, too. Two simultaneous bids and ours was $5,000 lower and provisional to a clean survey. Other bidder went without a survey (may he find polyestermites in his hull).

I see you're in the UK. I could have tipped you onto two nice 36 footers but the postage would be prohibitive.

Best of luck in your search.